Epoxy Floor Kit Buying Guide: What to Look For and Which Kit Fits
An epoxy floor kit should contain everything the floor needs: enough base coat for the square footage, a topcoat that will take the wear, flake or pigment if you want them, and the tools to put it down. Most kits sold online fall short on one of those, usually thickness or topcoat. This guide explains what to look for, how to size a kit, and which of our five epoxy floor kits fits which floor. If you already know you want a garage floor, the Garage Pro System is where most people land.
What a complete epoxy floor kit contains
| Part | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Base coat | 100% solids epoxy, applied at 12 mils or more in one coat. Ours is B-707, 3 gal per 350 sq ft at about 14 mils. | Thickness is the floor's durability. Water-based and "one-part" epoxies are 40 to 60% solids; the rest evaporates and leaves a 2 to 3 mil film. |
| Topcoat | A UV-stable polyurethane or polyaspartic clear, sold as part of the kit. | Epoxy ambers in sunlight and scratches when it is the wear surface. The topcoat takes the hot tires, the dropped tools and the UV. |
| Flake or pigment | Enough flake for a full broadcast: 40 lb per 350 sq ft. Metallic kits need a black ground coat plus 12 oz of pigment per 3.75 gal of clear. | Kits that ship a 2 lb bag of flake for a 2-car garage give you a light sprinkle, not a flake floor. |
| Tools | 18 inch roller frame and covers, notched squeegee, mix wand, chip brush, spiked shoes. | A 9 inch paint roller and a stir stick are how people run out of working time. |
| Instructions and a phone number | Someone to call before you mix. | Most questions come up the night before. |
Step 1: measure the floor
Length times width in feet. Subtract nothing for cars or cabinets; you are coating the whole slab. Typical garages:
- 1-car: 12 by 22 ft, about 260 sq ft. The 1-car kit covers up to 350.
- 2-car: 20 by 22 to 24 by 24 ft, 440 to 580 sq ft. The 2-car kit covers up to 700.
- 3-car: 30 by 24 to 36 by 26 ft, 720 to 940 sq ft. The 3-car kit covers up to 1,050.
- Deep or oversize garages, barns and shops: kits run up to 1,400, 1,750 and 2,100 sq ft, then the Commercial Pro kit at 2,000 and 5,000.
If your number sits within 10% of the top of a size, buy the next size. Rough, porous or heavily ground concrete drinks more epoxy than the coverage figure. The epoxy calculator does the arithmetic and shows the price.
Step 2: pick the floor type
| Kit | Built for | Base coat | Topcoat | Finishes | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garage Starter System | The lowest price. Floors out of the sun. | B-707 100% solids epoxy | None; the epoxy is the wear surface | Solid color, metallic | $284.99, 1-car |
| Garage Pro System | Most garages | B-707 | UV-stable polyurethane gloss, or polyaspartic clear over flake | Solid color, full flake, metallic | $584.99, 1-car |
| Garage One-Day System | Garages that need to be back in use fast, or slabs too cold for epoxy | B-933 fast-cure polyurea (flake) or tinted polyaspartic (solid) | T-444X polyaspartic clear | Full flake, solid color | $714.99, 1-car |
| Basement & Indoor Pro System | Basements, rec rooms, home gyms, workshops | B-707 | Water-based polyurethane matte, low odor | Solid color, full flake, metallic | $679.99, up to 350 sq ft |
| Commercial Pro System | Shops, warehouses, showrooms | B-707 in 15 gal kits | T-322 solvent urethane for forklifts and hot tires, or polyaspartic over flake | Solid color, full flake | $2,274.99, up to 2,000 sq ft |
Starter or Pro?
The Starter kit is the Pro base coat without the topcoat and without the full tool kit. It is a real 100% solids floor at about half the price, and a sensible choice for a dark basement or a shed. In a garage with a door that opens to daylight, buy the Pro. Bare epoxy ambers in UV and marks under hot tires; the topcoat is what you are paying the difference for. More in pro kits vs big-box kits.
Epoxy or one-day polyaspartic?
Epoxy gives you 30 to 50 minutes per batch and a weekend schedule. Polyaspartic gives you 10 to 25 minutes per batch and the car back in two days. First floor, pick epoxy. Need the garage Monday, or a slab under 60°F, pick the One-Day. The full comparison is in epoxy vs polyaspartic.
Basement kit or garage kit for an indoor room?
The basement kit is the garage Pro kit with a matte, low-odor topcoat and sizing by square feet. Use it for any lived-in room. The glossy garage topcoat shows scuffs and roller marks indoors. See the basement floor epoxy guide.
Step 3: pick the finish
- Solid color. Cheapest, simplest, one base coat and one topcoat. Shows dirt and shows flaws in the slab. Twelve colors.
- Full flake. Hides dirt, dust and slab imperfections, adds texture and grip, and is the finish most garages get. Costs more because of the flake and the polyaspartic clear. Ten blends. See full flake epoxy floor kits.
- Metallic. Glossy, marbled, and the most technique-dependent. Needs a slab in good shape. Thirteen colors. See metallic epoxy floor kits.
All the colors and blends with photos are on the epoxy floor colors page.
Step 4: check what the slab needs that is not in the kit
No kit includes repairs or primer, because most floors do not need them and the ones that do need different amounts. Check before you order so it all ships together:
- Moisture. Tape a 2 ft square of plastic to the slab for 24 hours. Damp underneath means P-409 Moisture Vapor Primer, one 1.5 gal kit per 140 sq ft. Basements fail this test often; garages rarely. See the moisture test guide.
- Cracks. R-818 Epoxy Crack Filler. A 1 gal kit does a typical 2-car garage.
- Chips, spalls, broken edges. R-343 Concrete Quick Fix.
- Saw-cut joints. R-830 Flexible Joint Sealant if you want a seamless floor; about 4 tubes for a 2-car garage with two joints.
- Oil-soaked spots. P-820 Oil Stop Primer on the spots that darken again after degreasing.
- Grinder rental. Not a product, but budget a day's rental. Grinding is what makes the floor stick.
Step 5: compare prices per square foot
| Kit and finish | 1-car, 350 sq ft | 2-car, 700 sq ft | 3-car, 1,050 sq ft | 4-car, 1,400 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garage Starter, solid | $284.99 ($0.81) | $539.99 ($0.77) | $789.99 ($0.75) | $1,044.99 ($0.75) |
| Garage Pro, solid | $584.99 ($1.67) | $1,039.99 ($1.49) | $1,509.99 ($1.44) | $2,074.99 ($1.48) |
| Garage Pro, full flake | $904.99 ($2.59) | $1,694.99 ($2.42) | $2,489.99 ($2.37) | $3,389.99 ($2.42) |
| Garage Pro, metallic | $909.99 ($2.60) | $1,694.99 ($2.42) | $2,494.99 ($2.38) | $3,394.99 ($2.42) |
| Garage One-Day, full flake | $839.99 ($2.40) | $1,569.99 ($2.24) | $2,299.99 ($2.19) | $3,139.99 ($2.24) |
| Garage One-Day, solid | $714.99 ($2.04) | $1,319.99 ($1.89) | $1,919.99 ($1.83) | $2,634.99 ($1.88) |
| Basement & Indoor Pro, solid | $679.99 ($1.94) | $1,224.99 ($1.75) | $1,789.99 ($1.70) | $2,444.99 ($1.75) |
Per square foot figures are in parentheses. Every price includes the topcoat where the kit has one and the tools. Orders over $500 ship free in the US. Installed, the same floors run $6 to $9 per sq ft; see how much it costs to epoxy a garage floor.
How to read a competing kit's listing
- "Covers 500 sq ft" with 2 gallons. That is 250 sq ft per gallon, or about 6 mils. A 100% solids epoxy at 14 mils covers 115 sq ft per gallon. Coverage claims that high mean a thin, usually water-based, coat.
- No topcoat, or a "clear coat" that is more of the same epoxy. Epoxy over epoxy still ambers.
- "Includes decorative flakes" without a weight. Ask how many pounds. A full broadcast is 40 lb per bay.
- Single-part or "no mixing" epoxy. It is paint with epoxy in the name. It will peel under tires.
- No square footage sizing. Kits sold by the can, not by the floor, leave the math to you.
- No phone number. You will have a question at 7 pm on a Saturday.
Buying for a contractor or a big floor
Installers and shops buy the coatings on their own in 3 and 15 gal kits from the base coats, topcoats and flake and pigment collections, and the Commercial Pro kit covers up to 5,000 sq ft. Above that, or for a different spec, call for drum pricing. Contractors: see for installers.
Epoxy floor kit FAQ
What size epoxy kit do I need for a 2-car garage?
Measure first. Most 2-car garages are 440 to 580 sq ft and take the 2-car kit, which covers up to 700. A 24 by 30 ft garage is 720 sq ft and needs the 3-car kit.
Is a more expensive epoxy kit worth it?
The price difference between a cheap kit and a Pro kit is mostly thickness, topcoat and flake quantity. Those are the three things that decide whether the floor is still there in five years. See how long a garage floor coating lasts.
Can I buy the parts separately instead of a kit?
Yes. Every product in the kits is sold on its own. The kit is priced 10% below the sum of its parts and ships as one order.
Do I need a primer?
Not on ground or etched concrete that passed the moisture test. B-707 is a high build epoxy that goes straight onto profiled concrete. Damp slabs need P-409; oil-soaked spots need P-820.
How long does a kit keep before I use it?
Unopened, about a year in a dry place at room temperature. Keep it from freezing and out of a hot attic. The shelf life is on each label, and the data sheet is available on request.
What is the difference between a kit and a system?
We use "system" for the complete floor sized to your square footage, and "kit" for a product's Part A and Part B as packaged. A Garage Pro System for a 2-car garage contains two B-707 kits, a topcoat kit and the tools.
Still deciding? Every order includes a free 20-minute consultation, and you can call before you order too. (877) 703-7699. If we miss you, we call back within an hour. Or use Build my kit and we size it from your answers.
How to Prep a Basement Floor for Epoxy