Costs
Microcement is priced per project, not off a list. Here’s what genuinely moves the number — and how to read any quote you’re given.
Four things that move the number
Area & Layout
Total square metreage, and how broken up it is. Corners, cut-outs, thresholds and edges all take time that open floor doesn’t.
Substrate Condition
A sound, flat existing surface is cheaper to prepare than one needing levelling or repair before the Base coat goes down.
Texture & Colour
A standard trowelled finish in a stock colour is quicker than bespoke colour-matching or a heavily worked texture.
Wet-Area Waterproofing
Wet rooms need the full Barrier stage with mesh at every junction — materially more labour than a dry wall or floor.
What it typically costs
Guide ranges for planning purposes. A fixed price always follows a site survey, because substrate condition moves the number more than anything else on this page.
| Application | Guide Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Residential floor | £110 – £150 / m² | Standard trowelled finish over a sound substrate |
| Residential wall | £120 – £160 / m² | Dry areas, single colour |
| Bathroom or wet room | £150 – £200 / m² | Includes the full Barrier waterproofing stage |
| Commercial floor | £110 – £170 / m² | Varies with access, footfall spec and programme |
| Worktop, island or vanity | From £850 / unit | Priced individually, not per m² |
| Minimum project value | £3,300 | The system takes 4–7 days regardless of area |
Why there’s a minimum project value
The Oltre system is applied in layers with curing time between each, so a small bathroom takes almost as many days as a large one. A minimum keeps pricing honest rather than loading a per-metre rate that would look absurd on a bigger job.
Staged against milestones, not dates
You pay for work that has been done, at points you can see and verify. The final payment always comes after the handover walkthrough — never before it.
| Project Value | On Acceptance | At Application | On Handover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £3,000 | 40% | — | 60% |
| £3,000 – £15,000 | 30% | 40% | 30% |
| Above £15,000 & commercial | 20% | Staged by milestone | Balance |
Full terms are set out on the terms of business page.
Why there’s a deposit at all
Oltre materials are ordered and colour-matched for your specific project. They can’t be returned or used on someone else’s job, so the deposit covers a real cost rather than simply holding your place in the diary.
Why the middle payment exists
On larger projects the second stage falls after substrate preparation — the unglamorous part that determines whether the finish lasts. It is real work, so it is invoiced as such.
Why the balance comes last
Holding the final payment until after handover is your protection. Any installer unwilling to work that way is telling you something.
Your cancellation rights
For work agreed at your home you have a statutory 14-day cancellation period. If you want work to start sooner, that’s fine — it just needs confirming in writing first, and I’ll set that out for you.
Six questions to ask any quote — mine included
- Is that rate labour and materials together, or materials only?
- Is VAT included in the figure you’ve been shown?
- Does it cover substrate preparation, or is that extra if problems are found?
- Is the installer approved by the manufacturer of the system being used?
- For a wet room: is the full waterproofing stage included, with mesh at the junctions?
- What is the payment structure, and is the final payment due before or after handover?