Polished concrete for an Ottawa warehouse: what does it cost?

Polished concrete on an existing warehouse slab runs about $3 to $15 per square foot installed, with most commercial jobs falling in the $5 to $12 per square foot range, based on published 2025-2026 contractor ranges. Your quote will differ.

Several things move a warehouse quote within that range. The condition of the slab matters: cracks, spalling, old coatings or adhesive residue, and surface contamination all affect how much prep work is needed before grinding begins. Standard surface preparation, when it is not already included in the quote, runs about $1 to $3 per square foot extra, and heavy resurfacing of damaged concrete costs more than that. Ask how the gloss level you choose changes the number of passes and the price. Job size, access, and whether work needs to happen after hours or in phases around warehouse operations are all factors worth discussing with the contractor.

What a fair quote should cover

Ask each contractor to spell out the following in writing before you sign:

• The surface profile they are targeting (ICRI concrete surface profiles, CSP 1 to 10, are the reference scale contractors use)
• The gloss or sheen level and how many grinding, honing and polishing passes that involves
• Whether crack or joint repair is included, and how they will handle it
• Whether densifier or guard coats are part of the scope, and the product data sheets for anything they apply
• The closure window and when foot traffic and equipment can return (polished concrete has no coating cure time, but grinding and any applied treatments have their own requirements; ask the contractor for the schedule)
• Whether the quote includes prep or prices it separately

The contractor is the right first call: they can walk the slab, assess its condition, and give you a scope-specific price rather than a range. If you want to reach contractors listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory, the request form on this page will forward your details to local floor coating contractors who can respond by email.