If you’ve priced out a few garage floor coatings lately, you already know the range is huge. One quote comes in at $1,200, another at $4,500, and you’re left wondering what actually separates them. Here’s the honest answer: it’s rarely the epoxy itself. It’s the crew applying it, the prep work they skip or don’t skip, and whether they’ll still take your call two years from now if something bubbles up.

A garage floor coating is one of those home projects where the finished product looks nearly identical on install day regardless of quality, good or bad. The differences show up six months later, when a cheap job starts peeling at the tire tracks or a rushed moisture test leads to bubbling under the coating. That’s exactly why the questions you ask before signing anything matter more than the glossy brochure or the sample chip you get to hold in your hand.

Below are seven questions worth asking before you commit. Bring a notepad. The answers, or the hesitation before them, will tell you almost everything.

1. How do you handle moisture testing and concrete prep?¶

This is the single biggest predictor of whether a coating lasts. Concrete is porous, and garage slabs sit directly on soil, which means moisture vapor is constantly trying to work its way up. If a crew skins over that moisture without testing for it first, you’ll see the coating lift and bubble, sometimes within months. Ask specifically whether they use a calcium chloride test or a relative humidity probe, not just “we check for moisture.” Any reputable name among epoxy garage floor installers will have a clear, repeatable process here, not a shrug.

2. What’s your surface preparation method, exactly?¶

Grinding with diamond tooling opens the concrete’s pores so the epoxy can actually bond. Acid etching is the cheaper, faster alternative, and it’s also the reason so many garage floors fail early. If a contractor’s quote seems suspiciously low, this is usually why. Ask them to say the word “grinding” out loud. If they can’t, that price difference just explained itself.

3. What products are you using, and can I see the technical data sheet?¶

There’s a real difference between a big-box epoxy kit and a commercial-grade polyaspartic or 100% solids epoxy system. Ask for the actual product name and manufacturer, then look up the data sheet yourself later. You don’t need to become a chemist overnight, just enough to confirm the crew isn’t using something meant for a quick weekend touch-up on a floor that’ll see daily car traffic and hot tires.

4. How many coats, and what’s the cure time between each?¶

Rushing cure time between layers is one of the most common shortcuts. A base coat, a color flake or quartz layer, and a topcoat each need adequate time to set before the next goes on. If a company promises a full install and drive-on-ready floor in one single day, ask how. Sometimes it’s genuinely possible with the right fast-cure polyaspartic systems. Sometimes it’s just a rushed job with a nice sales pitch attached.

5. What warranty do you offer, and what actually voids it?¶

A warranty is only as good as its exceptions. Ask what’s covered (peeling, bubbling, discoloration) and what isn’t. Ask how long the company has been operating under its current name, because a five-year warranty from a business that folds in year two isn’t worth much. This is where reputation and longevity genuinely matter, and it’s worth checking recent reviews, not just the testimonials on their own site.

6. Can I see photos or visit a floor you installed at least a year ago?¶

Fresh installs always look impressive. A floor that’s held up through a full year of Oregon winters, road salt, and daily foot and tire traffic tells the real story. A company confident in its work, including a business like AFS Trans Co., should have no problem sharing examples that have had time to prove themselves, not just the ones fresh off the truck.

7. What’s included in the written contract, and what counts as an extra charge?¶

Verbal promises evaporate the moment there’s a dispute. Get everything in writing: square footage, prep method, number of coats, product names, timeline, and cleanup responsibilities. Ask directly what might add to the final bill, like extensive crack repair or oil stain removal, so there are no surprises when the invoice arrives.

The Bottom Line¶

None of these questions are meant to put a contractor on the defensive. A team that knows their craft will actually welcome them, because it gives them a chance to show they take the process seriously. The goal isn’t to catch someone doing something wrong. It’s to walk into a fairly expensive, fairly permanent home investment with your eyes open.

Take your time, compare more than one quote, and pay closer attention to how a company answers these questions than to how polished their marketing looks. A garage floor coating done right can genuinely last a decade or more. Done wrong, you’re redoing it in two years and paying twice. Ask the questions first. Your future garage floor will thank you.