Pricing
Most contractors will not put a number on a website. Here is ours, and here is what moves it.
Sand & refinish, typical
$3.50–$5.00
per square foot
Covers the full grit sequence, cleanup between passes, and three coats of finish on a floor in ordinary condition. A 900 square foot main floor typically lands between $3,150 and $4,500.
Two floors of the same size can be a thousand dollars apart, and it is almost always for one of the reasons below. We give a firm number after seeing the floor, not before.
| Condition | A floor under carpet since 1975 sands easily. One with old finish, wax buildup, or three previous sandings takes longer and sometimes cannot be sanded at all. |
|---|---|
| Stain | Changing the color adds a full step plus dry time. Natural finish is faster and cheaper. |
| Repairs | Water damage, pet stains through to the subfloor, and missing boards are quoted separately. Pet urine that has reached the subfloor usually means board replacement, not sanding. |
| Layout | Small rooms, closets, and tight corners are slower per square foot than open space, because more of the floor has to be done with the edger by hand. |
| Stairs | Quoted per tread, not by square foot. Stairs are hand work. |
| Finish | Waterborne dries faster and stays clear. Oil-modified ambers over time and costs less. Both are good; they look different in five years. |
Worth knowing
A solid hardwood floor can usually be sanded five to seven times over its life. Most Milwaukee floors from the twenties have been done once or twice. That leaves plenty of wood.
Refinishing an existing floor generally runs well under half the cost of tearing it out and installing new hardwood — and the old growth oak in these houses is better material than anything you can buy today.
The exception is a floor that has run out of wear layer. Once the boards have been sanded down near the tongue, there is nothing left to cut and sanding again will cause the floor to fail.
We check thickness at a floor vent or a doorway before quoting. If your floor is done, we will tell you it is done rather than sell you a sanding that ruins it.
Get a quote
We answer quote requests the same day, most days. If you would rather talk it through, call 414-255-3035.