Microcement Costs UK — What to Charge to Supply and Apply Microcement in 2026

What Is Microcement and Where Is It Used?

Microcement is a thin, cement-based decorative coating — typically applied at around 2–3mm total thickness — that produces a smooth, seamless, polished-concrete appearance. It is trowelled on by hand in multiple coats over an existing substrate, then sanded and sealed. Because it is so thin and bonds to what is already there, it can be applied over tiles, screed, plasterboard, plywood and existing worktops without ripping everything out first.

That versatility is exactly why it has taken off. The most common uses you'll be quoting for are:

• Seamless floors: open-plan living spaces, kitchens, hallways and extensions where a customer wants a continuous, joint-free concrete look.
• Wet room walls and showers: fully tanked, seamless wet areas with no grout lines to clean — one of the strongest selling points of the material.
• Kitchen and bathroom worktops: applied over existing or new substrates to give a solid, matte concrete surface.
• Feature walls: living room, hallway and bedroom accent walls in a soft, textured finish.
• Stairs: treads, risers and the surrounding floor finished as one continuous surface.

Why Microcement Is So Popular

Understanding why customers want microcement helps you sell it and price it with confidence. The appeal comes down to a handful of practical advantages over tile, stone and conventional flooring.

• Seamless and joint-free: no grout lines means no grout to discolour, crack or scrub. For wet rooms this is the headline benefit.
• Waterproof when sealed: applied over a proper tanking system and finished with the correct sealer, microcement is suitable for showers, wet rooms and splashbacks.
• Applied over existing substrates: the customer often avoids the cost, mess and disruption of removing old tiles or floors.
• Thin build-up: at roughly 2–3mm it adds almost no height, so it rarely causes problems with door clearances, thresholds or fixtures.
• Design flexibility: a wide range of colours and finishes, from soft matte to a more polished sheen, all achievable on the same project.

None of this means it is cheap. Microcement is a skilled, labour-heavy finish, and the price reflects the days of work and the specialist materials involved — not the few millimetres of thickness the customer sees at the end.

The Application Process — Why It Takes So Long

Customers often assume microcement is "just a coating" and should be quick. It is not. A proper installation is a multi-day, multi-coat process where each stage has to cure before the next can go on. Walk the customer through this in your quote — it justifies the price and protects you from being undercut by anyone skipping steps.

• Substrate preparation: the surface must be sound, clean, level and stable. Cracks are repaired, movement joints addressed and uneven areas made good. Poor prep is the single biggest cause of failure.
• Priming: a bonding primer suited to the substrate (tile, screed, board) is applied so the microcement keys properly.
• Fibreglass mesh: a reinforcing mesh is bedded into the first base coat across the surface — and especially over joints and substrate changes — to control cracking.
• Base coats: typically two base coats are trowelled on to build strength and flatten the surface, sanded between coats.
• Finish coats: two finer finish coats deliver the colour, texture and final appearance. These are where the installer's skill shows most.
• Sanding: the surface is sanded between coats and before sealing to control texture and remove trowel marks.
• Sealing: two or more coats of sealer (and often a wax or topcoat on floors) make the surface waterproof and hard-wearing. Wet areas need the right sealer system and full cure time.

Even a small bathroom is usually a 3–5 day job once curing and sealing are factored in. A larger floor can run a week or more. This is specialist work — a tradesperson cannot pick it up overnight, and that scarcity of skill is part of what supports the price.

Typical UK Microcement Prices in 2026

Microcement is almost always priced supply-and-apply per square metre, with a realistic minimum charge for small areas because the setup, prep and curing time barely changes whether the area is 2m² or 4m². The figures below are typical UK 2026 ranges for professional installation.

Microcement Floors

For floors, supply-and-apply commonly runs £80–£150+ per m². Simpler, larger floors in good condition sit toward the lower end because the prep is straightforward and you benefit from economies of scale. Small, awkward or poorly prepared floors push toward and beyond the top of the range.

• Standard floor, good substrate, larger area: £80–£110/m²
• Average floor with some prep and a feature finish: £110–£150/m²
• Small, complex or heavily prepped floor: £150/m² and up

Microcement Walls and Wet Areas

Walls and wet areas typically cost more — commonly £100–£180+ per m². Vertical application is slower and more skilled, wet rooms and showers need a tanking system plus the correct waterproof sealer, and the areas are usually smaller and more cut-up, so the per-m² rate rises.

• Feature wall in a dry room: £100–£140/m²
• Bathroom or wet room walls (with tanking and sealing): £130–£180/m²
• Shower enclosure / heavily detailed wet area: £180/m² and up

Worktops and Stairs

Worktops and staircases are usually priced per item or per linear measure rather than purely per m², because they are detail-heavy. Expect a kitchen worktop run to land around £600–£1,500+ depending on size, edges and splashbacks, and a flight of microcement stairs to run £1,500–£3,500+ depending on the number of treads, risers and the surrounding finish.

Worked Example: Small Bathroom

A customer wants a small ensuite converted to a microcement wet room. The shower walls and main walls total roughly 14m², with a 3m² floor. The existing tiles are sound and can be primed over rather than removed.

• Walls and wet area, 14m² at £150/m²: £2,100
• Floor, 3m² at £140/m² (small-area uplift): £420
• Tanking system and detailing allowance: £250
• Indicative total: £2,770

That figure covers a 3–5 day job for a skilled installer. If the existing tiles had to be removed and the substrate rebuilt, or the customer wanted a high-sheen finish, you'd price higher. Note how the small floor carries a premium per m² — never let a 3m² floor drag your day rate down to the same level as a large open-plan space.

Worked Example: Open-Plan Floor

A customer wants a seamless microcement floor across a 40m² open-plan kitchen-diner in a new extension. The screed is fresh, flat and fully cured, so prep is minimal and the area is large and uninterrupted.

• Floor, 40m² at £95/m²: £3,800
• Movement-joint detailing and threshold finishing: £200
• Hard-wearing floor sealer / topcoat system: £350
• Indicative total: £4,350

Because the floor is large and the substrate is good, the per-m² rate sits near the bottom of the range — but the total is still substantial. This is a week-long job, and the sealer and topcoat on a floor are not optional: foot traffic, furniture and cleaning chemicals make the finish system essential to a durable result.

What Drives the Cost Up or Down

Two microcement jobs of the same area can be priced hundreds or thousands of pounds apart. These are the factors that move the number, and the ones you should be checking before you quote.

• Area and layout: larger, simpler areas cost less per m²; small, cut-up rooms with lots of edges and detailing cost more. Always apply a minimum charge to tiny areas.
• Substrate condition and prep: a sound, flat, cured substrate is quick to prime. Cracked, uneven, damp or unstable surfaces add significant labour — and if the prep is skipped, the finish fails.
• Number of coats and finish: the standard system is multiple base and finish coats, but a higher-build or higher-sheen finish adds coats, sanding and time.
• Colour and finish choice: bespoke colours, two-tone effects and high-polish finishes take more skill and material than a standard matte grey.
• Wet area requirements: showers and wet rooms need tanking and a waterproof sealer system, which adds cost over a dry feature wall.
• Installer skill: this is specialist work. Experienced microcement applicators command a premium because the finish is unforgiving and rework is expensive — there is no cheap fix for a poor application.
• Access and protection: occupied homes, upper floors, and the need to mask and protect adjacent surfaces all add time.

Quoting Tips — What to Check Before You Price

Microcement quotes go wrong when the installer prices off a photo or a description rather than a proper site inspection. Before you commit a price, check the following:

• Substrate type and condition: tile, screed, board or worktop — each needs a different primer and prep approach. Confirm it is sound and stable.
• Moisture: new screeds must be fully cured and dry; damp substrates will cause failure. Check before you quote, not after you start.
• Wet area or dry: a wet room needs tanking and a waterproof sealer system — price it accordingly and document it.
• Finish and colour: agree the exact colour, sheen and any feature effects in writing, ideally with a sample, before work begins.
• Edges, thresholds and details: count the corners, movement joints, thresholds and fixtures — detailing is where the hours hide.
• Curing time and access: the customer needs to understand the area is out of use for several days. Build that into the schedule and the conversation.

Provide a sample or sample board with your quote. A physical example of the colour and finish elevates your quote above competitors who just send a number, sets expectations on texture, and gives the customer the confidence to commit to a premium finish.

Quick Reference: Microcement Prices UK 2026

Microcement FAQ

Is microcement waterproof?

Microcement itself is water-resistant, and when applied over a proper tanking system and finished with the correct waterproof sealer it is suitable for showers and wet rooms. The waterproofing comes from the system as a whole — substrate tanking plus the right sealer — not the microcement layer on its own. Always specify and document the sealer system on wet jobs.

Can microcement go over tiles?

Yes — one of its main advantages. Provided the existing tiles are sound, well-bonded and properly primed, microcement can be applied straight over them, avoiding the cost and mess of removal. Loose or hollow tiles must be dealt with first.

How long does a microcement job take?

Even a small bathroom is typically 3–5 days once prep, multiple coats, sanding, sealing and curing are accounted for. A larger floor can take a week or more. The area is out of use during this time, which is worth setting out clearly for the customer.

Why is microcement more expensive than tiling?

It is a skilled, multi-day, multi-coat hand-applied finish using specialist materials, and experienced applicators are in short supply. The thin final thickness hides days of prep, coating, sanding and sealing — you are paying for labour and expertise, not the millimetres on the surface.

Does microcement crack?

Well-installed microcement over a sound substrate with reinforcing mesh and proper movement-joint detailing resists cracking well. Most failures trace back to poor substrate prep, skipped mesh or moving joints — which is exactly why prep and skill drive the cost.