Epoxy is often tricky to install compared to other flooring options. But if you pick the right garage floor epoxy and the best installers near you, the results can be amazing.
If you are ready to renovate your garage floor, contact your local flooring pros for FREE ESTIMATES!
How Much Does It Cost To Epoxy A Garage Floor?
Epoxy garage floor coating costs differs based on several factors, like labor, materials, number of layers, etc.
On average, garage floor epoxy costs anywhere between $2.50 and $6.50 to coat one square foot of a garage floor. This includes material costs and labor.
Coating an entire garage can cost between $660 and $1,716 if it’s a one-car garage, or $1,100 to $2,860 for a two-car garage.
Epoxy Flooring Cost Breakdown
The average homeowner spends upwards of $1,500 to install epoxy garage flooring. But that’s based on the average range of $660 to $4,576 (for three-car garages.)
| Garage Size | Average Square Feet | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Car Garage | 265 square feet | $662 to $1,772 |
| 2-Car Garage | 440 square feet | $1,100 to $2,860 |
| 3-Car Garage | 704 square feet | $1,760 to $4,576 |
The type of epoxy and the labor costs account for most of the pricing.
For example, epoxy materials can range on average between $0.50 and $1.50 per square foot.
Garage floor epoxy labor costs are slightly more expensive, going from $2 to $5 for installed epoxy flooring per square foot.
This is why the total cost is heavily affected by the size of the garage and potential installation difficulties.
Average Epoxy Flooring Material Costs
A water-based epoxy is the cheapest option if you want to manage epoxy garage flooring costs. The price per square foot can be as little as $0.30. Typically, water-based epoxy garage flooring goes up to $1 per square foot.
A solid epoxy garage floor is also a great choice due to its superior durability. But it can be considerably more expensive, and costs around $1.20 per square foot.
Using a solvent epoxy offers a good price-to-performance ratio for your garage floor. It’s slightly pricier than water-based epoxy flooring at $0.40 per square foot, but still cheaper than solid epoxy.
| Material | Average Cost per Square Foot | With Labor Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Water-Based | $0.30 to $1 | $2.50 |
| Solvent-Based | $0.40+ | $3.40 to $4.40 |
| Solid | $1.20+ | $6.50 |
Average Labor Costs To Epoxy Garage Floor
Installing an epoxy floor in a garage can take up to three days. This is because the garage floor requires prepping before installing the epoxy.
That means you could pay for one day of prep work and one day of actual installation labor. Then the workers must return and seal the coating.
Depending on the amount of work and whether you do your own prep work, labor costs will vary between $2 to $5 per square foot.
Cost-Influencing Factors
The material type and installation difficulty often determine the overall cost of coating a garage floor with epoxy.
There are two more aspects to consider. First, the size of your garage floor. The more square footage you have, the more expensive the cost.
You could mitigate this by choosing a cheaper material or prepping the garage floor yourself to reduce labor costs.
Secondly, the number of coats you want to apply affects price. You can coat the garage’s concrete floor with more than one epoxy coating.
If you need extra durability and thickness, you’ll need more materials.
It’s also worth noting that irregularly shaped garage floors can be more expensive to coat.
Epoxy compounds come in containers of only a very few standard sizes. You may e required to buy more epoxy than you actually need just to ensure you can cover every inch of the garage floor with one epoxy coat. This is when discussing your project with professional installers pays off.
You can get guidance on what product to pick to get the most out of the garage floor epoxy while staying in your budget.
Did you know? Research conducted by Global Market Insights has shown an unprecedented upsurge in epoxy flooring demand.
This trend is evident in industrial, commercial, and residential markets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for epoxy flooring increased as the home remodeling industry started booming.
What Is Epoxy Flooring?
Epoxy flooring is a great way to cover and seal a boring, traditional, concrete garage floor. Garage floor epoxy contains epoxide resin and a hardener.
The combination of these materials initiates a chemical reaction that triggers an exothermic curing process. During the process, a durable coating is created that can seal the underlying surface and waterproof it.
What makes epoxy an interesting garage floor option is the result of the curing process.
Mixing epoxide resin with a polyamine hardener creates cross-linked polymer structures. These create a thick coating of superior durability and strength.
Garage Epoxy Flooring vs. Epoxy Paint
Epoxy paint is very different, and mostly used for aesthetic purposes. Granted, it’s still tougher than a standard coat of paint, but it’s far from thick epoxy flooring.
Epoxy paint is essentially acrylic paint with a small resin additive that makes it stronger than regular paint.
Unlike proper epoxy flooring, epoxy paint doesn’t go through a curing process or harden to achieve the same strength and durability.
Epoxy Garage Flooring Types
You can use three main types of epoxy flooring to renovate your garage floor based on the materials and process used to make it.
Water-Based Epoxy
A water-based epoxy contains three ingredients. It has water, epoxide resin, and a hardener. During the curing process, the water will evaporate from the mixture due to the exothermic reaction.
The result of the reaction leaves your garage floor with a thin epoxy coating with a glossy finish, few volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and a durable polymer structure.
Unlike other types of epoxy flooring, water-based epoxy isn’t scratchproof or resilient against chemical exposure.
Typically, it lasts up to three years, so you will have to reapply a new coating eventually.
Depending on how much use the garage floor sees on a daily basis, water-based epoxy flooring might only last a year.
Using water-based epoxy garage flooring in commercial and industrial applications is not recommended.
That said, it’s the cheapest option on the market, and is relatively easy to install. Water based epoxy material and labor costs make this an ideal garage floor epoxy choice for someone with a tight budget.
Solvent-Based Epoxy
If you can’t yet afford a premium epoxy garage flooring but you need more durability than water-based epoxy offers, solvent-based epoxy flooring is a great option for you.
Did you know? Methylene chloride is among the most common VOC found in epoxy flooring and epoxy paint. This is generally a banned substance, especially in paint removal products. When used as a solvent in epoxy flooring, the fumes can cause dizziness, nausea, numbness, and damage to the skin, eyes, and important organs. Severe or prolonged exposure can even lead to loss of consciousness, or worse.
Solvent based garage epoxy flooring is more durable than water-based epoxy and has very good resistance to petroleum products. It works well in high humidity areas and low-temperature environments.
Another advantage is the quick drying-off period that makes solvent based epoxy flooring very easy to install in your garage. The reason it’s called solvent epoxy is the mixture of both solvents and epoxide resin.
The durability of solvent based epoxy garage floors is greater than that of water-based epoxy, but it does have some drawbacks.
A solvent-based epoxy floor can be expensive to install.
This compound has a high concentration of VOCs and is categorized as highly flammable.
These aspects make the installation process more dangerous and delicate, and even requires workers to use respirators.
Its resilience in various environments is admirable. However due to its high VOC concentration, this type of epoxy flooring is banned in several states like Maine, Vermont, New York, DC, Ohio, and others.
Solid Epoxy
A solid garage epoxy floor is the answer if you want a premium epoxy coating guaranteed to last a long time.
Compared to other types, this coating is almost twice as thick, making it more resistant to heat, scratches, and chemical exposure.
Garage flooring made of solid epoxy can have a lifespan of up to 20 years when properly installed.
However, using it in areas with high humidity and moisture or exposing it to extreme temperatures can shorten the garage floor epoxy’s service life.
There are other advantages besides its impressive durability. For example, solid epoxy flooring only contains epoxide resin and hardening agents. Because of this, it doesn’t contain any VOCs, making it environmentally safe, and better for the installers.
You can also use solid epoxy for industrial and commercial garage flooring.
The only significant downsides are the complex installation and cost. As a premium garage flooring solution, solid epoxy is the most expensive, sometimes having three times the cost of its alternatives.
In addition, this type of compound must be installed quickly and precisely. This increases labor costs and calls for very experienced professional installers.
Is Epoxy Garage Flooring Worth It?
There are several advantages to using epoxy coating on a concrete garage floor. Have a look at some of the pros and cons.
Pros
Superior Protection and Durability
As with any type of sealant, garage floor epoxy will protect the concrete flooring underneath it.
By bonding to the surface, the epoxy coating actually increases the strength of the concrete, making it less susceptible to wear and cracks.
The tough epoxy coating can increase the garage floor’s surface strength, giving it a higher weight capacity.
Can be Long-Lasting
A good epoxy coating will last longer than the other garage flooring options. This is thanks to the superior resistance to chemicals, water damage, shocks, and other typical issues.
Affordable
While a solid epoxy floor is expensive compared to water and solvent-based epoxy, it’s not a very expensive flooring material.
Epoxy coatings are generally cheaper than garage flooring made from other materials and offer more value per dollar than vinyl or tile, for example.
Great Aesthetics
Many homeowners may not understand the benefits of epoxy, But they still often install epoxy garage flooring for purely aesthetic reasons.
This type of flooring can turn even the dullest concrete floor and give it a shiny, glossy finish.
Epoxy can also do a good job of masking garage floor concrete imperfections, especially when customized with various color schemes.
Convenient Maintenance
Concrete garage flooring is tough, but its pristine appearance is short-lived. Garage floor epoxy is easy to clean and maintain.
Almost all debris and dust particles can be swept away or vacuumed.
Washing an epoxy garage floor is easy enough, and oil spills and road salts cause little to no damage.
Makes the Garage Safer
Due to the many ways epoxy flooring can be mixed, it’s common for garage floor epoxy to have superior traction compared to other flooring options. This can easily be achieved by using the right additives, like mortar, sand, aluminum oxide, etc.
In addition, the glossy surface is also reflective. This should improve the overall lighting in the garage, making it safer to move about, work with tools, park the car, etc.
Cons
Tricky Installation
Technically, you can install your own epoxy garage floor, but this can be a difficult process depending on your location and the type of epoxy coating you want to use.
You need to know how different compounds react to various environments to pick the right coating and install it properly.
Availability
Some epoxy coatings, like solvent-based epoxy, are banned in many states. Others, like solid epoxy coatings, don’t handle humidity well. Therefore, using epoxy might not be an option for every homeowner.
Did you know? Global epoxy resin consumption or usage is unevenly split. Up to 65% of consumption comes from the Asia-Pacific region, and China is by far the leading global consumer.
Epoxy Garage Flooring Maintenance Tips
While maintaining an epoxy garage floor is easier than concrete, it’s still important to know how to perform it to get more years out of the epoxy coating.
Regular mopping is mandatory, not just to keep a clean garage, but to remove particles and debris that can damage the garage floor epoxy over time.
Another essential maintenance aspect is limiting the amount of UV rays that hit the Garage floor epoxy directly. Even the best epoxy can discolor and stain from UV exposure. That’s why it’s best to keep the garage door closed as much as possible.
You may also want to stock up on non-caustic cleaners and use them quickly to remove stains.
Epoxy Flooring vs. Acrylic Flooring
One of the biggest advantages of using acrylic or poly-acrylic garage flooring is its resistance to moisture and high humidity. It shouldn’t be affected or show signs of peeling, even in humid environments.
Compared to epoxy garage flooring, it’s also cheaper, costing about $0.12 per square foot.
However, acrylic lacks severely in terms of durability and strength.
Acrylic garage flooring can be very slippery, and has little to no resistance against petroleum-based products.
Epoxy also wins the longevity debate.
Epoxy Flooring vs. Polymer Flooring
A polymer or polyurethane garage floor coating deals extremely well with wide temperature ranges. Cold or hot environments rarely affect the installation process.
While epoxy garage flooring may take up to three days to install, given the prep, curing, and sealing work involved, polymer flooring takes less than half a day. You can drive on it within hours.
There’s also an argument regarding its superior durability compared to epoxy.
But the installation of polymer flooring is more complex and expensive. The material is mid-ranged in price, as you could pay up to $0.80 per square foot, plus labor costs.
Compared to some epoxy coatings, polymer coatings don’t have many VOCs. But they still come with carcinogen warnings. Polymer coatings are not much safer for people or the environment.
Did you know? Rust-Oleum coatings and paints dominated the epoxy flooring industry for years. But between 2020 and 2021, the demand for garage flooring almost doubled. The recent demand upsurge paved the way for new industry leaders and franchises in the residential space.
Top Garage Floor Epoxy Specialists
For a long time, people would perform their own epoxy garage flooring installations, with Rust-Oleum being a popular product.
These days, people understand the need to properly install garage floor epoxy. As such, they hire professional installers to ensure the surface is thoroughly prepped, curing occurs without a hitch, and the sealing process is successful.
A sound installation is the main ingredient of a long-lasting garage floor epoxy coating.
Companies like GarageKings, RedRhino, GarageLiving, and GarageExperts have been gaining significant popularity and market share.
Which Epoxy Coating Is Right for You?
A water-based epoxy coating is enough if you’re looking to save money on your garage floor or add a bit of value to a home before flipping it. It will last only a few years but it’s cheap, looks amazing, and has decent durability.
If you’re interested in a long-term solution for your garage floor, a solid epoxy coating is your best option.
Solid epoxy is a premium flooring sealant that can last decades, especially when properly installed and maintained. It’s also durable, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly, and can be customized for your desired traction and aesthetics.
Whichever type you prefer, garage floor epoxy coating is an excellent choice and is increasingly recommended by more and more contractors, renovation specialists, designers, and homeowners.
