Pricing Guide

"What does garage floor coating cost?"

Like almost every purchase we make, the answer, depends. Much like walking into a furniture store and asking, "How much do chairs cost?" or the grocery store and asking, "How much is food?", the answer will depend on the details.

And here are the 4 details that matter most

1. Bonding Strength

A concrete floor is porous, like a giant hard sponge.
Floor coatings made up of larger molecules like epoxies don't soak in; they sit on top. Hot tires parked in the same spot day after day can cause these coatings to de-bond.
Coatings made up of smaller molecules really soak in, so they stick better and last longer.

2. Flexibility

A concrete garage floor will contract and expand slightly with temperature change.
And a garage floor is susceptible to having heavy items dropped on it.
Floor coatings that are too hard and brittle will crack as the slab expands and contracts or when heavy items are dropped on it. This allows moisture underneath the coating.
As that moisture evaporates out, it can cause the coating to de-bond.

3. UV Stability

Ultraviolet rays from sunlight can be damaging to many materials - like paint, fabric, wood and...concrete coatings.
Most floor coatings are not UV resistant.
They will yellow over time.
UV rays will also cause unprotected coatings to break down and become brittle (see Flexibility issues above).
A 100 percent polyaspartic floor coating is UV-resistant and won't yellow over time.

4. Installation Expertise

Proper preparation of the surface is the most important step in applying a concrete floor coating.
If surface grinding is not done correctly, the coating will eventually peel.
And if cracks, pitting, and flaking is not repaired correctly before applying the coating, imperfections will show through.
Even the highest quality coatings, if applied by less skilled installers or with corners cut to save cost, will not perform long-term.
A 100 percent polyaspartic floor coating requires expert installation by an experienced team.

"So what are my options?"

Least Expensive:

DIY coatings from your Big-box store

Almost always epoxy-based
Epoxies are larger molecules that do not sink into the concrete.
Intended for very short-term "spruce up" or to prepare a home for sale.

Still Pretty Cheap:

Professional Epoxy

Large molecule that sits on top of the surface.
Very hard, but very brittle - microscopic cracks develop easily.
No UV resistance - yellows and fades with time.
Easier to install than other options.

More Expensive:

Polyurea

Smaller molecule, but minimal penetration into concrete surface due to "crosslay".
Very flexible when new.
Highly susceptible to UV damage. Become brittle when UV exposed.
Professional installation required.

Also More Expensive:

Polyaspartic

Small molecule with excellent surface penetration and adhesion.
Moderately flexible, resistant to cracking.
100% UV resistant (unless blended with Polyurea - check materials data sheet for 100% Aliphatic composition).
Professional installation required.

Blends

To save money, some companies use the best product - Polyaspartic - for the topcoat only. They still use epoxy or polyurea for the basecoat.
Epoxy base coat with Polyaspartic on top: This adds flexibility to the top layer, but the adhesion issues epoxies have will still be present.
Polyurea base with Polyaspartic on top: This prevents yellowing from UV rays, BUT the Polyaspartic top coat, while UV resistant itself, DOES NOT provide UV protection to the polyurea below. So, the base polyurea will degrade over time. Adhesion is also not as good with Polyureas, and applying a Polyaspartic top coat does nothing to improve that.

Peeling from Poor Adhesion

Cracking from a Lack of Flexibility

Yellowing from UV Damage

"Can you break that down for me?"

DIY Epoxy

Professional Epoxy

Polyurea

Polyaspartic

Epoxy / Polyaspartic Blend

Polyurea / Polyaspartic Blend

Cost

Bonding Strength

Terrible

Bad

Better

Best

Bad

Better

Flexibility

None

Excellent
when new

Best

Good
for the top coat

Excellent
only initially

UV Resistance

None

Best

Top coat only

Install Expertise

Are you an expert?

Compare Warranties

Other Specifics that Affect Your Price:

Size of your garage
Condition of your garage floor
Moisture level in your concrete
Options like coating the stairs, foundation walls, or the exterior apron
How long you want your floor to last
And remember, even the highest quality coatings, if applied by less skilled
installers or with corners cut to save cost, will not perform long-term.

"OK, but I want a specific price for my garage."

Great! That's what your very own Garage Guru can get for you. Click here or give us a shout at 1-844-559-2577 to schedule a free quote. You'll get an exact price, and we promise to make it fun!