Is polished concrete a good choice for an Ottawa church hall?

Whether polished concrete suits a church hall depends on how the hall is used and the slab you already have. Published 2025-2026 contractor ranges put it at about $3 to $15 per square foot for an existing slab, with most commercial jobs falling in the $5 to $12 per square foot range.

Think about what your hall is used for: events, a serving kitchen, programs for children or older visitors. Each of those uses shapes what the floor needs to do. Polished concrete has no coating layer to delaminate, and its surface can be refined to different levels of sheen. That said, the 2024 Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24, s.3.8.1.3.(2)) requires that walking surfaces in a barrier-free path of travel be stable, firm and slip-resistant. If your hall is in a barrier-free path of travel, the finish level matters: a very high-gloss polish on a surface that gets wet from spills or tracked-in rain is a factor to raise directly with the contractor.

On the regulatory side, if any part of the hall is used for food preparation or service, O. Reg. 493/17 (Food Premises) requires that the floor be tight, smooth and non-absorbent in those areas. Ottawa Public Health enforces that regulation and asks to be notified when a food premises is being significantly renovated. We found nothing that says whether re-finishing an existing floor counts as a significant renovation under OPH's criteria, so it is worth asking OPH before booking the work if food is prepared or served in the space.

Before any grinding begins, check whether the existing floor has old vinyl tile or black mastic underneath, and have it tested for asbestos before any grinding takes place.

Things that move the quote include the slab's current condition, how much crack or joint repair is needed, the level of polish specified, whether a sealer is included, the square footage, and whether work needs to happen after hours or in phases around your hall's schedule.

If food is prepared or served anywhere in the hall, call Ottawa Public Health before you book a contractor: they can tell you whether the planned work triggers a notification requirement and what the floor must do in those areas.