By Pablo Figueroa, commercial flooring consultant
I review flooring bids the same way I would want someone to review mine, line by line, looking for what is missing. In my experience, the lowest price rarely comes from a smarter way to do the same work. It usually comes from scope that was moved into the exclusions, left vague, or left out altogether. The difference shows up later, as a change order, a delay, or a coating that peels.
If you manage a facility in Northern California, you do not need to become a flooring expert to protect yourself. You need to ask seven direct questions before you sign. If a bid cannot answer them in plain language, that is information too.
1. Is Surface Preparation Specified, and Is Moisture Testing Included?
Surface preparation is what makes a coating bond to concrete. A good bid names the method and the result it is aiming for. Look for mechanical grinding or similar mechanical preparation to a specified Concrete Surface Profile, usually shortened to CSP. That profile is a measure of how rough the prepared concrete surface is, and manufacturers tie their systems to it for a reason. A prepared surface gives the coating something to grip.
Be careful with phrases like “prep included” with no method named, or preparation by acid etching alone. Those phrases tell you almost nothing about what will happen on your slab, or whether the surface will match what the product requires.
Just as important, ask whether slab moisture testing is included before coating. Concrete can look dry on top and still hold moisture below that pushes against a coating and breaks the bond. Testing with the in-situ relative humidity method, described in ASTM F2170, places probes in the slab to measure moisture inside the concrete, not just on the surface. A bid should say who tests, when they test, and what happens if results are too high for the system selected. If testing is not mentioned, ask why.
2. Is the System Named, With Thickness?
“Epoxy floor” is not a system. It is a category. A useful bid names the actual products, explains the role of each layer, such as primer, basecoat, and topcoat, and states the installed thickness.
Thickness matters because different systems are built for different abuse. A thin epoxy system, about 2 to 3 mm, can be a reasonable choice in the right setting. In a hot, wet environment with thermal shock, meaning rapid temperature change from hot washdown water hitting a cooler floor, a thin system can debond, meaning it loses its bond and lifts from the concrete. Urethane cement, installed at about 4 to 9 mm thick, is often selected for those harsher conditions because it tolerates that kind of thermal shock and hot washdown better. I am not saying one material fits every job. I am saying a bid that will not name the system and its thickness is asking you to approve something you cannot compare.
Ask for product data sheets. If two bids use different systems, you are not comparing price. You are comparing two different floors.
3. Are Cove Base, Joints, Drains, and Transitions in Scope?
Most flooring problems I am called to look at start at the edges and the details, not in the middle of the room.
Check whether cove base is included, and at what height. Cove base is the curved transition that runs from the floor up the wall, so the corner can be cleaned and water does not sit in a sharp joint. Check joints, including how existing control joints and cracks will be treated. Check drains, including how the floor will meet each drain and whether sloping or detail work around drains is included or excluded. Check transitions where the new floor meets another floor, a doorway, or bare concrete.
Each of those items takes labor and material. If a bid is silent on them, do not assume they are included. Get a yes or no in writing for each one, and get the excluded items listed just as clearly as the included items.
4. Is the Schedule Realistic Around Your Operations?
A schedule should account for how your building actually runs. Can the work be phased, meaning done in sections so part of your operation stays open? Does the work need to happen at night or over a weekend? Who moves equipment, and who puts it back?
Pay close attention to cure time, meaning the time a coating needs to harden and gain its full properties before full use. As a general anchor, epoxy reaches full chemical resistance at about 7 days, even though it may feel hard and be ready for lighter use sooner. A plan that puts heavy traffic, harsh chemicals, or hot washdown on a floor too early can shorten the life of a floor that was installed correctly.
A realistic bid names the working hours, the phasing, the point when you can walk on the floor, and the point when you can return to full operations. Those are two different dates, and you need both.
5. What Is Excluded, and What Documentation Do You Get at the End?
Read the fine print before you compare totals. Common exclusions include moisture mitigation if test results come back high, repairs to damaged concrete below the surface, moving stored items, protection of adjacent areas, and disposal. None of those exclusions is automatically wrong. The problem is finding out about them after the slab is already open.
At the end of the job, you should receive documentation you can file and use later. That includes product data for what was installed, care and cleaning guidance, and warranty terms in writing, with conditions and exclusions stated. A verbal promise is not the same as written terms. If a floor needs repair years from now, that paperwork shows what product to match and what coverage you have.
A Quick Checklist Before You Sign
Before you accept any bid, confirm these seven points in writing:
- Preparation method named, with a target Concrete Surface Profile.
- Moisture testing included, with a standard such as ASTM F2170 named, and a plan if results are high.
- System named by product, with installed thickness stated.
- Cove base, joints, drains, and transitions each listed as included or excluded.
- Schedule showing phasing, working hours, and both light use and full use dates.
- All exclusions listed in one place, priced or explained where possible.
- Final documentation promised, including product data and written warranty terms.
If a contractor answers clearly, you can compare bids fairly and decide based on value, not just the lowest number. If a bid stays vague, treat that vagueness as part of the bid.
Questions about reviewing a commercial flooring bid? For a free consultation, call Pablo Figueroa at (209) 607-2549 or email pablo@dtindustrialflooring.com.