The average price of 3D epoxy flooring is $3 to $12 per square foot, based on the complexity of the design and materials used. Other key factors to consider are the design itself. As for the complicated designs, those with patterns or graphics will generally be more expensive than the regular patterns.
Ever been in a room and had a feeling of stepping onto a tropical beach, a coral reef or a geometric abyss? It’s the magic of 3D epoxy flooring. It’s a huge thing at the moment! Transforms a plain concrete floor into a whole piece of art. But let’s get back to real business. The first question property owners and contractors alike ask when confronted by a one-of-a-kind project is, “What is the actual damage to the wallet?
It’s essential to get to the bottom of the real epoxy floor installation cost before you start pulling out the tools or enter into a contract.
So let’s take a look at the real cost, the costs that are not obvious and how to make these numbers work out.
What is the Baseline Epoxy Floor Cost Per Square Foot?
Now to the facts! The cost of a normal solid colour industrial epoxy job could cost a couple of dollars per square foot. But 3D flooring? That’s a whole new dog and pony show.
The epoxy floor installation cost for an industrial or professional installation is typically anywhere from $10 to $25 per square foot.
So what gives it the advantage of being so high? A 3D floor is NOT a floor. A very technical and multi-step installation process. It needs a perfect leveling primer, a high-resolution 3D photo or mural layer and several coats of clear, UV stable polyurethane or quality epoxy resin to secure it. When applying to a smaller space such as a residential bathroom, the price per square foot may be even higher due to setups and minimums for materials
Key Factors That Drive the Total Epoxy Floor Installation Cost
You cannot just guess how much epoxy flooring costs without looking at the specific site conditions. Each floor will be unique. These are the factors affecting your estimate sheet:
1. Concrete Prep Work
That is where the projects are successful or unsuccessful. Epoxy requires a very porous, clean and flat surface to adhere to. Cracked, spalling, and uneven concrete will need shot blasting, grinding or self-leveling underlayments. Doing this may result in your expensive 3D image bubbling or peeling. The cost for concrete prep ranges from $1 to $3 per sq. ft. of the total epoxy floor installation cost.
2. High-resolution graphics and custom art.
A special vinyl/fabric print is used to create the 3D effect. You can’t simply apply the regular wallpaper. It must be able to accept the chemical heat (exothermic reaction) of the epoxy pouring over it without bleeding or melting. If you have an image that you have designed yourself or have licensed from stock photos, then it’s going to cost you more in materials.
3. Clear Topcoat Quality
In order to achieve this level of depth, which looks like water, the installers have to use lots of high quality clear resin. You will need a topcoat that will not yellow in sunlight or scratch from the first step on it. UV stable, high-grade polymers are a lot more expensive than the typical garage floor kit.
Residential vs. Commercial Installations
The location of the floor affects the floor’s pricing. One of the more popular uses of 3D epoxy is in residential homes in bathrooms, basements or man caves. This is a small area. Small spaces also translate into working with smaller corners and a lack of space for larger grinding machines. A contractor will generally charge a minimum (typically $2,500 to $3,500) for a small room, regardless of the actual square footage, due to the number of separate trips they must make to the house to complete the job.
The total square footage is much greater for commercial spaces, such as a hotel lobby, a high-end retail store or themed restaurant. The total epoxy floor installation cost is higher, but the epoxy floor cost per square foot is lower ($10-$15) because the crew can work with large-scale equipment efficiently in the wide open areas.
Why Accuracy Matters (And How to Get It Right)
As a general contractor, flooring installer or commercial developer, you know that it’s a risky game to guess your numbers. Not accounting for materials and the number of times they will need to cure a 3D floor or underestimating the amount of materials needed will cause your profits to be devoured. It’s not an option to get it wrong regarding the amount of product that you need to get that glassy thickness.
This is why savvy players don’t gamble on their luck. You can get a perfect material take-off, labor hour estimate and overhead allocation with the use of the best flooring estimating services before you put in a bid. Whether the project is multi-layered resinous flooring, a commercial concrete prep or architectural finishes, we specialize in breaking down the extremely complicated projects so you can bid with confidence and your bottom line will be ensured.
Final Thoughts
So, with 3D epoxy flooring, you should ask yourself, How much is epoxy flooring cost? Allow $10-$25 per square foot for a realistic estimate, depending upon your unique concrete preparation requirements. For high-end environments seeking to create a big impression, it’s a high-end product.
Looking for a precise, foolproof takeoff for your next resinous flooring or commercial building project? Call the Fusion Estimating team. Accurate, quick and reliable digital estimates for your project in the region’s exact labor rates and material needs. Let’s make the next bid the winner!