Expect to pay at least £250 per m² for a block and beam flooring. However, this can change considerably depending on the labour and material cost, plus factors such as the design used.
Cost Per m²
Below is a breakdown of the costs that make up a typical block and beam floor. The rates are for South East/Outer London regions.
| Item | Cost per m² Labour | Cost per m² Materials | Cost per m² Plant | Total Cost Per m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excavation | £13 | – | £8 | £21 |
| Disposal of Excavated Material | £7 | – | £20 | £27 |
| Hardcore Fill | £7 | £10 | – | £17 |
| Oversite Concrete | £6 | £26 | – | £32 |
| Sleeper Walls | £3 | £4 | – | £7 |
| Beam & Block Floor | £14 | £68 | – | £82 |
| Insulation 100mm thick | £5 | £15 | – | £20 |
| Damp proof membrane | £1 | £2 | – | £3 |
| Screed – 65 thick | £7 | £16 | – | £23 |
| Floor Finish (Approx) | £11 | £20 | – | £31 |
| Total | £74 | £161 | £28 | £263 |
Since the material shortage affects a number of items involved in block and beam flooring, we recommend adding an extra 20% onto the material costs.
If these costs seem high, remember to factor in the location indices too (shown in factors) as these are some of the highest.
Factors Affecting Cost
Various factors may affect the cost. These are as follows:
Depth of Excavations Required
This will also impact disposal and hardcore costs.
Design of the Floor Structure
The floor design affects the size of the items. These include the insulation, concrete, screed and floor finish. These differences impact cost. Some examples include:
- High-performance insulation like Kingspan Thermafloor may only need to be 100mm thick to reach a certain U-Value. Lower-grade mineral wool insulation may need 200mm/300mm thick.
- Larger buildings need a thicker concrete base, more support and reinforcement.
- Screed thickness varies depending on the finishing requirements. For example, when the beam and block slab is placed it may be 100mm below external door openings, meaning 100mm screed is required to level the floor. Equally, a 50mm space means 50mm screed.
How Far the Floor Spans
Sometimes where the floor spans over a long distance, more sleeper walls or intermediate support is required. This will increase the material and labour costs.
Location
The rates shown above are for the South East/Outer London Area. You can use the following adjustments depending on where the work is needed. These are based on the BCIS and Spon indices.
| Region | % Adjustment |
|---|---|
| South East (Southampton, Oxford, Kent, Outer London) | 0 |
| Inner London | +4% |
| South West (Bristol, Exeter) | -4% |
| West Midlands (Birmingham) | -10% |
| East Midlands (Northampton, Nottingham, Leicester) | -10% |
| East Anglia (Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich) | -5% |
| North West (Liverpool, Manchester) | -12% |
| Yorkshire and Humberside (Leeds, Sheffield) | -11% |
| North East (Newcastle, Sunderland) | -10% |
| Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow) | -6% |
| Wales (Cardiff, Swansea) | -9% |
| Northern Ireland (Belfast) | -12% |
How Do Material Shortages Affect Prices?
Prices within the construction industry have continued to rise into 2022. Because certain material costs are fluctuating rapidly, tradespeople pricing up jobs longer than a mon