How Much Does Timber Floor Sanding and Polishing Cost? 2026 Price Guide

There’s no single timber floor sanding and polishing cost that fits every home, and a price given before anyone has looked at your boards is a guess. In short, the cost of floor sanding and polishing in Perth is the floor area multiplied by a rate per square metre, plus extras such as stairs, board repairs and staining. The rate itself depends on the condition of the timber and the finish you choose.

Contractors may price by the square metre, by the room or as one figure for the whole job, so the first step is knowing how to read a quote. This guide explains how the cost is built up, what pushes it up or down, how to work out your own floor area (with a three-bedroom example), and what WA Consumer Protection and the ACCC say you should expect when you hire someone.

We haven’t put a blanket dollar range in here. Labour and material costs move, floors vary a lot, and a number that isn’t tied to a written quote for your house isn’t one you can rely on. What you can do is get an accurate figure quickly and compare quotes properly when you do.

Floor Sanding And Polishing Cost Per Square Metre: What The Rate Covers

Most quotes for timber floor sanding and polishing start with a rate per square metre, which is then multiplied by the area. That’s a reasonable way to price the work, but the rate on its own tells you very little. One contractor’s rate might cover sanding and three coats of finish. Another’s might cover sanding only, with the finish and the edges charged separately.

So when people compare the cost of floor sanding between two quotes, they’re often comparing numbers that don’t measure the same thing. Before you put any two side by side, check what sits behind the rate:

• Sanding: the whole floor, including edges, corners, and anywhere a large machine can’t reach.
• Preparation and repairs: filling nail holes and gaps, re-fixing loose boards, replacing boards that can’t be saved.
• Colour: keeping the natural timber tone, or staining.
• The polish: timber floor polish is the protective coating that goes on after sanding. Ask for the product name, the sheen, and the number of coats.
• Stairs: whether they’re included, and how they’re priced.
• The practical bits: moving furniture, removing rubbish and GST.

Some contractors price by the room or give one total for the whole job. That works too, as long as the quote says which areas it covers and what’s in it.

What affects the cost of sanding and polishing timber floors

Two floors of the same size can end up with very different quotes, and the gap usually comes from the preparation rather than the sanding itself. These are the factors that move a price most, and what’s worth telling a contractor up front.

A few of these deserve a closer look.

1. Solid Or Engineered

Engineered boards have a layer of real timber over a different base, and that top layer is only so thick. Sanding removes timber, so a floor with a thin top layer has less to give than solid boards. A contractor needs to see how much is left before they can quote properly.

2. Species

Western Australia has its own flooring timbers. The Forest Products Commission’s species poster lists jarrah, marri and karri among the South West hardwoods used for flooring, along with others such as WA blackbutt, wandoo and tuart.

It gives approximate air-dry densities that vary from species to species, for example about 900 kg/m³ for karri and 1,100 kg/m³ for wandoo. Different timbers can respond differently under a sander, so name the species if you know it.

3. Age Of The Home

If the house was built before 1970, mention that when you ask for quotes. The section on dust, drying time and older homes below explains why.

Working Out The Cost For Your Own Home, Including A 3-Bed House

There’s no useful average floor sanding cost for a three-bedroom house, because the number of bedrooms says very little about how much timber there is to sand.

One home might have timber through the living area, hallway, and bedrooms. Another might have it in the hallway only. Floor area drives the total, so that’s the number to pin down first.

The calculation itself is simple:

Estimated cost = (floor area in m² × rate per m²) + extras

“Extras” covers anything the rate doesn’t include, such as stairs, repairs, staining or moving furniture. Use the rate and inclusions from a written quote, not a figure you’ve seen somewhere else.

To get your area, measure each room’s length and width in metres, multiply the two, then add the rooms together. For an L-shaped room, split it into two rectangles and add those.

Here’s an invented three-bedroom layout; there to show the method:

Those dimensions are made up, not an average, and your own measurements will differ. Once you have a total, a contractor can apply their rate and any extras to it. If a quote shows an area that doesn’t match yours, ask how it was measured.

What A Good Written Quote Should Include

WA Consumer Protection recommends getting quotes in writing. On its estimates, quotes and deposits page, it says a written quote from a tradesperson should include:

• The tradesperson’s details, such as contact details, ABN and licence number where one applies
• A description of the job
• The price of materials
• Labour charges
• The time needed to finish
• Any call-out fee
• Weekend or public holiday rates, if they apply
• Details of any potential extra work that could cost more
• Terms and conditions, where possible

For timber floors, it also helps to see these spelled out:

• The area being sanded and the rooms it covers
• The finish, including product name, sheen and number of coats
• Whether stairs, edges and corners are included
• What happens if boards need repair, and how that would be priced
• Who moves the furniture and who takes away the rubbish
• How dust will be controlled
• When the floor can be walked on and when furniture can go back

Consumer Protection also says it’s best practice for a tradesperson to show the total including GST, and suggests asking whether GST is included or extra before you accept.

Quote Or Estimate: Why The Difference Matters

A quote is the total price a contractor agrees to charge for the job. Once you accept it, you’ve agreed to that price and its terms. An estimate is an approximate cost, and the final figure can come out higher or lower. Consumer Protection’s advice is to go ahead only once you’ve agreed on a quote.

With timber floors, the condition of the boards, what’s under old coatings, and how much repair is needed can be hard to judge from a description. A contractor may reasonably give a rough estimate first and a firm quote after seeing the floor. What you want to avoid is an open-ended arrangement where the price can change without your agreement, which Consumer Protection specifically warns against.

Check the expiry date on any quote or estimate, too. Some lapse after a set period.

Comparing Quotes, Deposits And Call-Out Fees

Consumer Protection’s guidance is to get at least three written quotes before you agree to any work. If you’re comparing floor sanding quotes in Perth, WA, hold each one up against the same checklist: same area, same finish and number of coats, same inclusions. A quote that looks cheaper may simply leave things out.

A few points about money are worth knowing before you say yes:

• Deposits. Consumer Protection says you should generally pay only a small deposit, no more than 10 per cent of the total price, then pay in instalments as the work is done. Don’t pay the full amount before the job is finished.
• Fees for quotes. Some quotes can attract a fee, so ask before you book one. If a call-out fee isn’t included in the quote, you don’t have to pay it.
• Extra work. A contractor must get your permission before doing extra work, and you don’t have to pay for extra work done without it. If something unexpected turns up under the old finish, ask for the extra price in writing before agreeing.
• How you pay. Consumer Protection suggests paying by credit card where possible, since it may let you request a chargeback if the work isn’t delivered, and keeping your quotes, invoices and receipts.

Dust, Drying Time And Older Homes

1. Dust. Sanding timber produces fine dust. WorkSafe WA publishes a guidance note on controlling wood dust hazards at work, written for employers and workers in WA workplaces. You can borrow the thinking at home: ask how the contractor extracts and contains dust, and how they’ll protect the rest of the house.
2. Drying time. The finish needs time to dry and harden, and how long that takes depends on the product and the conditions. Rather than guess, ask for the product’s drying and recoat times and a plain schedule: when you can walk on the floor, when furniture goes back, and when rugs can go down.
3. Homes built before 1970. The Australian Government’s Lead Alert guide says paint containing lead was used in many Australian homes before 1970, and that some built more recently can have it too. The guide dates from 2016.

It notes that lead can contaminate the timber underneath, advises against dry mechanical sanding of paint that contains lead, and describes testing before work starts. If your home is older, or you don’t know its paint history, say so when you ask for quotes, and ask the contractor how they’d handle it.

Your Rights When You Hire Someone To Sand Your Floors

Under the Australian Consumer Law, services come with automatic consumer guarantees. The ACCC sets out three for services:

• Due care and skill. The work must be at least as good as what a competent provider with average skills and experience would deliver, and the provider must take reasonable steps to avoid causing loss or damage.
• Fit for a stated purpose. If you’ve told the contractor what you want the service to achieve, the service and its results must be fit for that purpose.
• Reasonable time. If no completion date is agreed, the work must be done within a reasonable time.

The ACCC also says a business can’t take these rights away by claiming it isn’t responsible for problems with its service. If something goes wrong, start by raising it with the contractor, and put the problem and a reasonable fix in writing.

If that doesn’t settle it, Consumer Protection WA handles Australian Consumer Law complaints on 1300 30 40 54. The ACCC doesn’t resolve individual disputes.

Getting A Firm Price For Your Floors

If you’d like a proper figure for floor sanding and polishing in Perth, the best starting point is a conversation and a look at the boards. Infinity Flooring is a Perth-based, family-owned business specialising in floor cleaning, restoration and polishing.

We offer free on-site assessments and written quotes, and we work across the Perth metropolitan area, including suburbs such as Cottesloe, Claremont, Applecross, City Beach, Hillarys and North Perth.

Contact us with your floor type, an approximate area, and a few photos, and we’ll tell you how we can help. You can also see the surfaces we restore, including natural stone, terrazzo, concrete and vinyl, on our floor restoration and polishing services page, or call 08 9468 0798.

FAQs

How much does floor sanding cost?

It depends on the floor area, the condition of the timber, the finish and any repairs or extras. Every contractor sets their own prices, so the reliable number is a written quote for your floors. Use the formula above to check that a quote adds up.

How is the cost per square metre worked out?

The contractor measures the area to be sanded and multiplies it by their rate per square metre. What the rate includes varies, so ask whether it covers the finish, the number of coats, edges, repairs and GST before you compare two rates.

What’s the average cost of floor sanding for a 3-bed house?

There isn’t a meaningful average, because the number of bedrooms doesn’t tell you how much timber there is. A home with timber in every room has far more to sand than one with timber only in the hallway. Measure the floor area, as in the example above, and ask for quotes based on it.

What should a sanding and polishing quote include?

A written quote should include the contractor’s details, a description of the job, materials, labour, the time needed, any call-out fee, and details of potential extra work. For timber floors, add the area, the finish product and number of coats, stairs, repairs, dust control and GST.

How many quotes should I get, and is a quote the same as an estimate?

Consumer Protection recommends at least three written quotes. A quote is a total price you accept, while an estimate is approximate and can change, so go ahead only on an agreed quote.

How much deposit should I pay?

Consumer Protection says generally no more than 10 per cent of the total price, with instalments as the work is done. Don’t pay the full amount before the job is finished.

How long does timber floor sanding and polishing take?

That depends on the area and the number of coats, and the finish needs time to dry. Ask for a written schedule. If no completion date is agreed, the Australian Consumer Law says the work must be done within a reasonable time.

Can worn timber floors be restored instead of replaced?

Often they can be sanded and recoated, but it depends on how much usable timber is left and what condition the boards are in. Engineered boards with a thin top layer, badly damaged boards and boards affected by water can all limit the options. For timber floor restoration or wooden floor restoration in Perth, get quotes after an on-site inspection rather than from photos alone.