Two floors of the same size can be priced far apart. The reasons are usually in the list below. Ask every installer for a per-square-foot price in writing, with these items broken out.
Area
Some costs don't shrink with the room. The crew and the prep machines have to show up either way. A Construction Canada article works through a 5,400 square foot cafeteria and assumes one full shift of prep for a crew of five to seven, plus about half a shift to set up odor containment. Spread that over a small room and the price per square foot goes up.
The condition of the slab
This is the part nobody can price from a photo. Manufacturer prep guides list what may be needed. Weak concrete cut out and replaced. Grease removed. Old coatings ground off. Cracks repaired. Each one is labor. Sherwin-Williams and Sika both say a sound, clean slab is the owner's responsibility unless the contract says otherwise, so check which of these the bid includes.
Moisture is the other unknown. If a test comes back over the product's limit, the fix is an added layer under the floor. Ask what the price becomes if the test fails, before it fails. The floor prep guide covers the tests.
Thickness and system
"MMA floor" covers several builds, from roll-on coatings to broadcast and trowelled floors. Sherwin-Williams lists its US quartz MMA system at a nominal 1/8 to 3/16 inch and its European MMA systems at 3 to 6 mm. Thicker means more resin. Quartz or flake broadcast, a second top coat and a slip texture each add a step.
The resin itself costs more than epoxy. The Construction Specifier says so plainly, and adds that MMA's advantages can offset the higher installed cost. A bid should name the system and its thickness. If two bids are far apart, check that first.
Cove base and drains
Edges are hand work. A cove base carries the floor up the wall so the two meet without a seam. Ask for it as its own line, by the linear foot. Drains take time too. Sika's MMA system sheet has the concrete around each drain chipped down 1/2 to 3/4 inch and tapered back 3 to 6 inches. Count your drains and doorways and give the installer the number.
Downtime and off-hours work
Work out what a closed room costs you per day. That number belongs next to the bid. It is where MMA earns its higher material price. Sika publishes a full cure of about an hour per coat, and Sherwin-Williams says its multi-coat MMA systems go in over a single day or overnight.
The catch is the schedule. The Construction Canada article notes that odor control in an occupied building can mean night, weekend or holiday work. Ask whether the price assumes off-hours work, and whether containment and ventilation are included. The odor guide explains why they are needed.
Temperature
Cold changes the job. One Sika system is rated for installation at -20°F with no need to shut the freezer off, though the food still has to come out. The minimum differs by product. The same maker lists 24°F as the low end for one top coat.
Cold installs use more hardener. Sika's primer chart calls for 10 to 14 fluid ounces per gallon between 14 and 32°F, against 4 to 6 ounces between 68 and 86°F. Sika's freezer system sheet says cure can run past an hour below freezing, and it calls airflow across the floor critical in cold rooms. Tell the installer what temperature the room will be on the day.
Comparing bids
- Is it the same system at the same thickness?
- Is repair work included or extra?
- Is moisture testing in the price, with a stated cost if it fails?
- Are cove base and drains listed separately?
- Are the work hours and the odor control spelled out?
- What are the written warranty terms? Sika's data sheets warrant the product for one year and limit the remedy to the material, not labor. Anything covering workmanship comes from the installer.
Sources
- Construction Canada, Enabling faster returns to service when installing flooring (2017)
- The Construction Specifier, Best practices for specifying resinous flooring systems (2021)
- Sherwin-Williams, Concrete Surface Preparation guideline, Form G-1 (02/26)
- Sherwin-Williams, Crylaflor MMA flooring system
- Sherwin-Williams, Acrydur MMA floor systems brochure
- Sika, Sikafloor Surface Preparation Guide (2020)
- Sika, Sikafloor Pronto RB-1823 CQ system data sheet (2025)
- Sika, Sikafloor-13 Pronto MMA primer data sheet (2020)
- Sika, Sikafloor-71 TC Pronto MMA top coat data sheet (2026)
- Sika, Sikafloor Pronto MMA Floor Systems brochure
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