Material cost per job
What does one recoat job cost in materials?
Last updated · FloorIt
On an average 1,000 square foot floor, one recoat usually costs about $360 to $460 in materials and job costs. That covers about 1.8 gallons of finish, a buffer rental, screens and pads, and gas. Here is each line, so you can price your own jobs.
The line items
| Item | What it covers | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Finish | About 1.8 gallons, at about 24 cents a sq ft | About $236 |
| Buffer rental | One day at the rental counter | $60 to $100 |
| Supplies | Screens, pads and roller covers | $40 to $75 |
| Gas | Driving to the job and the rental store | $25 to $50 |
| Total | One coat, average floor | About $360 to $460 |
How we get to 1.8 gallons
One gallon of our finish covers about 500 to 600 square feet. At about 550 square feet a gallon, a 1,000 square foot floor needs about 1.8 gallons for one coat. Keep a spare on hand for touch-ups.
Don't spread it thin to save money. A thin coat wears through sooner, and a floor that wears early costs you the customer and the referral.
One coat or two?
Our job math uses one coat. One coat does about half of jobs. Worn traffic lanes get a second coat, as a premium option. A second coat adds about 1.8 more gallons, or about $236.
Price the job for the number of coats you plan to put down, and tell the homeowner which it is.
What the job leaves after materials
- $2,500
- Average job, about 1,000 sq ft at $2.50
- About $360 to $460
- Materials and job costs
- About $2,040 to $2,140
- Left before labor, marketing and taxes
This leaves out what it cost to win the job. If the customer came from paid ads, part of that ad money belongs to this job too. Referrals and repeat customers cost far less to win.
An example, not a promise.
What you buy once, not every job
- A shop vac, about $80
- Starting supplies like tack cloth, tape and protective gear, about $60
- Later, your own buffer, about $500 to $890, once you're busy enough that renting is a hassle
Keep reading
- Recoat business income: How much a floor recoat business can make, with a real job example and jobs-per-week math. Every number here is an example, not a promise of what you'll earn.
- Equipment you need: The equipment you need to recoat hardwood floors: a buffer (rent for about $40 a day), screens and pads, a shop vac, a roller and pole, and a two-part finish.
- Finish reorders: Do FloorIt partners have to buy finish from us? No, and there's no minimum order. What your first 12 gallons cover, and what to check in any finish.
- Hire a floor tech: Don't want to do the floor work? A part-time recoat tech runs about $250 a job. Here is the math, and what you still do yourself.