How Long Does It Take to Replace a Commercial Kitchen Floor?
Replacing a commercial kitchen floor typically takes around five to seven working days for Panther’s commercial kitchen flooring system, followed by three days of curing before full use. Simpler jobs can sometimes be completed in three working days. The actual timeframe depends on the size of the kitchen, the existing floor and whether drainage improvements are required.
Equipment removal and reinstatement also need to be included in the shutdown. Before booking trades or setting a reopening date, allow for the complete process—from clearing the kitchen to reconnecting equipment and preparing for service.
Typical commercial kitchen flooring timeframes
The following are planning estimates for Panther’s polyurethane cement (PUC) commercial kitchen flooring system. They are subject to site assessment and the agreed scope.
| Project type | Typical installation allowance |
|---|---|
| Simpler replacement with limited removal and preparation | As little as three working days in some cases |
| Kitchen up to approximately 50 m², including screeding to falls where required | Approximately five to six working days |
| Kitchen around 100 m² with removal, preparation, falls, coving and flooring | Approximately seven working days |
We generally aim to complete smaller kitchen installations within five working days where the scope allows. If the existing falls are suitable and screeding is unnecessary, this can shorten installation by approximately one to two working days.
These estimates exclude equipment removal, the final curing period and equipment reinstatement. Panther normally works Monday to Friday, so working days and total calendar days need to be considered separately.
What happens during a kitchen floor replacement?
The work required depends on what is already there and what the finished kitchen needs to achieve. Typical stages include:
- Removing tiles or vinyl: usually around one day, although additional layers or difficult removal can extend this.
- Grinding and preparing the floor: usually around one day, with additional work where the substrate needs repair.
- Screeding to falls: approximately one to two days where drainage improvements are required.
- Installing coving: usually around one day, provided the walls are sound and ready.
- Installing the flooring system: approximately two to three days.
These are individual stage allowances, rather than a fixed programme to add together. The overall installation time depends on the amount of work involved in each stage and how it can be scheduled for the particular kitchen.
Does every kitchen need new falls to drains?
No. If the existing floor drains adequately and the falls are suitable, full screeding to falls may not be required.
Some kitchens need only localised improvements. Others need more extensive screeding to direct water towards the drains. The assessment should consider existing puddles, drain positions and heights, door clearances, and the levels around fixed equipment and adjoining areas.
Drain repairs or height adjustments need to be coordinated before the relevant flooring work begins. A damaged or incorrectly positioned drain can hold up the programme even when the flooring team is ready to proceed.
How long before the new floor can be used?
For Panther’s typical commercial kitchen flooring system, our planning allowances after the final coat are:
| Level of use | Typical curing allowance |
|---|---|
| Light foot traffic | After 24 hours |
| Full use | After three days |
Light foot traffic does not mean the kitchen is ready for heavy equipment movement, normal cooking or full cleaning. Equipment reinstatement should be scheduled for the appropriate return-to-service time confirmed for the project.
These allowances relate to Panther’s kitchen system. The installed specification and site conditions must be considered when confirming the handover programme.
Allow time to remove and reinstall equipment
As an initial planning allowance, set aside approximately one day to clear the kitchen before flooring begins and one day to reinstate equipment after the required curing period. Larger or more complicated kitchens may need longer.
The client or builder normally organises equipment removal, electrical and plumbing disconnections, reconnections, drain rectification and any wall repairs. Confirm access and trade availability before the shutdown starts.
Everything standing on the floor should be removed wherever possible. Check that larger equipment will fit through doorways and that there is somewhere suitable to store it. Equipment left in corridors can prevent flooring machinery and materials from reaching the kitchen.
Where equipment cannot be removed, we work around it. The floor beneath that equipment remains untreated.
Can the kitchen reopen for weekend trading?
Many operators want to preserve their busiest weekend services. Whether this is practical depends on the complete programme, including curing and equipment reinstatement.
A Monday start does not automatically mean the kitchen can reopen on Friday. For example, if the final coat is completed on Friday afternoon, the three-day curing allowance runs through to approximately Monday afternoon. Reinstatement and preparation for service must then be allowed for.
Some simpler jobs have shorter installation programmes, but the reopening date should be agreed after assessing the scope. Plan around the date the kitchen can actually operate, rather than the date the flooring application finishes.
What can delay a commercial kitchen flooring project?
Some delays can be prevented before work starts. Others only become apparent when the old floor is removed.
Site readiness issues include:
- Drains that still need repair or adjustment.
- Damaged walls that cannot provide a solid base for coving.
- Inadequate power or lighting.
- Equipment that has not been disconnected or removed.
- Restricted parking, steps, narrow hallways or blocked access routes.
Hidden conditions can include:
- Tiles beneath vinyl, or a second layer of vinyl.
- Wet or unsuitable existing screeds.
- Existing floor levellers requiring further assessment or removal.
- Concrete damage or joints needing additional treatment.
Where unexpected conditions require work outside the agreed scope, the repair approach and any effect on cost or timing need to be agreed before proceeding.
A real example: 58 m² kitchen completed in five working days
On one 58 m² kitchen replacement, removing the vinyl revealed tiles underneath that also needed to be removed.
The project included removal of both layers, coving, installation of the new flooring system and localised screeding to improve falls. It did not involve creating complete new falls to drains throughout the kitchen.
The installation was completed in five working days. That was the flooring work duration, rather than the complete shutdown including equipment handling and final curing.
This example shows why floor area alone cannot determine the programme. The existing layers, condition of the substrate and extent of drainage work all matter.
Can a kitchen floor be replaced in sections?
Some large kitchens can be staged, depending on their layout and whether working areas can be suitably separated. For most kitchens, Panther recommends completing the floor in one shutdown.
Staging is more likely to be worth considering for kitchens over approximately 300 m². Even then, dividing the work into two stages significantly increases flooring costs and requires careful planning. Floor area alone does not establish whether the kitchen can keep operating during the work.
How far ahead should you book?
Ideally, contact Panther at least eight weeks before your preferred shutdown. Availability fluctuates, and November and December are often our busiest months.
Early planning gives you time to arrange equipment handling, coordinate other trades and agree a realistic reopening date. Eight weeks is a recommended planning lead time, rather than a guarantee of availability.
Plan your kitchen floor replacement with Panther
If you are replacing a commercial kitchen floor in Perth or regional Western Australia, Panther can assess the existing floor, drainage requirements and operating conditions to recommend a suitable system and installation programme.
Send through your approximate floor area, photos and preferred shutdown dates to start the discussion. We can then identify what needs to be ready before work begins and help you plan the flooring work around a realistic return to service.
Contact Panther Protective Coatings to discuss your kitchen floor replacement.
For more information on system selection, read Is Epoxy Flooring Good for Commercial Kitchens?.
