Compared
Polished concrete vs epoxy
Polished concrete is the slab itself, ground and polished; epoxy is a resin coating on top of it. Epoxy Pro Ireland gives €50 to €120 a m² for epoxy; PMAC gives €90 to €150 a m² for polished concrete.
- €90 to €150 a m²PMAC's published range for a polished concrete floor
- €20,000two quotes for 190 m² of mid-range polished concrete in a city new build, about €105 a m² (Selfbuild Ireland)
- 28 daysthe least time a new slab cures before it can be polished (PMAC)
- from €55a m² for a standard finish on floors over 100 m² (Selfbuild Ireland)
FreeNo obligationOne contractor rings you, not fiveNothing agreed until you accept a written price
Side by side
The two side by side
| Epoxy | Polished concrete | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A resin coating, rolled or poured on | The slab, ground, densified and polished |
| Published price | €50 to €120 a m² | €90 to €150 a m² |
| Looks | Solid colour, flakes or a gloss coat | The concrete itself, from cream to exposed stone |
| Wear | The coating can scratch, chip or lift | Nothing on top to peel |
| Where | Garages, workshops, plant rooms, labs | Homes, shops, offices |
Epoxy: Epoxy Pro Ireland. Polished concrete: PMAC. VAT not stated by either.
Choose
Which suits you
- A garage with oil, chemicals and car tyres: epoxy seals the surface. A polished slab can mark under spilt oil.
- A living space: polished concrete, with nothing on top to wear through.
- A poor slab that won't polish: a coating covers it. Polishing shows it.
Upkeep
Living with each
Polished concrete: sweep and mop, and a buff and re-seal every two or three years (PMAC). Epoxy: mop it; when the coating wears through, it's sanded and recoated.
See it first
Polished concrete in your own room
Take a photo of the room, pick a finish and a sheen, and see the floor polished before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer 4 questions.
- We pass it to one contractor that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture and isn't kept.
A photo that works
- Daylight, lights on if it's dull.
- From the doorway, so most of the floor is in the shot.
- A building site is fine: the slab, the plaster, the lot.
- Hold the phone level, not pointed at your feet.
Free quote
Get a price in 4 taps
Tap what you need and leave your number. It goes to one polished concrete contractor that covers your county, and they ring you back to look at the floor and give you a written price.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is epoxy cheaper than polished concrete?
At the bottom end, yes on published figures: €50 to €120 a m² for epoxy (Epoxy Pro Ireland) against €90 to €150 a m² (PMAC). At the top end they overlap.
Can you put epoxy on polished concrete?
A coating needs a surface to grip. A polished, densified slab is usually ground back first.
Which lasts longer?
PMAC says a polished concrete floor will last as long as the house. A coating wears and is renewed.
Where these numbers come from (1 public source, checked 3 November 2026)
Sources (4)
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages. We are not connected to these businesses.
- Epoxy Pro Ireland: epoxypro.ie
- PMAC: pmac.ie
- PMAC: pmac.ie
- PMAC: pmac.ie