Tidal Flooring · C-15 #1002910
The one-day service that saves your floors from a $6,000 refinish.
A screen and recoat rebuilds your hardwood's wear layer before damage reaches the wood — most homes done in one day, furniture back the next.
How much does a hardwood recoat cost in San Diego?
As of 2026, most San Diego recoats run $2 to $4 per square foot, and most homes are done in one day. Full refinishing runs $4 to $9 per square foot — a recoat renews your hardwood for roughly a quarter of the cost of the refinish it postpones.
Recoat or refinish? The honest answer.
A recoat can't fix everything — and we'll tell you when it can't. If your floor needs the full treatment, that's our dustless refinishing service.
| Screen & recoat | Full refinish | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost (2026) | $2–$4 / sq ft | $4–$9 / sq ft |
| Time | Usually one day | Multiple days + cure time |
| Fixes | Dullness, light scratches, traffic wear | Deep damage, gray boards, color change |
| Sanding | Surface abrasion only | Sand to bare wood |
| Right when | The finish is tired, the wood is fine | The wood itself is damaged or you want a new color |
The work
Same wood. New wear layer.
Recoat questions, answered directly.
How much does a hardwood recoat cost in San Diego?+
As of 2026, most San Diego screen-and-recoats run $2 to $4 per square foot, and most homes are done in one day. Full refinishing runs $4 to $9 per square foot by comparison — a recoat is roughly a quarter of the cost of the refinish it can help you postpone for years.
What exactly is a screen and recoat?+
We abrade the existing finish (screening), then apply a fresh coat of finish over it. It removes surface dullness and fine scratches and rebuilds the wear layer — without sanding to bare wood, without dust containment setups, and without days of drying.
How do I know if my floor needs a recoat or a full refinish?+
If the damage lives in the finish — dullness, light scratches, traffic patterns — a recoat handles it. If it's in the wood itself — gray or black boards, deep gouges, cupping, or you want a new stain color — you need refinishing. We tell you which one your floor actually needs before you spend anything.
How often should hardwood be recoated?+
Every 3 to 5 years in most homes — sooner with dogs and heavy traffic. Recoating on that cadence is what keeps a floor from ever needing the $6,000 sand-to-bare-wood day.
10 recoat slots per month. One of them can be yours.
We cap recoat slots so every one ships in a day. Exploring the bigger job instead? See full refinishing or all of Tidal Flooring.
Two-minute booking