What the Des Moines range actually covers
At the bottom of the range you are getting three grits, a sealer and two coats of a standard waterborne product on a floor in reasonable condition, in an empty house.
At the top you are getting a stain, water-popping, three coats of a commercial-grade finish, and a floor that needs filling, or an occupied house where furniture is moved room to room.
- How it is done
- priced per square foot of floor, with a minimum for mobilising
- What goes on the floor
- the finish system drives the top of the range
- Ready to use
- n/a
- Typical cost
- $2.75 – $5.50 per sq ft
- Service life
- n/a
How a refinishing quote is built
A 900 square foot main floor at the lower end is roughly $2,500 and at the upper end closer to $5,000. Both of those are real quotes for the same house, and the difference is specification rather than one contractor being greedy.
Four things move the number, in order of how much they move it: stain or no stain, the number and grade of finish coats, how much filling and board repair the floor needs, and whether we are working around furniture.
What barely moves it is species. Red oak, white oak and maple sand for about the same money, and it is the finish choice that separates a $2.75 quote from a $5.50 one.
Where a cheap quote saves the money
Be careful with anything meaningfully under $2.75 in this market. The savings are almost always in the coat count or the grit sequence, both of which look identical the day the crew leaves. One shows up the first winter and the other the first time low sun comes through a window.
Why nobody can price this over the phone
A quote given over the phone in this trade is a guess, because nobody has yet looked at how much wood is left above the nails. That measurement is what decides whether a full sand is even the right job.
Where these prices apply
We cover Des Moines, the western suburbs, the Ankeny corridor and the older neighbourhoods inside the city, including and 18 more areas.
Questions we get asked about hardwood floor refinishing cost
What does refinishing cost for a 900 sq ft floor?
Roughly $2,500 to $5,000 in Des Moines, with the spread coming from stain, coat count and whether the house is empty.
Is stain included in that price?
Not usually. Staining adds a day and a per-foot amount, and on maple it also adds a conditioner step.
Why is one quote half another?
Almost always coats and grits. Ask both quotes to state the grit sequence, the number of coats and the product name, and the difference stops being mysterious.
Get a free estimate
Tell us what you need. We answer the same day, the free estimate is on site, and nobody chases you afterwards.
Get a real number for your floor
Call and we will come out, measure, and leave you a written quote. There is no charge for the visit and no obligation afterwards.