Our Orleans clinic got a $15 per sq ft quote, is that high?

$15 per square foot sits at the top of the published 2025-2026 contractor range for commercial epoxy (about $8 to $15 per square foot installed), and within the range for polyaspartic and polyurea work (about $6 to $15 per square foot). So the number is not outside the market, but whether it reflects fair value for your clinic depends on what the quote actually includes.

A few things can push a clinic floor toward the higher end of the range. If the clinic asks for a seamless, non-absorbent surface, that may mean a thicker or multi-coat system, an integral cove base along the base of the walls, or an anti-slip broadcast in wet areas. If the slab has cracks, old adhesive or a worn existing coating, the prep work alone can be substantial. Moisture testing (ASTM F2170 or ASTM F1869) and a moisture-mitigation primer, if the slab needs one, add to the scope. After-hours or phased work to keep the clinic running also affects the price. Published 2025-2026 contractor ranges put standard surface prep at about $1 to $3 per square foot when it is broken out separately, and we found too few published prices to give a range for moisture primers, cove base, crack repair or after-hours premiums.

Before deciding whether the quote is fair, check what it spells out. A well-scoped quote for a clinic floor should identify the system by product, the number of coats, the surface profile the contractor is targeting, the moisture test protocol and what happens if the slab fails it, any cove base linear footage, anti-slip aggregate, and the closure window tied to the product data sheet. It should also confirm a WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability insurance. If the quote is light on those details, the $15 figure is hard to evaluate.

On the regulatory side, Orleans is in the City of Ottawa. Ottawa Public Health enforces O. Reg. 493/17 (Food Premises) for any space where food or beverages are prepared or served, so it applies to a clinic only if food or drink is prepared or served there; ask OPH if unsure. Reg. 851 (Industrial Establishments) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act does apply to a clinic as a workplace: the floor shall not have any finish that is likely to make the surface slippery.

One place to look closely in any quote for a clinic floor is whether surface preparation, crack repair and a moisture primer are included in the per-square-foot price or listed as separate line items, since those can shift the total significantly.