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What changes the cost of a floor screed?
The cost of a floor screed depends on the type of screed, the floor area and depth, what sits underneath it, such as insulation or underfloor heating pipes, and how the screed gets to the room. This page does not print a price, because we could not find two dated public sources that agree on one.
Last reviewed:What a floor screed is and what the price covers
A screed is the smooth, level layer laid over a concrete slab or over insulation, ready for the floor finish. It is what your tiles, wood, vinyl or carpet eventually sit on. Screeds are common in extensions, new builds and renovations, and they are often used to bury underfloor heating pipes.
A screed quote for a home in Cheshire usually covers preparing the base, laying any edge strip and membrane, mixing or pumping the screed, laying and levelling it, and protecting it while it cures. It may or may not include insulation, removing an old floor, or preparing the screed for the final floor.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns, and anyone in the UK can post a job. This page prints no price for screeding. We could not find two dated public sources that agree on one. What it does is explain the choices that move a screed quote, so you can make sure each quote is for the same floor.
Types of screed
Sand and cement screed. The traditional option. It is mixed on site or delivered ready to use, laid fairly dry, compacted and levelled by hand. It suits most floors and many tile and stone finishes, but it is labour heavy and the finished level depends on the skill of the person laying it.
Liquid or flowing screed. Pumped into the room as a fluid that levels itself. It is quick to lay over a large area and can flow closely around underfloor heating pipes. It needs a well-sealed base and edges so it does not leak away, and it usually needs specific preparation before a floor finish goes down, so follow the maker's instructions.
Bonded, unbonded and floating screeds. These describe how the screed sits on what is below it. A bonded screed is stuck to the slab. An unbonded screed sits on a separating membrane. A floating screed sits on insulation. The type changes the minimum depth the installer will want, and so the amount of material.
Levelling compounds. A thin self-levelling layer over an existing floor is not the same job as a full screed. If your floor just needs smoothing, say so, because a compound may be all that is needed.
What changes a floor screed quote
| What changes | Why it matters | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Screed type | Sand and cement and liquid screeds are laid and prepared differently | Which type, and why for this floor? |
| Floor area | More area means more material and labour | What area have you measured? |
| Depth | A floating screed over insulation needs more depth than a bonded one | What depth have you allowed for? |
| What is underneath | A damp-proof membrane helps the floor resist ground moisture [S1]. Wet heating uses pipes under the floor [S2] | What sits under the screed, and who supplies it? |
| Preparation | An old floor may need lifting, cleaning or priming | Is taking up the old floor included? |
| Access and delivery | Liquid screed is pumped; sand and cement may be barrowed in | How will the screed reach the room? |
| Edges and joints | Edge strips and joints allow for movement | Are edge strips and joints included? |
| Curing and protection | The floor must be protected while it cures | Who covers the floor, and for how long should no one walk on it? |
| Preparing for the finish | Some screeds need sanding or priming before the floor finish | Is preparation for tiles or wood included? |
| VAT | Some installers are VAT registered [S5] | Does the total include VAT? |
The fastest way to see why two quotes differ is to compare the area, the depth and the screed type. A quote with a thinner screed or a smaller area is not the same floor.
What sits underneath
Most of the decisions about a screed are made by what is under it.
On a ground floor, the screed sits over a concrete slab, often with insulation between. For floors next to the ground, Approved Document C says the floor should resist the passage of ground moisture to its upper surface [S1]. It describes a ground-supported floor of concrete on hardcore with a damp proof membrane, and says the membrane should be continuous with the damp proof courses in the walls [S1]. Ask the builder where the membrane sits in your floor and who is responsible for it.
Over underfloor heating, the screed covers the pipes. The Energy Saving Trust says wet underfloor heating has pipes laid underneath the floor, connected to a boiler or a heat pump, which sends warm water through the pipes [S2]. The heating installer, the screeder and the flooring fitter should agree the depth over the pipes and when the heating can first be run. Ask each of them to put that in writing.
Upstairs or on timber, a full wet screed is less common, because of weight and movement. If someone suggests screeding a timber floor, ask how they will deal with both.
Drying and the floor finish
A screed is not ready for a floor finish as soon as you can walk on it. It has to dry, and drying time depends on the product, the depth and the room. Ask the installer how long they expect and how the floor will be tested before the finish goes down.
What you can do is plan for it:
- Ask the screeder how long they expect the screed to take to dry in your conditions.
- Ask the flooring fitter how they will test the screed before laying the floor, and what result they need.
- Keep the room ventilated and frost-free, but do not force drying with heaters unless the screeder says it is safe.
- If there is underfloor heating, follow the heating installer's start-up instructions.
A floor laid on a screed that is still too wet can lift, crack or come unstuck. Build the drying time into your plan from the start.
Planning the job around other trades
Screeding sits in the middle of a building job. Before it, the slab, insulation, membrane and any heating pipes must be in place and checked. After it, the floor finish, skirting and doors follow.
GOV.UK says you must check whether your work needs building regulations approval before you start [S3]. In an extension, the floor is usually part of the wider building regulations application, and building control may want to see the insulation and membrane before they are covered. Ask your builder how this fits into the inspection plan.
Agree who is responsible for each layer. If the builder lays the insulation, the plumber lays the pipes and a specialist pumps the screed, each one should know what the others are doing and what depth they are working to.
Signs of a screed problem
Most screeds are laid without trouble, but it helps to know what to look out for before the floor finish goes down:
- Hollow sounds when the surface is tapped, which can mean the screed has not bonded or has lifted.
- Cracks wider than a hairline, or cracks that keep growing.
- A soft, dusty surface that scratches easily.
- Uneven areas where a straight edge rocks or shows gaps.
If you see any of these, ask the screeder to look before any tiles, boards or vinyl go on. It is far easier to deal with a screed issue at this stage than after the floor is finished.
How to compare floor screed quotes
Citizens Advice says that a quote is a fixed price and an estimate is only a guess at the cost, and suggests getting written quotes from more than one trader [S4]. It also suggests asking to see a trader's insurance [S4]. For a screed, ask each installer to state:
- The screed type and the maker's product, if a branded screed is used.
- The area and depth.
- What sits underneath, and whether insulation or membrane is in the price.
- Preparation of the base, edges and joints.
- How the screed will be delivered to the room.
- Protection and curing, and when you can walk on it.
- What preparation for the floor finish is included.
- Whether VAT is included. A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S5].
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "New single-storey extension, insulation and membrane down. Need a screed over wet underfloor heating pipes, roughly five metres by four."
- "Old kitchen floor tiles lifted, concrete underneath is uneven. Looking for a screed or levelling layer ready for new tiles."
- "Garage conversion. Want advice on insulation and screed to bring the floor level up to the house."
Give the room size, what is already down, what floor finish will go on top, whether there is underfloor heating, and how a screed pump or barrows would reach the room.
Get quotes for floor screeding
Describe the floor and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can send you a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See builders, flooring fitters and tilers for the trades involved. If heating pipes go under the screed, see what changes the cost of underfloor heating and the plumber cost guide.
Questions about floor screed prices
How much does floor screeding cost?
This page does not print a figure. The type of screed, the floor area, the depth, what is underneath and how the screed is delivered all change the total. Ask for itemised written quotes that give the same area, depth and screed type, and say what preparation is included.
What is the difference between liquid screed and sand and cement screed?
Sand and cement screed is mixed fairly dry and laid and levelled by hand. Liquid, or flowing, screed is pumped in as a fluid that finds its own level. They differ in how they are laid, how they dry and how they must be prepared before a floor finish. Ask installers which suits your floor and why.
How long does screed take to dry?
Drying time depends on the product, the depth and the room, so ask the installer how long they expect and how the floor will be tested.
Can screed go over underfloor heating?
Yes. The Energy Saving Trust says wet underfloor heating has pipes laid underneath the floor, and that a boiler or a heat pump sends warm water through them. Screed is a common way to cover those pipes. Ask the heating installer and the screeder to agree the depth and when the heating can first be turned on.
Does a new floor need building regulations approval?
It depends on the wider job. GOV.UK says you must check whether your work needs approval before you start. A new ground floor in an extension usually forms part of a building regulations application, while re-screeding an existing room may not. Ask your builder or building control.
Why does the screed need a damp proof membrane?
For floors next to the ground, Approved Document C says the floor should resist ground moisture reaching its upper surface, and describes a damp proof membrane that links up with the damp proof courses in the walls. Ask the builder where the membrane sits in your floor.
Does QuoteZila check the businesses?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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Related pages
- Garage Conversion Cost in Cheshire: What to Ask. A Cheshire garage converted into a room is often internal work, but a habitable room needs building regulations approval. Ask what the existing shell needs.
- Garage into a room: what changes the price. In Cheshire, converting a garage into a room turns on building regulations, the slab and the electrics. No pound total is printed. See what to ask.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ and app README.
- S1: Approved Document C: site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, GOV.UK (MHCLG). Accessed 2026-10-27. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8192a0e5274a2e8ab54b5f/BR_PDF_AD_C_2013.pdf
- S2: Underfloor heating, Energy Saving Trust. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/underfloor-heating/
- S3: Building regulations approval, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval
- S4: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S5: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-27. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat