Hello all,

I am new to Renotalk, and would like to seek your help on the following:

I am currently considering to do marble flooring for my living room (normal 4 room HDB). For owners that have done marble flooring, may I know how much did you pay for your flooring? And what is the price of the marble itself and the labour and etc?

I have two quotations which uses the exact same marble (and includes the skirting, dry-lay, sealant, polishing, labour, and other materials). Yet, there is a huge disparity in cost (up to $5k). One is over the 10k mark, and one is below 10k.

I am confused as to how there can be such disparity when almost all items that I know of, are already included in the cost. Hence, hope you can provide me with your estimated cost, so that I can make a better comparison.

Thanks in advance!

OhMyDog

i am doing real marble for my new flat only for living room. marble have 2 type, one is compressored marble, another one is real marble.

My real marble cost me at 8.5k, labour cost $2.5k & polishing $700. i also have dry lay for marble, the amount i forget how much i paid, have to check back the tax invoice. So basically total added up is ard 11k. is also depend on what range of marble you are choosing, mine is $14.00 per square marble tile. Compressor marble my ID quote me 5.8k, which is cheaper but is also depend which tiles you are choosing cos they are range from different price

OhMyDog

i am doing real marble for my new flat only for living room. marble have 2 type, one is compressored marble, another one is real marble.

My real marble cost me at 8.5k, labour cost $2.5k & polishing $700. i also have dry lay for marble, the amount i forget how much i paid, have to check back the tax invoice. So basically total added up is ard 11k. is also depend on what range of marble you are choosing, mine is $14.00 per square marble tile. Compressor marble my ID quote me 5.8k, which is cheaper but is also depend which tiles you are choosing cos they are range from different price

The indicative should be about $3 psf for labor (laying, polishing etc). The marble cost $ psf is based on the particular marble selected, as in tile cost.

For landed, there should be an added cost of water-proofing before the marble is laid, to avoid rising damp changing the marble's tone.

Cheers!

Hi everyone,

Thanks, and I really appreciate your replies!

We had selected a marble which we both like at around $16/sqft, and requested quotations from both contractors on this. Supplier is the same, as is most explicit stuff as mentioned in my post below.

Btw, is waterproofing of the marble expensive or required for HDB?

I've been doing a fair amount of shopping and I agree, the price discrepancy can be huge. For example, my quantity surveyor costed S$60psf for the flooring throughout my landed property, and my architect advised that this amount would only get me homogenous tiles. Their estimates for marble flooring runs to about S$100-200psf. And yet, marble flooring can be bought for less than S$20psf at some establishments.

The difference I have discovered, is in the size - the larger or thicker the slab, the more costly. And if you are particular about the patterns of each slab matching the next, expect to pay even more, as there will be more wastage just to match the natural grain. The cost of compressed and natural marble also differs, but by my experience, not by very much.

I am seriously contemplating if it's necessary to get high-end marble for my flooring. I have always believed that I can save on replaceable items like furniture, but best to invest in stuff like flooring, which cannot be changed without major inconvenience. However, I have lived 20 years in an apartment with normal, unmatching marble flooring, and barring a few stains which we neglected to treat earlier, the flooring looked great when I sold that apartment. So S$20psf marble works as well as S$100psf marble. Only difference is aesthetics.

My shopping continues and I don't have to make a decision until late this year. Would be glad to hear other opinions, or any leads for places with good deals on flooring - marble, granite and teak. :-)

Edited September 12, 201214 yr by citygirl

Hi everyone,

Thanks, and I really appreciate your replies!

We had selected a marble which we both like at around $16/sqft, and requested quotations from both contractors on this. Supplier is the same, as is most explicit stuff as mentioned in my post below.

Btw, is waterproofing of the marble expensive or required for HDB?

No, a coating of sealant should be sufficient, with the indicative cost of around $1-2 psf.

Cheers!

I've been doing a fair amount of shopping and I agree, the price discrepancy can be huge. For example, my quantity surveyor costed S$60psf for the flooring throughout my landed property, and my architect advised that this amount would only get me homogenous tiles. Their estimates for marble flooring runs to about S$100-200psf. And yet, marble flooring can be bought for less than S$20psf at some establishments.

The difference I have discovered, is in the size - the larger or thicker the slab, the more costly. And if you are particular about the patterns of each slab matching the next, expect to pay even more, as there will be more wastage just to match the natural grain. The cost of compressed and natural marble also differs, but by my experience, not by very much.

I am seriously contemplating if it's necessary to get high-end marble for my flooring. I have always believed that I can save on replaceable items like furniture, but best to invest in stuff like flooring, which cannot be changed without major inconvenience. However, I have lived 20 years in an apartment with normal, unmatching marble flooring, and barring a few stains which we neglected to treat earlier, the flooring looked great when I sold that apartment. So S$20psf marble works as well as S$100psf marble. Only difference is aesthetics.

My shopping continues and I don't have to make a decision until late this year. Would be glad to hear other opinions, or any leads for places with good deals on flooring - marble, granite and teak. :-)

The pricings that you mentioned seems questionable to me. Normally in the construction contract, an area's flooring should be itemized like "Living Room marble flooring at $x psf", "Kitchen homogeneous tile at $y psf"? For example, if the marble flooring is contracted for $20 psf, but the marble that I picked is $25 psf then the VO becomes +$5 psf.

In my view, the flooring part of a house construction, the type and the design of it, should be consulted with an ID rather than the architect.

For marble flooring, sometime the interior design of an area calls for a certain color, grains etc for it to work. Once the ID narrows the choices, only then pricing comes into the equation. And other than those that you mentioned, the pricing of marble has a lot to do with its origin country.

Hope that it helps.

Cheers!

Anyone considered the homo tiles that looks like marble?

I like the white homo tiles with blackish streaks that looks almost like marbles. So if I do that I get marble look tiles w/o the maintenance chores of marbles.

Thats very true. The homo lookalikes doesnt look real. Somehow the homo tiles that look like white volakas are disappointing, unless you go for those Italian made.

in terms of marble grading, i would suppose quite standard. either in turky,greece,china,india ec...

but if its the size of course the bigger thus will cost more as well. Slab cut and pre-cut.

your 2 quotation diff reason explain. 1st seller is in a retail line with showroom and worker the other is direct import and sell to direct buyer. therefore the 1st seller overhead is high thus sell ex.

as for labour it depends on the tiler of how he would like to charge you.

pls let us know your marble price in psf$$

mine i just did my living with pre-cut white volakas 60x60 @ $10.00psf with dry lay n sealent dealing with direct seller. if were quoted by retail shop i estimate would be 20psf.

as for labour i got $3.00psf inclusive of polishing and grinding.

Hi Lucius, can you share/PM the contact for the direct seller of your white volakas?

Edited September 10, 201313 yr by looneygas

in terms of marble grading, i would suppose quite standard. either in turky,greece,china,india ec...

but if its the size of course the bigger thus will cost more as well. Slab cut and pre-cut.

your 2 quotation diff reason explain. 1st seller is in a retail line with showroom and worker the other is direct import and sell to direct buyer. therefore the 1st seller overhead is high thus sell ex.

as for labour it depends on the tiler of how he would like to charge you.

pls let us know your marble price in psf$$

mine i just did my living with pre-cut white volakas 60x60 @ $10.00psf with dry lay n sealent dealing with direct seller. if were quoted by retail shop i estimate would be 20psf.

as for labour i got $3.00psf inclusive of polishing and grinding.

Hi Lucius,

Do u mind if u share with me where did u purchase it?

Tks in advance.

Cheers

Can share direct company contact..is it hafary or mondo

i did but eventually i chose marble more natural for the look and feel homo looks too fake when close up. eg. branded goods in terms of geniune and replica.

white volakas is my choice.

my living room marble.

Hi, can you share with me the white volakas marble direct seller contact? Which company and contact number? I am considering installing for my resale house but I found market marble quite expensive.

Pls help me. my email is iberisattic@yahoo.com.sg Thanks

hi, could you share the marble direct seller contact to me too?

my email: stuaizz@gmail.com

thank you

Hi,

The labour u got at $3.00 psf inclusive of polishing and grinding also include the sand and white cement and labour work for inlaying the marble tiles on the floor?

thanks for the information.