Stairs are quoted per flight rather than per square metre, and for good reason. There is almost no machine work in them.
No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.
Floor Sanding and Polishing Brisbane connects Brisbane and greater Brisbane property owners with qualified, licensed local floor sanders for stairs. 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.
A drum sander cannot go near a staircase. Treads are done with a small orbital or by hand, risers by hand, nosings by hand, and the join between tread and riser by hand. A flight of thirteen steps is perhaps three square metres of timber and most of a day's work. Anyone quoting stairs at the same rate as floor is either not doing them properly or has not seen them.
A gloss finish on a stair tread is genuinely slippery, and it is the most common complaint after a staircase is refinished. A matt or satin finish gives more grip for the same durability. Where a staircase is used by someone unsteady, an anti-slip additive can be put in the final coat, or a clear grip strip fitted at the nosing.
The stairs are usually the only way to the bedrooms, which makes a staircase the one part of a floor job that has to be planned around the household. Coating alternate treads so the flight stays walkable is normal practice and adds a day. Say up front if there is no second staircase.
Carpeted stairs hide the same surprises as carpeted floors, plus a few of their own. Nosings get damaged by carpet gripper. Treads that were never meant to be seen may be a different timber to the rest of the house, or pine under hardwood. That is worth knowing before the carpet comes off, not after.
Brisbane.
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.
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