Cost per square foot by coating system
| System | Installed / sq ft | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solid-color epoxy | $5–$7 | Entry-level professional system for utility and storage-first spaces. |
| Epoxy with decorative flake | $6–$9 | The usual residential garage choice; the flake hides small flaws and adds grip. |
| Polyaspartic / hybrid system | $7–$12 | Quicker return to service and better UV stability, often over an epoxy base. |
| Metallic or custom decorative | $9–$15+ | Hand-worked finish; more labor, more material, more spread between bids. |
Typical installed ranges for the Gulf South metro — planning numbers, not quotes and not our prices. NOLA Concrete Coatings does not price or perform work; the real number comes from the installer after a look at the slab.
Garage floor coating cost by garage size
| Space | Typical budget |
|---|---|
| Single-car garage (roughly 250–300 sq ft) | $1,500–$3,000 |
| Two-car garage (roughly 400–500 sq ft) | $2,500–$5,500 |
| Three-car or oversized garage (600+ sq ft) | $5,000–$8,500 |
| Patio, porch, or pool deck | $1,200–$4,000 depending on square footage and finish |
Typical installed ranges for the Gulf South metro — planning numbers, not quotes and not our prices. NOLA Concrete Coatings does not price or perform work; the real number comes from the installer after a look at the slab.
Want the faster cure and sun-stable color? Polyaspartic runs $2,000 to $3,600 for a single-car garage, $3,200 to $6,000 for a two-car, and $5,500 to $9,000 for three cars or more.
The six things that change your price
- Prep method. Diamond grinding costs more than acid etching and is the reason a coating stays down. A bid that is much cheaper than the rest often etched.
- Repair. Cracks, spalls, and joint filling. Significant repair on a garage adds about $200 to $800; removing an old coating or sealer is extra on top.
- Moisture. A high reading means a moisture-tolerant primer — often the biggest single swing between two bids on the same floor.
- System and thickness. Solid epoxy, flake epoxy, polyaspartic, or metallic, and how many coats at what build. Thicker lasts longer and costs more.
- Size and access. Per-foot price drops as area grows. Very small jobs hit a floor of about $400 to $700, because the crew, the trip, and the batch cost the same.
- Finish. Partial flake, custom blends, metallic pours, logos, and anti-slip grit each add labor or material.
Why New Orleans slabs change the math
In much of the metro, groundwater can sit close to the ground surface. Moisture in a slab can make a floor coating fail after it goes down, which is why coating makers generally require a moisture test first. That is why the moisture test and the primer it calls for show up on more New Orleans quotes than on quotes in drier places, and why skipping them is the most expensive way to save money.
Many homes here were repaired, raised, or rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Patched and rebuilt slabs often need more repair before coating. Many older city homes have no attached garage at all — a carport, a driveway, or a detached garage out back — while many suburban homes have an attached one- or two-car garage. Small detached garages and carports often hit the project minimum.
DIY kit vs. professional installation
A big-box garage kit costs about $150 to $400. It is a thin coat over an acid-etched slab, with no moisture test and usually no real crack repair. On a dry, sound slab in a garage that sees little traffic, that can be enough for a while. On a slab that pushes moisture, it tends to lift — and the cleanup grind is then part of the first line of any professional quote.
What the schedule looks like
Most garages take one to two working days of prep and coating. After the final coat:
- Walk on it
- about 24 hours
- Park on an epoxy topcoat
- three to seven days
- Park on a polyaspartic topcoat
- 24 to 48 hours
Foot traffic after about 24 hours; vehicles after three to seven days on an epoxy topcoat, or 24 to 48 hours on a polyaspartic topcoat.
What a New Orleans epoxy quote should itemize
Four separate lines, so you can see exactly where one bid spent money and another did not. The garage floor coating page walks through how each step is done.
- 1PrepThe method (diamond grinding or shot blasting), the moisture test, and any moisture-tolerant primer that test calls for.
- 2RepairCrack and spall repair, removal of an old coating or sealer, and whether that number is fixed or an allowance the crew settles once the floor is opened up.
- 3Coating systemThe chemistry, the number of coats, and the total mil thickness, not just a product name.
- 4FinishSolid color, flake, or metallic; the topcoat; and the return-to-service windows for foot traffic and for vehicles.
A quote that folds all four into one price is not necessarily dishonest, but it cannot be compared with one that breaks them out. Ask for the breakdown before you sign.
How to compare two quotes fairly
- Same prep? Grinding vs. etching is the biggest hidden difference.
- Same moisture plan? One bid testing and one not are not the same job.
- Same system? Count the coats and compare the stated thickness.
- Same repair scope — and is it a fixed price or an allowance?
- Same cure guidance, written down?
Epoxy flooring cost questions
How much does epoxy flooring cost per square foot in New Orleans?
Epoxy and polyaspartic systems usually run $5 to $12 per square foot installed. Solid epoxy is $5 to $7, flake epoxy $6 to $9, polyaspartic $7 to $12, and metallic $9 to $15 or more.
How much does it cost to epoxy a two-car garage in New Orleans?
Usually between $2,500 and $5,500 for a flake epoxy system, or $3,200 to $6,000 for polyaspartic. Slab condition decides where in that range a garage lands.
Is a DIY epoxy kit cheaper?
At the register, yes — a big-box kit runs about $150 to $400. But kits are thin, rely on acid etching, and skip moisture testing, and a failed kit has to be ground off before anything else can go down.
Why is polyaspartic more expensive than epoxy?
The material costs more and its short working time takes a practiced crew. It returns vehicles to the floor in 24 to 48 hours instead of three to seven days, and it does not yellow in sun.
Can an existing epoxy floor be coated over?
Only after the old coating is ground off or, if it is fully bonded, ground to give the new coat a profile. Coating over a failing layer just means the new floor fails with it.
Serving New Orleans and the surrounding metro, including Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, Marrero, Harvey, Chalmette, Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, and LaPlace.