Why do Nepean floor quotes price crack repair separately?

Crack repair is priced separately because the scope and method cannot be known until the floor is inspected, and the cost varies enough that bundling it into a base rate would either overcharge jobs with sound slabs or undercharge jobs with significant damage.

A floor coating contractor quotes the coating system at a known rate per square foot. Cracks are a different matter: their number, width, depth, whether they are moving or dormant, and how much concrete needs to be cut out or ground back before filling all affect the labour and material involved. Two Nepean warehouses of identical size can have completely different crack conditions depending on the age of the slab, loading history and drainage around the building. Quoting crack repair as a line item lets the contractor price what is actually there rather than what might be there.

There is also a bond and performance reason. A coating applied over an unrepaired crack will reflect the crack through the finished surface and may open further at that point. The contractor needs to assess each crack before committing to a method, and that assessment happens at the site visit or during surface prep, not at the time of quoting. If the repair scope grows once grinding begins, a separate line item makes it straightforward to issue a change order with a clear reason.

When you are comparing quotes, look at how each contractor handles this line. A fair quote should tell you the unit rate for crack repair (per linear foot or per repair), what preparation is included in that rate, and what triggers an additional charge if more cracks appear during grinding. Ask whether the base prep rate already covers grinding the crack edges, or whether that is charged again under the crack repair line.

A few things worth confirming before you accept any quote on a Nepean commercial floor:

• Whether surface grinding and crack repair are each a separate line or one combined prep rate
• What the contractor will do if moisture test results require a primer upgrade, and whether that is included or an add
• Whether cove base, anti-slip broadcast or line striping are in the total or quoted separately
• That the contractor will provide a WSIB clearance certificate before work begins, and proof of liability insurance

One place where extra cost can quietly appear on a job like this is the moisture test result: if the slab reads above the product data sheet's limit, a moisture-tolerant primer may be needed, and that is worth asking about before you sign.