Guides · Timber
Timber Floor Sanding Cost: What Australian Price Guides Show
By Faiz Azizan · Updated Thu Oct 22
The one price guide we found puts timber floor sanding at $30 to $70 per m2, against $90 to $280 per m2 for new timber, and a 60 to 80 m2 floor at two to three days. It is a Brisbane guide, not a NSW one, so use it only to sense-check a quote.
What the guide says
| Item | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sanding | $30 to $70 per m2 | Brisbane cost guide |
| Laying new timber | $90 to $280 per m2 | Same guide |
| Typical job | 60 to 80 m2 in 2 to 3 days | Same guide |
| Light refresh | About one day, cheaper than sanding | Melbourne restorer |
The guide describes itself as an independent cost guide, but we could not verify who runs it or how the numbers were collected. We did not find a NSW or Sydney price source, which is why this page does not give a Sydney figure.
A worked example
At $30 to $70 per m2, a 70 m2 floor comes to $2,100 to $4,900. That is our arithmetic on the guide's range, and it excludes any repairs, staining or extra coats you might choose. Use it to check a quote is in the right area, not as a price.
What changes the price
Ask each contractor what is included: the number of sanding passes, the number of coats and the finish product, repair of damaged boards, nail punching, skirting and furniture moving. Floor condition also matters, including how much wear layer is left (see how often to sand and polish timber floors).
Compare like with like
Line up the scope in each quote before comparing the totals: how to compare flooring quotes fairly. If the floor is engineered timber, check the wear layer first: solid vs engineered timber flooring.
Find contractors
NSW Flooring lists 262 businesses with a confirmed timber flooring service, from Google Maps, retrieved 22 October 2026, and shows no prices. Examples: timber flooring businesses in Western Sydney, timber flooring eastern suburbs and timber flooring north shore & ryde, or browse timber flooring contractors in NSW. Read the data rules behind these counts.
Quick answers
Is sanding cheaper than new timber? In the one guide we found, yes by a wide margin.
Do these prices include GST? The guide does not say clearly. Ask each contractor.
References
- What's the Damage: Timber floor sanding cost, Brisbane (Cost guide (Brisbane); authority unverified)
- Electrodry: Floor sanding and polishing (Melbourne) (Contractor)
Prices and intervals quoted from supplier or contractor pages are indicative and are labelled as such in the text. This guide is general information, not advice: see the disclaimer.