How Much Does Liquid Screed Cost?
What does liquid screed cost per m²?
Liquid screed costs £15–£25 per m² supply and install in London and the South East. Most residential projects land around £20 per m² at standard 50 mm depth. Large commercial contracts come in lower; small areas under 100 m² sit toward the top of the range.
That upfront figure is only half the story. Liquid screed installs up to 24 times faster than traditional sand-cement screed and dries significantly sooner. On most London projects — particularly those with underfloor heating — it delivers a lower total cost once labour, programme time, and finish quality are factored in.
What affects the cost of liquid screed?
Six variables move the price. Understanding them lets you budget accurately before anyone sets foot on site.
Floor area — the biggest single factor
Liquid screed arrives by tanker. The mobilisation cost — truck, pump, crew — is roughly fixed regardless of project size. That overhead is spread across more square metres on larger projects, which is why the price per m² drops as area increases.
| Floor area | Typical price per m² | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under 100 m² | £20–£25 | Mobilisation dominates the unit cost |
| 100–300 m² | £18–£22 | Most residential extensions and new-builds |
| 300–1,000 m² | £15–£19 | Commercial units, large developments |
| Over 1,000 m² | £13–£16 | Large new-build and commercial contracts |
Screed depth
Standard liquid screed over underfloor heating is installed at 50 mm, with a minimum 30 mm cover above pipework. Bonded installations on a solid substrate can go as thin as 25–30 mm. Each additional 10 mm adds material volume and cost proportionately. Specifying the correct depth matters: under-depth risks cracking; over-depth wastes money and adds dead load.
Screed type — Anhydrite, Cemfloor, or Latex
- Anhydrite (calcium sulphate) — the most cost-effective option for large areas. Lowest material cost per m², ideal for new builds, extensions, and commercial projects over UFH. Avoid in wet rooms.
- Cemfloor (cement-based liquid screed) — mid-range cost, moisture-resistant, suitable for wet rooms, ground floors, and external applications. Slightly higher price than anhydrite but more versatile.
- Latex screed — the premium option. Used for thin applications of 3–10 mm to level or repair existing slabs. Higher cost per m² but the correct specification when build-up height is restricted.
Access and site conditions
Liquid screed is delivered by tanker with a pump hose that can reach up to 120 metres. Difficult access adds cost: multi-storey buildings in central London may require pump extensions (budget a supplement of £1–£2 per m²); restricted vehicle access can require a secondary pump unit; and sites outside the M25 typically carry increased travel costs.
Underfloor heating pipework
If UFH supply and installation is included alongside the screed, expect to add approximately £8–£18 per m² for the heating system. Having London Flow Screed manage both under a single contract eliminates programme risk and ensures pipework is correctly prepared before the pour.
Preparation work
The substrate must be clean, primed, and edged before the screed is poured. Grinding, contamination removal, or damp-proof membrane installation is quoted separately. A free site visit identifies any prep requirements before we price. See our preparation guide for the full pre-pour checklist.
Liquid screed vs sand-cement: the real cost comparison
Sand-cement screed costs less per m² on material — typically £9–£14 per m². The comparison does not hold once labour, programme time, and finish quality enter the calculation. Here is a direct comparison for a 200 m² new-build ground floor.
| Sand-cement screed | Liquid screed Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation time | Up to 2 days | Around 2 hours |
| Crew size | 2–3 operatives | 2 operatives |
| Ambient drying at 50 mm | ~50 days | ~60 days (1 mm/day to 40 mm, then 0.5 mm/day) |
| Force-dry option | Not possible | Yes — commission UFH at day 7; reduces drying by up to 60% |
| Surface flatness | ±5–10 mm | ±3 mm |
| Shrinkage risk | High — multiple expansion joints required | Near-zero |
| UFH suitability | Poor thermal contact | Excellent — encases pipework fully |
| Material cost per m² | £9–£14 | £15–£25 |
The labour saving on a 200 m² project alone is approximately a full working day. On new builds and commercial projects where programme days carry a cost, liquid screed consistently delivers a net saving despite the higher material price per m². For residential extensions, the ability to force-dry using UFH means finish trades — tilers, floor layers, kitchen fitters — can follow on weeks earlier.
The answer to "is it worth it?" is yes for the overwhelming majority of London projects. Anywhere underfloor heating is present, liquid screed is the technically superior and programme-efficient choice.
How we price liquid screed projects
Every project is priced individually. Floor area, access, depth, and screed type produce too wide a range for a standard rate to be meaningful — or honest.