HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a floor sander in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to floor sanders; dust and old lead paint are the hazards. The checks, the questions about finishes and gaps, and what to look at.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a floor sander in five steps

  1. Check what is on the boardsOld paint or stain, especially round the edges of older rooms.
  2. Ask about dust extractionSanders with extraction, and rooms sealed off.
  3. Agree repairs and gapsBoards replaced, nails punched, gaps filled or slivered.
  4. Choose the finishOil, hard-wax oil or lacquer, and the number of coats.
  5. Check in daylightNo swirl marks, even colour, edges done.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to floor sanders anywhere in the UK, and the floor sanding needs no building regulations approval.

Ask whether the floor sanding needs building regulations approval, and who is applying for it. gov.uk →

Lead in old paint

HSE says leaded paint can sit under newer layers in older homes and advises against dry sanding it; painted borders on old floorboards are a common place to find it before the floor sanding starts.

For boards painted before the 1980s, ask how the floor sander will deal with possible lead paint. hse.gov.uk →

TrustMark

No law requires it, but TrustMark, the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme, registers businesses trade by trade and gives you something independent to check for the floor sanding.

Search the business on TrustMark under the trade that covers the floor sanding. trustmark.org.uk →

Insurance and trader status

Public liability insurance is the norm for the floor sanding; ask who the insurer is and the cover limit. Your Consumer Rights Act 2015 protections for the floor sanding apply because you are dealing with a trader, and if you agree the floor sanding at home or online the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually give you 14 days to cancel — but you pay for any work you asked to start within those days, and goods made to your own specification are outside the right.

See the insurance certificate before you confirm the floor sanding; the Locufy profile shows the trader and ID-checked badges.

VAT

Floor sanding and finishing is standard-rated, so VAT is 20%; a firm with taxable turnover over £90,000 must be VAT-registered, charge that 20% and show it as a separate line on the quote and invoice.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the sanding quote per square metre. gov.uk →

“Is there old paint on the boards to be sanded?”

A good answer: A check first; old painted borders may contain lead, which HSE says should not be dry-sanded.

“How will the floor sander control dust?”

A good answer: Machines with extraction and the room sealed off.

“Will the floor sander repair boards and fill gaps?”

A good answer: Loose boards fixed, nails punched, gaps filled or slivered, priced.

“Which finish does the floor sander recommend?”

A good answer: Oil, hard-wax oil or lacquer, with how long each lasts and dries.

“How many coats, and how long before we walk on it?”

A good answer: A number and a drying time.

“Will the floor sanding include the edges and corners?”

A good answer: Yes, with an edger and hand-finishing in corners.

Getting the quote right

  • Area and the floor type
  • Repairs, gap filling and board replacement
  • Stain if wanted, and the finish and coats
  • Dust extraction
  • Who actually attends — the sander and any helper, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Dry-sands old painted borders without checking for lead
  • No dust extraction
  • Leaves swirl marks
  • Skips the edges
  • No written price
LOW
£20
TYPICAL
£30
HIGH
£45

What a floor sander costs: £20–£45 per m²

Floor sanding is priced per square metre; staining, stripping paint, gap filling and repairs push the rate up, and small rooms may carry a minimum charge. Floor Sanding price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Floor sanders near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. PrepareRoom cleared, nails punched, repairs made, paint checked.
  2. Coarse sandOld finish removed with extraction.
  3. Fine sand and edgesFiner grits and edging for a smooth surface.
  4. Fill and finishGaps filled, stain if wanted, finish applied in coats.
  5. Dry and hand backDrying time explained and the floor handed over.

Drum sander
The main machine that sands the floor.
Edger
A smaller sander for the edges.
Slivering
Filling gaps with thin strips of wood.
Hard-wax oil
A finish that soaks in and hardens.
Lacquer
A hard-wearing surface finish.
Swirl marks
Rings left by poor sanding.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the finish detailsProduct name for maintenance coats later.
Respect the drying timeNo furniture or rugs until the maker says.
Check in daylightEven colour, no swirl marks.
Rate the workOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the floor sanding falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Raise it with the floor sander in writingKeep it factual: what was agreed for the floor sanding, what is wrong, and a reasonable date to fix it. Reasonable care and skill is a term of every trader's service under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and the remedies are a redo or money off.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the floor sanding under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workAn approval that was needed for the floor sanding and never obtained is taken up by the council: building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or in Scotland the building standards service, which holds the owner responsible for the warrant. For a dispute about the floor sanding with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the floor sanding is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a floor sander: questions people ask

No licence or register applies anywhere in the UK.

HSE says old leaded paint should not be dry-sanded; check painted boards in older homes first.

£20–£45 per square metre, typically around £30. Staining, stripping paint, gap filling and repairs push the rate up. Our Floor Sanding price guide explains what moves the figure, and the search above shows floor sanders working near your postcode.

Neither; no register applies and the floor sanding is not building work.

Oil looks natural and is easy to touch up; lacquer is harder-wearing.

Depends on the finish; ask for the drying time.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Hardwood Floor FittingHow to hire: Flooring InstallerHow to hire: Carpet FitterHow to hire: Laminate & Vinyl FlooringHow to hire: Carpenter & JoinerHow to hire: Home StagingHow to hire: Interior DesignerHow to hire: PlastererAll 701 hiring guides →

Floor sanders near you

Floor sanders in LondonFloor sanders in ManchesterFloor sanders in BirminghamFloor sanders in GlasgowFloor sanders in BelfastAll floor sanders on Locufy →Do it yourself: sanding and finishing a wooden floor →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — construction hazardous substances: lead
  2. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  5. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  6. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  8. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  9. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  10. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  11. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  12. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  13. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register