Commercial Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy systems for shops, warehouses, retail and back-of-house floors: prep, primer, body coat or broadcast, and a topcoat chosen for the traffic.
2025-2026 Ontario and Canadian published contractor ranges (RESEARCH §9), read in September 2026; your quote will differ.
Get Floor QuotesAbout Commercial Epoxy Flooring
A commercial epoxy floor is a system, not a coat of paint. The slab is ground or blasted to open it up, a primer goes down, then a body coat (sometimes with sand or coloured flake broadcast into it) and a topcoat picked for the traffic and the cleaning the floor will see.
One coatings maker's article describes epoxy as hard and chemical-resistant but says it does not perform as well as other materials under thermal shock, and points commercial kitchens to cementitious urethane instead. Ask the contractor which system they propose and why.
Moisture decides whether the floor stays bonded. The epoxy data sheets we read ask for a slab at or below about 75 to 80% relative humidity, measured with in-situ probes (ASTM F2170). A moisture test belongs before the quote is final.
Return to service comes from the product's data sheet, not a rule: one 100%-solids epoxy data sheet lists foot traffic at 24 hours, light vehicles at 72 hours and heavy traffic at 7 days. Your product's data sheet governs.
The City of Ottawa lists "New flooring" and "Painting and decorating" among projects that do not need a building permit. The page does not say whether that list is meant for commercial buildings as well as houses, so confirm with the City for a commercial building. Designated heritage buildings are not exempt, and a floor job that is part of a change of use that increases hazard needs a permit first (Building Code Act, s.10).
Published 2025-2026 contractor ranges put commercial and industrial-grade epoxy at about $8 to $15 per square foot installed, with lighter commercial systems from about $5. Prep, crack repair, moisture primers, cove base and after-hours work move the number.
What This Work Covers
- Diamond grinding or shot blasting before the primer
- Moisture test (ASTM F2170 in-situ RH) before the system is chosen
- Primer, body coat or broadcast, and a topcoat for the traffic
- Anti-slip aggregate where the floor gets wet
- Cove base where the floor meets the wall, if specified
Popular For
What this work costs
Common questions about commercial epoxy flooring
- What should a warehouse epoxy floor cost per square foot in Kanata?
- Budget for coating an auto repair bay in Stittsville?
- Roughly what would it cost to coat a 2,000 sq ft Westboro store?
- Before signing, which prep questions should I ask in Ottawa?
- Industrial epoxy for a Bells Corners machine shop, worth it?
- Polyaspartic or epoxy for a Kanata showroom that can close one night?
- Why do two epoxy quotes for my Gloucester shop differ so much?
- Is $12 per square foot fair for a shop floor in Nepean?
Other Floor Coating Services
Polyaspartic and Polyurea Coatings
Fast-cure coating systems for businesses that cannot close for long: what the data sheets say about return to service, and what they cost.
Urethane Cement Flooring
The heavy-duty system for commercial kitchens, washdown areas and food plants, where hot water, cleaning chemicals and wet slabs defeat thinner coatings.
Polished Concrete
Grinding, densifying and polishing an existing slab instead of coating it: where it suits warehouses, retail and offices, and what it costs.
Grinding, Prep and Moisture Testing
The work under every coating: grinding or blasting, crack and joint repair, old-coating removal and slab moisture tests before a system is chosen.
Fast-Cure and Cold-Room Systems (MMA)
Methyl methacrylate (MMA) and other fast-cure systems for freezers, coolers and floors that can only close for hours, with the safety questions to ask first.
Anti-Slip Finishes and Safety Lines
Slip-resistant textures, aisle and hazard lines, and barrier-free details: what Ontario's rules actually say about floors and slipping.
Coating Repair and Recoat
Worn traffic lanes, peeling patches and chemical damage: when a recoat will bond, when the old system has to come off, and what to ask before you book.
Ready to Get Started?
Tell us about your commercial epoxy flooring job and we'll send it to local floor coating contractors in Ottawa. They reply by email.