Can a small Barrhaven bakery afford a seamless floor?

For a small Barrhaven bakery, here is what published prices say about a seamless resinous floor. Published 2025-2026 contractor ranges put lighter commercial epoxy systems from about $5 per square foot installed, with full commercial and industrial-grade epoxy running about $8 to $15 per square foot. Standard surface prep, if quoted separately, runs about $1 to $3 per square foot extra; check whether your quote includes it.

What moves the price for a bakery specifically: the condition of the existing slab, whether old tile or adhesive needs to come up, moisture test results and whether a moisture-tolerant primer is needed, the addition of an integral cove base along the walls, anti-slip aggregate broadcast into the finish coat, and whether the work needs to happen after hours or in phases to keep the kitchen running.

O. Reg. 493/17 (Food Premises), enforced by Ottawa Public Health, requires that floors in food preparation, handling and service areas be tight, smooth and non-absorbent, and kept clean and in good repair. A seamless resinous floor with an integral cove base is one way to meet that standard; it is not the only way, and the regulation does not name it. The regulation does not require floor drains, coving or slope. If you are re-flooring an existing kitchen, Ottawa Public Health asks to be notified before significant renovations to a food premises; contact OPH before booking the work, because we found nothing that says whether a floor re-coat counts as significant in their view.

Before any grinding, check whether old vinyl tile or black mastic is present. Those materials may contain asbestos; have them tested before any grinding begins. R.R.O. 1990 Reg. 851 (Industrial Establishments) s.11 says a floor used by workers shall not have any finish likely to make the surface slippery; anti-slip aggregate broadcast into the finish coat is one way to add texture, so ask the contractor how their proposal addresses that wording.

Ask for proof of liability insurance and references on similar food-service floors.

A fair quote for a bakery floor should spell out the prep method and target surface profile, the moisture test protocol and what happens if the slab reads high, the specific products with their data sheets and safety data sheets, the number of coats, cove base linear footage, anti-slip texture, and the return-to-service times from the data sheet so you can plan your closure.

Once the floor is in, file the written contract, the product data sheets and SDSs, any written warranty, and photos of the slab before and after prep.