Quoted per square metre, so the number you're given depends entirely on being measured properly.
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Floor Sanding and Polishing Brisbane connects Brisbane and greater Brisbane property owners with qualified, licensed local floor sanders for prices. Tell us the rough floor area and what condition the boards are in and we'll match it to a licensed contractor covering your suburb. Firm per-square-metre price after an inspection.
Floor sanding is quoted per square metre, so the only number that means anything is the one written after somebody has measured the floor and seen its condition. These are the ranges those quotes land in across Brisbane, and what sits inside each one.
Taking the floor back to bare timber and building the finish up again. This is what most people mean when they ask what floor sanding costs.
A light abrade and one or two fresh coats. Half the price of a full sand and, where the timber underneath is sound, the same result to look at.
Most Brisbane houses built before about 1960 have hardwood or hoop pine under the carpet. Getting it up is slow manual work and it is quoted on its own.
The items that turn a straightforward job into a longer one. Each is priced on its own because each is genuinely optional.
If two quotes are far apart, they are usually not quoting the same job. Ask both how many coats, and whether the carpet is included.
Where this job typically sits. Access is usually a bigger cost driver than size.
| Job | Indicative price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Sand and polish, per square metre | $35 – $60 /m² | The standard way this is quoted. Covers sanding plus coats. |
| Typical 3-bedroom house (~110m²) | $3,800 – $6,500 | Whole floor, sanded and finished. Condition drives the range. |
| Single room (~15m²) | $700 – $1,200 | Small jobs carry proportionally more setup. |
| Carpet lift and staple removal | $8 – $15 /m² | Often quoted separately. Staples and tack strips take real time. |
| Board replacement | $90 – $200 per board | Matching an old profile costs more than the timber does. |
| Extra coat of finish | $8 – $14 /m² | Three coats is standard; a high-traffic hallway may want four. |
| Stain or colour change | $10 – $20 /m² | On top of sanding. Sample it on your actual timber first. |
| Parquetry restoration | $70 – $120 /m² | Slower and more skilled than strip flooring. |
| Recoat only (no full sand) | $18 – $30 /m² | Where the finish is worn but the timber is sound. Far cheaper. |
| Moisture assessment | $150 – $300 | Worth it on any floor that has been wet or looks cupped. |
Prices are indicative only and usually quoted per square metre. What a floor costs depends on its condition, the timber, how many coats it needs and whether boards have to be replaced. You get a firm price after an inspection.
In Brisbane, $35 to $60 a square metre for sand and polish, covering the sanding plus coats. A typical three-bedroom house of around 110m² lands between $3,800 and $6,500. A single room runs $700 to $1,200, because small jobs carry proportionally more setup.
Carpet lift and staple removal at $8 to $15 a square metre, board replacement at $90 to $200 each, an extra coat at $8 to $14, and stain at $10 to $20. Get them itemised. A cheap headline rate with the carpet lift discovered afterwards is the most common way these jobs blow out.
Ask whether it is a candidate for a recoat rather than a full sand. At $18 to $30 a square metre it is roughly half the price and it uses none of the floor's remaining thickness. It only works where the timber is sound and the finish is worn but not breached.
The core job — taking a tired timber floor back to bare wood.
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The finish itself — water-based or solvent, and how many coats.
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Lifting carpet to find — and rescue — the original boards underneath.
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Replacing damaged, cut or borer-affected boards before sanding.
Read more →Tell us the suburb and the floor area and we'll get it to the right person.
Call 0468 158 248