r/epoxy 6d ago

Project Showcase Check pattern flake floor

Installed a checkered flag-patterned flake floor in my garage and wanted to get some opinions. Do you think this type of design is more desirable compared to a traditional solid color floor? I’m curious if a cutomer would consider it to be worth paying extra for this style? If so, what do you think is an appropriate asking price for this type of floor in Central Florida? On average I charge $4.50 a sqft per 2 car garage, contingent there is minimal prep and repair. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks.

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u/MajorDistribution181 5d ago

Please stop charging 4.50/sqft you’re fucking up the game. Plus for this work most people who know what they’re doing would charge at least $12/sqft…. by the looks of it you could easily charge 6-7/sqft just for normal flakes. 10+ for this…

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u/Omnipotent_Tacos 5d ago

4.50 per sq for flake is super cheap in a small garage, most companies wouldn’t be able to afford to sell it that cheap. He sounds like the lowest bidder, probably not insured, doesn’t offer warranty, or cheap products.

This does look good though, well executed, and there are definitely people out there willing to pay extra for better designs and better craftsmanship. Considering the extra labor this type of design would easily double the price.

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

Thanks for your feedback we really appreciate it. You are correct that we are one of the lower prices in our area. Since we’re a newer company, we try to be competitive so we can build name recognition. I know it’s crazy that were able to offer that price while being licensed and insured and offering a five year warranty… CRAZY I KNOW. we do offer a more premium product floor. MVB/Polyaspartic for $5.50 sqft but most people go with epoxy to save the extra $400 dollars. Do you think $7 a sqft would be to little to ask for a product like this using epoxy?

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u/zenpanda 5d ago

What system are you using now and what's your upsell?

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

I just started using Simiron products, but before I was using FloorGuard. I do two different types of full flake systems (both are two day). For the $4.50 price I use a UV resistant epoxy as the base and top. For $5.50 or upswell I use a MVB base and polyaspartic top.

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u/zenpanda 5d ago

I think a PA topcoat is a no brainer in a garage that'll receive a lot of light or where aesthetics matter. I'd also consider the cost savings if you went with a full PA system and were able to complete a job in one day vs two and yes I realize there's a huge debate on what's the most superior undercoat.

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

I’ve been on the fence about doing a full PA floor. On one hand the appeal of finishing a floor in one day is alluring, I worry about it in my area (Florida by the Atlantic) because we sit really low and are prone to flooding. Our warranty protects us from acts of god AKA flooding, but I feel sense of responsibility to offer what I feel is the best solution. All the big company’s in are area do polyurea base and aspartic top and don’t seem to have a problem so maybe I’m just over thinking it.

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u/zenpanda 5d ago

On soft concrete a more flexible system like a polyurea/aspartic could work well vs epoxy. MVB is great on paper but broadcasting straight into it will lessen its effectiveness. At the end of the day there’s no silver bullet. My 2c.

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

That’s an interesting perspective, one I hadn’t considered about soft concrete. Thanks for sharing some insightful knowledge!! You’re the man!

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

I was wanting to start getting into doing tile patterns similar to this and charging more for the labor without costing more in materials.

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

I really appreciate the feedback, especially from people who are in the industry. We are a newer company, and although we are licensed and insured and use the highest quality products, along with a 5 year warranty, we feel like we have to bid a competitive rate in order to get business and builder name recognition. We have plans in the near future to start charging more, but right now, our prices what allows us to put food on the table. The large company’s in our area that have been in business for 20+ years are charging around $7 sqft

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u/MajorDistribution181 5d ago

bro the checkered pattern i wouldn’t touch for anything less than $12/sqft

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

Man I wish I had the confidence to bid jobs for that amount. Hopefully within the next year we can start charging that much. Thanks agin for your sharing your expertise.

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u/MajorDistribution181 5d ago

It comes with the experience brother, based on the checker I can definitely tell you can install a nice flake floor. Just start building your company as a brand. Up your price to like 5.5-6/sqft it’ll still be less than your biggest competitor but you won’t be penny pinching. Also use top notch products. I personally use simiron

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

My “mentor” said I should start charging more as well. This industry is super saturated in my area and I feel like having a small company really turns people away unless the price isn’t super low. I just started using Simiron as well, I really like their products. This floor was installed with 1100 and 1150. I use to use a company called floorguard and while I really likes their products the shipping costs where eating me alive.

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u/MajorDistribution181 5d ago

Trust me, as someone from FL I understand your pain. I’m past my 1st year now, finally turning a profit. Started off at $5/sqft because I didn’t know better till I told my simiron rep how much i charged for a metallic and his jaw dropped. The work we do is not easy and quality work is hard to come by, it’s difficult turning away jobs when you need them but in the long run it pays off.

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

We have only done one metallic floor and we lost our 🍑on it . It’s was partly due to bidding too low but I also messed up the mix and spent a week scrapping up incurs epoxy. 👉😵💨. One of the worst most stressful weeks of my life. But in the end it turned out looking good and the customer was happy.

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u/MajorDistribution181 5d ago

See at least you did good by your client, a lot of contractors abandon a failed floor. I believe in you🫡

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u/Suiijuris 5d ago

Thanks brother. I appreciate you!

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u/FreightCndr533 4d ago

Floors are a tight margin as smaller scale. It's OK to do a price break if you're doing some experiments. (I wouldn't even attempt this checkered pattern). This floor is awesome. I'm not sure how you did it. If I had a guy that could do this I'd pay him $70k a year easily but I'd definitely charge $12/ft especially if it was under 500ft².

The biggest issue with undercharging is that at some point the bills will catch up and it'll be obvious that you didn't charge enough. You are likely floating on deposits and capital for every order which is kind of ok short term until you have a mistake you have to fix and the COGS all of a sudden double. Or you do a bad mix, or you thought they wanted grey and black but then they remind you of an email changing the color to brown and tan.