Getting a quote for floor sanding in Melbourne right now, you’ll see numbers between about $30 and $60 per square metre for standard sand-and-polish work. That’s a wide range, and the difference is not usually the quality of the sander — it’s what the price actually includes and what condition your floor is in.

This post explains what those numbers cover, where the extras come in, and what to watch for in a suspiciously cheap quote.

The baseline: $30 to $45/m² for straightforward work

A standard sand-and-polish on a hardwood floor in reasonable condition — no major repairs, standard water-based finish, no stain — sits between $30 and $45/m² across most of Melbourne in 2026. Peninsula rates start around $35/m². Inner-city work with tight access and parking constraints trends higher.

At this rate, a typical 100m² job runs $3,000–$4,500. That should include:

Rough and fine sanding
Edge work and detail sanding
Vacuum and clean between coats
Sealer coat plus two topcoats of standard water-based polyurethane
Site protection of adjacent rooms

What pushes it higher

Add-ons and complications move the rate up:

Board repairs — splits, water damage, missing sections need to be replaced or patched first, usually quoted per board.
Stain — adds a full process step, typically $10–$20/m² extra.
Third topcoat — standard on darker stains or high-traffic areas.
Lime wash or whitewash — $50/m² or more given the wash step and finish system.
Parquetry — $60–$80/m² because of slower, multi-directional sanding.
Staircases — priced per project, usually a chunky add-on.
Extensive floor damage — pet stains, deep gouges, historic patches that need to be redone.
Difficult access — upstairs jobs, no lift, tight staircase into work area.

What pulls it lower

Very large open-plan floors are cheaper per m² than lots of small rooms.
Water-based finish is cheaper to apply than oil-based (fewer coat days).
New builds with fresh timber and no repairs quote at the bottom of the range.

What to watch for in a low quote

Quotes under $30/m² are almost always missing something. Common shortcuts:

One or no sealer coat, then two thin topcoats — the finish wears through fast.
No detail sanding at edges — leaving a visible “ring” where the drum sander couldn’t reach.
No dust extraction — cheap sanders without modern extraction cost less to run.
A subcontracted job — the person you spoke to isn’t the person doing the work.
“From $X” pricing with the real quote coming in far higher once they see the floor.

If a quote is 20% cheaper than everyone else, ask exactly what’s different. If the answer isn’t clear, it’s not the same job.

What to ask when comparing quotes

What finish system are you using? (Product name, not just “polyurethane”.)
How many coats?
Is dust extraction included?
What happens if you find damaged boards? Is that in the quote or extra?
Who’s doing the work — you or someone else?
What’s your warranty on the workmanship?

Peninsula-specific factors

Working on the Mornington Peninsula, we build in a few local variables:

Coastal exposure on interior floors can push you toward a UV-stable water-based finish rather than oil-based.
Holiday-let cycles may require an out-of-season schedule to avoid a booked-out weekend.
Older Rosebud, Frankston and Sorrento stock often has surprise board damage or previous patches under a carpet-covered floor.

The base rate is honest. The variables are what push a $35/m² quote toward $50/m² on a real Peninsula job — and we’d rather tell you that up front than at the end.