Why Is Professional Epoxy More Expensive Than Paint?

A common question we hear is why a professional epoxy floor costs more than painting the floor. The short answer is that epoxy is a completely different material, and it is far more expensive at cost than most people realize.
Epoxy is not paint:

• Epoxy resins are derived from petroleum (oil) and made through a complex, high-tech chemical manufacturing process. That makes the raw material itself much more expensive than the water-based paints and "epoxy-fortified" floor paints people often compare it to.
• Professional systems are two-part products (a resin and a hardener) that chemically react to form a hard, bonded, plastic-like surface. Paint simply dries as a thin film on top of the concrete.
• Professional-grade, 100% solids epoxy contains no water or solvent that evaporates away, so what goes on the floor stays on the floor as a thick, durable layer. Many paints and DIY kits are mostly water or solvent, which leaves a much thinner coating once dry.
• Our systems are multi-layer: a primer, a colored base coat with flake or quartz, and a protective topcoat such as polyaspartic. Each layer is its own premium material.

The labor and equipment matter too:

• Concrete has to be mechanically prepared (ground or profiled) so the coating can bond. This is the most important step, and the main reason DIY kits and painted floors peel.
• Repairs to cracks and chips, moisture control, and careful application all take skilled time.

The result is a floor that resists oil, gas, chemicals, and hot tires, lasts for many years, and comes with our warranty. A painted floor typically needs to be redone again and again, so professional epoxy is usually the better long-term value.