How should the kitchen and the dining room be separated?
Different finishes, different slip and grease exposure, and usually a transition at the pass. Measure each. Do not average them.
Restaurant and Hospitality Flooring Estimating
Restaurant flooring must meet strict health codes, slip-resistance requirements, and grease resistance. Our estimates cover commercial kitchen quarry tile, dining area wood/LVP, and front-of-house design flooring for hospitality venues.
Pricing Breakdown
| Flooring Type | Cost Per Sq Ft (Installed) |
|---|---|
| Quarry Tile (kitchen) | $8 - $15/sq ft |
| Porcelain Tile (dining area) | $7 - $18/sq ft |
| LVP (dining area) | $5 - $11/sq ft |
| Engineered Hardwood (front of house) | $8 - $16/sq ft |
| Epoxy Flooring (kitchen) | $6 - $14/sq ft |
| Cork Flooring (wine rooms) | $6 - $14/sq ft |
| Entry Mat Systems | $15 - $35/sq ft |
| Stair Nosing/Treads | $30 - $65/linear ft |
Health Code Compliance
Restaurant flooring must comply with NSF/ANSI 2 standards for food equipment and commercial kitchen surfaces. Kitchen flooring requires quarry tile or sealed concrete with a minimum slip resistance of 0.6 SCOF wet (ASTM F1679). Floors must be non-absorbent, easily cleanable, and resistant to grease and acidic food spills. Cove bases (minimum 4 inches) are mandatory for all kitchen areas. Floor drains must be included at a rate of one per 400 sq ft in kitchen zones.
Front of House vs Back of House
Back-of-house (kitchen, storage) requires $6-$15/sq ft for grease-resistant quarry tile or epoxy. Front-of-house (dining area) budgets $7-$18/sq ft for appearance-driven options like porcelain tile, hardwood, or luxury LVP. The transition between kitchen and dining flooring at the pass-through is critical — use a durable transition strip ($20-$40/linear ft). Bar areas need extra-durable flooring rated for wet conditions and heavy foot traffic behind the bar.
Acoustic and Ambiance Factors
Restaurant acoustics significantly impact guest experience. Hard surfaces (tile, LVP, hardwood) create a lively atmosphere but can produce excessive noise exceeding 75 dB. Adding acoustic ceiling tiles, wall panels, and upholstered seating helps balance sound. For fine dining ($7-$18/sq ft), carpet in certain zones or cork flooring can reduce ambient noise. Quick-service restaurants prioritize easy cleaning over acoustics, making quarry tile and epoxy the standard choices.
Questions about measuring this scope
Is there a required number of floor drains per square foot?
Not from this site. Count the drains and the cove base that are drawn. A spacing rule that is not in the project documents is not a quantity.