We're a flooring contractor based in Cedar Hill, and we work across it and the cities around it, Balch Springs included. The calls we get here sound a lot like the ones we get everywhere else. Somebody's garage floor has oil spots and paint lifting where the tires sit, a shop owner needs a slab that can take dropped tools and heavy carts, or a patio has gone dull and stained. I've been at this since 2013, and I still come out to look at every floor and write the estimate myself.
Houses and shops here, like the ones in Lancaster and the other cities we cover, sit on slabs of every age and condition, and the slab is what decides the job. A clean, sound floor goes quickly, while one with old sealer, patches or cracks needs more grinding and repair before a coating will hold.
Checking with the city before we start
The city's Permits and Inspections Division issues building permits for most types of construction, and the examples it gives are things like a shed, a carport or changes to a building. A garage or shop floor coating isn't on that list, and that doesn't tell you either way whether your job needs a permit. So before we start, we check with that office about your floor, and if it calls for a permit, we take care of the paperwork. You don't have to chase it down yourself, and you'll know the answer before any grinding starts.
What moves the price and the schedule
Price mostly comes down to the slab and the system you pick. How big is the floor? Is there old paint, sealer or glue that has to come up first? How many cracks and pits need filling? Then there's what goes on top, since a clear sealer, a single-color coating and a flake or metallic floor each take different time and material. The schedule turns on those same things, plus how long each coat needs to cure before the next one goes on or before you park on it. When I come out, I'll look at all of it and write up the estimate for your floor.
Why the prep matters more than the finish
A coating only holds as long as the concrete under it does, so most of the time on a job goes into prep. Our own trained installers grind, clean and repair the slab before anything goes down. If your floor has moisture coming up through it or concrete that's crumbling, I'll tell you it needs work first, or that a coating isn't a fit, rather than sell you a floor that peels. And sometimes a full coating is more than you need. A garage floor, patio or pool deck in decent shape may only want concrete sealing to keep stains and water out.