If you’ve ever worked in a busy Sydney commercial kitchen — a cafe in Surry Hills, a restaurant in Circular Quay, a hotel kitchen in Darling Harbour, or a catering facility in the inner west — you know one thing for certain:
The floor matters.
Commercial kitchens are brutal on flooring. There’s heat. There’s steam. There are oils, fats, cleaning chemicals, constant foot traffic, dropped pans, and the occasional flood from a burst pipe or overflowing sink.
In an environment like this, an ordinary floor just won’t cut it. That’s why epoxy flooring has become the standard choice for commercial kitchen flooring in Sydney — and why health inspectors and builders increasingly recommend it.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about epoxy flooring for commercial kitchens:
✅ Why it’s the right choice
✅ The legal and hygiene requirements involved
✅ The best epoxy systems to use
✅ Installation process
✅ Costs
✅ Maintenance tips
✅ What to look for when choosing an installer
Why Flooring Is Critical in Sydney Commercial Kitchens
Let’s start with the obvious: Sydney’s food industry is huge and diverse:
- Cafes and restaurants
- Hotels and resorts
- Pubs and clubs
- Catering kitchens
- Hospitals and aged care
- School and university canteens
- Food processing facilities
All of these operations share one thing in common: their floors are subject to strict hygiene, safety, and durability demands.
A failed floor in a kitchen is more than an inconvenience — it can result in:
❌ Health code violations
❌ Food contamination
❌ Safety hazards → slips and falls
❌ Costly shutdowns for repairs
This is why choosing the right floor system is not just about looks — it’s about function, compliance, and protecting your business.
Why Epoxy Flooring Is Ideal for Commercial Kitchens
Here’s why more Sydney kitchens are choosing epoxy flooring:
1️⃣ Hygiene Compliance
Under NSW Food Authority guidelines, commercial kitchen floors must be:
✅ Impervious to moisture → stops bacterial growth
✅ Easy to clean and sanitise → no cracks or joints
✅ Free from grease build-up
✅ Able to withstand heat and cleaning chemicals
Epoxy systems, when properly installed:
✅ Create a seamless, non-porous surface
✅ Prevent water and fat ingress
✅ Can handle high-pressure, hot water cleaning
✅ Resist aggressive cleaning agents used in commercial kitchens
👉 Many health inspectors specifically look for seamless epoxy or similar coatings in food areas.
2️⃣ Slip Resistance
Commercial kitchens are high-risk areas for slips:
- Water and fat spills
- Wet cleaning processes
- High foot traffic, often in a rush
Epoxy floors can be finished with:
✅ Graded slip-resistant textures → tailored to the zone
✅ Options for high-slip risk zones (dishwash, prep, wet areas)
✅ Easier cleaning than traditional quarry tile + grout → no grout lines to trap grease
Proper slip resistance is critical for both OH&S compliance and employee safety — and epoxy makes this manageable.
3️⃣ Chemical Resistance
Kitchen floors encounter:
- Caustic cleaners
- Animal fats and oils
- Acids (vinegar, lemon juice, wine)
- Detergents
- Disinfectants
Epoxy coatings are formulated to resist these chemicals — unlike porous concrete or vinyl systems that deteriorate under kitchen conditions.
4️⃣ Heat and Impact Resistance
Epoxy floors can handle:
✅ Hot water
✅ Steam
✅ Occasional thermal shock (spilled boiling liquid)
✅ Dropped pots, pans, utensils
Specialised high-build epoxy and hybrid resin systems are designed to survive these real-world kitchen abuses.
5️⃣ Easy Maintenance
This is where epoxy floors shine:
✅ Daily cleaning with detergent and scrubber → easy
✅ Periodic deep cleaning → withstands high-pressure hot water
✅ No joints or grout lines → less harbourage for bacteria
✅ Resistant to staining → stays presentable even in front-of-house kitchens
This reduces long-term labour and cleaning costs — a major benefit for busy kitchens.
Legal and Hygiene Requirements for Kitchen Floors in NSW
Let’s cover compliance — a critical factor for Sydney commercial kitchens.
Under the NSW Food Authority Food Standards Code (Standard 3.2.3), floors must be:
✅ Suitable for intended activities
✅ Durable
✅ Non-absorbent
✅ Sealed to prevent water and grease penetration
✅ Laid to fall correctly to floor drains
✅ Kept in good repair and easy to clean
👉 Failure to comply can lead to improvement notices, fines, or closure.
Epoxy flooring is specifically designed to meet these requirements when properly specified.
HACCP Compliance
✅ Many epoxy systems used in Sydney are HACCP certified (refer to HACCP Australia official website) suitable for food production environments.
✅ If your kitchen handles high-risk foods or exports, this may be a requirement.
Types of Epoxy Flooring for Commercial Kitchens
Not all epoxies are created equal. Here are common systems used in Sydney kitchens:
1️⃣ High-Build Epoxy Coatings
✅ 3–4mm thick
✅ Seamless and durable
✅ Excellent for general kitchen zones
✅ Most common system used in restaurant kitchens
2️⃣ Quartz-Filled Epoxy (Epoxy Quartz)
✅ Epoxy resin with broadcast quartz aggregate
✅ Highly slip-resistant → ideal for wet zones (dishwash, freezer rooms)
✅ Very durable under impact and abrasion
✅ Slightly rougher texture → needs good cleaning regime
3️⃣ Hybrid Polyurethane-Epoxy Systems
✅ Improved heat and thermal shock resistance
✅ Ideal for dishwashing areas and hot kitchens
✅ Faster cure times → minimises downtime
✅ Often used in high-end food production facilities
4️⃣ Antimicrobial Epoxy
✅ Contains antimicrobial agents → inhibit bacterial growth
✅ Popular in hospital kitchens, aged care, and HACCP-certified facilities
✅ Slightly higher cost but enhanced hygiene profile
Installation Process for Kitchen Epoxy Flooring
Timing is everything in kitchen renovations — many Sydney kitchens need floor upgrades done:
- Over Christmas shutdowns
- During 2–3 day closures
- Overnight in stages
Professional epoxy contractors work to these demands.
Typical process:
Day 1: Prep & Grinding
✅ Diamond grind old surface
✅ Remove coatings and contaminants
✅ Repair cracks and imperfections
✅ Prepare floor for strong mechanical bond
Day 2: Priming & Base Layer
✅ Apply epoxy primer → promotes adhesion and prevents bubbling
✅ Apply base epoxy layer or hybrid system
Day 3: Topcoat & Slip Finish
✅ Apply final topcoat
✅ Add slip-resistant broadcast or texture as specified
✅ Allow cure time per system:
- Light foot traffic: 24 hours
- Heavy traffic / equipment: 3–5 days
Project durations:
- Small kitchen (~50–100 m²): 2–3 days
- Medium kitchen (100–300 m²): 3–4 days
- Large kitchen / production facility: staged work over 5+ days
Costs of Commercial Kitchen Epoxy Flooring in Sydney (2025)
Ballpark pricing (site-specific quotes are always required):
| System | Approx. Cost per m² |
|---|---|
| High-Build Epoxy | $90–$130 |
| Quartz-Filled Epoxy | $110–$160 |
| Hybrid Polyurethane/Epoxy | $120–$180 |
| Antimicrobial Epoxy | $130–$200 |
👉 Factors influencing cost:
✅ Existing floor condition → prep is key
✅ Required slip resistance
✅ HACCP certification requirements
✅ Working hours (after-hours or staged work adds cost)
✅ Kitchen access and downtime constraints
Maintenance Tips for Kitchen Epoxy Floors
✅ Daily scrub with food-safe detergent and floor scrubber
✅ Weekly deep clean with hot water and approved degreaser
✅ Prompt repair of topcoat damage → prevents water ingress
✅ Maintain proper floor drainage → epoxy floors must drain well
✅ Train staff on correct cleaning techniques → avoid using harsh acids that can dull the surface
Choosing a Sydney Epoxy Contractor for Commercial Kitchens
Not all epoxy installers understand food industry demands. Look for:
✅ HACCP knowledge
✅ Experience with commercial kitchen flooring
✅ Willingness to advise on slip ratings (P3, P4, P5 as required)
✅ Ability to stage work around your kitchen operations
✅ Use of commercial-grade food-safe epoxy systems
✅ Real references from Sydney kitchens → not just warehouses
Final Thoughts
In Sydney’s fast-paced hospitality industry, downtime costs money — and compliance is non-negotiable. That’s why investing in a high-quality epoxy floor for your commercial kitchen is one of the smartest decisions you can make.
✅ It protects your staff and customers
✅ It keeps inspectors happy
✅ It reduces long-term cleaning and maintenance costs
✅ It helps your business stay open and running smoothly for many years to come.
If you’re planning a kitchen fitout or floor upgrade in 2025 → talk to a professional epoxy flooring contractor who specialises in food industry flooring.
👉 Ready to get started? → speak with our specialists from Epoxy Flooring Sydney.