Can you promise a gloss reading from the takeoff?
No. Gloss depends on the concrete, the sequence, and the maintenance. The estimate can only carry the sequence the spec requests.
Grind, densify, guard
Specify the polish sequence, then measure it
“Polished concrete” without a grit sequence is not a scope. A grind-and-seal, a honed surface, and a high-gloss polish are different numbers of passes on the same slab. The takeoff names the sequence the specification uses.
Write the sequence on the line
Record the starting grit, the final grit or the gloss level the spec defines, and whether a densifier and a guard are included. If the spec is silent, the estimate says it is silent instead of assuming a showroom polish.
Edges and the machine path
Large machines do not finish against walls, columns, and equipment pads. Edge work is part of the labor scope when the area includes those boundaries. Quantify the perimeter that needs edge grinding rather than hoping it sits inside a square-foot rate.
Joints and patches stay visible
Polish does not hide a joint filler or a spall repair. Include filler and patching only to the extent the documents or an agreed site survey define them. Do not invent a repair percentage of the slab.
Worked area split
No dollar rate. The point is to stop polishing the rooms that are scheduled for another floor.
- Slab footprint 18,400 sq ft.
- Restrooms, a tile entry, and an office on carpet tile total 2,150 sq ft on the finish schedule.
- Polished area = 18,400 − 2,150 = 16,250 sq ft, before any exclusion for a coated chemical room.
- Perimeter of the polished field, measured for edge work, is its own linear-foot note.
Related reading: planning ranges for polish, epoxy versus polish, joint layout.
Questions this page answers
Is polished concrete cheaper than epoxy because the concrete is already there?
The slab is already there, and the polishing is still a scope of passes, densifier, edges, and protection. Compare quotes for the specified sequence. This page does not publish a national unit price.