How Much Does Terrazzo Flooring Cost?

When you are considering installing a Mediterranean style of flooring, learning more about the way terrazzo flooring works is a good starting point. Terrazzo, which is Italian for terrace, uses scattered aggregate fragments embedded in cement, creating a flair that's difficult to duplicate with other materials. The closest equivalent to modern terrazzo flooring initially appeared in Italy in the 15th century. Unfortunately, the price for creating terrazzo flooring doesn't quite have the same cost structure it had several centuries ago. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1,800 to $7,000 for an installation of about 200 square feet, while the average cost is $4,400.

The aggregate fragments in use with your installation will affect the price that you'll pay. Marble typically is the most expensive type of aggregate to mix with cement. You could save a bit of money by using glass or recycled materials as the aggregate, though. Determining whether you want to do a DIY installation or hire a contractor is another factor in the cost. The cost of labor alone for terrazzo flooring when you hire a contractor typically ranges from $5 to $20 per square foot of coverage.

You also should consider the potential cost of caring for terrazzo flooring and restoring it when considering the overall price for this option. A typical installation can last almost a decade before it needs restoration, which can carry a price of $3 to $8 per square foot.

If you are looking to save some money on your terrazzo flooring installation, you will want to select pre-made tiles instead of on-site poured cement. Terrazzo flooring tiles are still quite a bit more expensive than some types of ceramic tiles, but you do have the option of doing a DIY installation when you select them, which can save you a bit of money on the installation process. Trying to do the installation yourself is incredibly difficult if you use poured terrazzo flooring.

When purchasing terrazzo flooring tiles, expect to pay anywhere from $4 to $12 per square foot for the materials. If you hire a professional to do the layout, you can expect to pay about $5 to $10 per square foot in labor costs, yielding an average cost of about $15 per square foot for the entire tiling job. 

One disadvantage of selecting tiling instead of a poured solution is that you lose some control over the color, material, and design options. Tiles will have a certain pattern in terms of the aggregate and colors, while you can create the pattern and design as you pour the cement. The tiles are almost as durable as the poured option, which means you will receive a long-lasting style of flooring that won't need replacing any time soon. They work especially well in high-traffic areas, lasting far longer than other flooring that people frequently use, like carpeting.

If you prefer to pour your terrazzo flooring, this option will cost a bit more than tiles for the materials and labor involved. Expect to pay between $5 and $15 per square foot for materials when choosing the pouring method. You could pay between $10 and $20 per square foot for the labor costs, resulting in an average cost of about $25 per square foot for the total job. Because you almost certainly cannot pour your own terrazzo flooring, there aren't a lot of DIY opportunities to save money with this method.

One advantage of choosing poured terrazzo flooring is that you can select some higher-end materials to use versus what's normally available in tiles. For example, you could use a rarer type of aggregate or deploy base materials that limit the chance of the floor cracking in the future. Of course, by selecting these materials, the cost could be even higher. Should you want to create a highly complex design in the terrazzo flooring, this is possible when using the poured method, but it probably will drive up the overall cost significantly. Ultimately, depending on the add-ons in terms of materials and designs, the cost of your poured terrazzo flooring could be as high as $80 per square foot, including materials and labor. You also may find that the price for installation in your region is significantly higher than in another region because of supply and demand.