Screed is usually laid in a full renovation, when the old floor has been removed down to the slab or when the floor level has to be changed by more than a thin pour can manage. The work costs from €6.50/m², and the price depends on the thickness of the layer.
What is yours and what belongs to the whole building
The Law on Residential Properties counts the floor finish as part of the apartment, but counts the floor slabs, together with their heat and sound insulation, as the common property of the building. Screed lies between these two parts, so before removing the old screed it is worth knowing where your part of the apartment ends.
In your own apartment, the owner may carry out construction work without the consent of other owners if the regulations are followed and the work does not affect common property or other apartments. If the work affects common property, the consent of the apartment owners' association is needed. If you doubt whether the work will affect the floor slab, ask the building manager before the work starts.
Law on Residential Properties, Section 3(2), Section 4(1) point 1, Section 11(1) and (3). Checked 11.11.2026.
Screed or self-levelling compound
Both jobs give a level base, but the thickness differs. For a self-levelling compound the manufacturer sets the layer limits; for example, Ceresit CN 76 allows layers from 4 to 50 mm. Screed is chosen when a thicker layer is needed, when the floor is raised throughout the apartment, or when pipes or heating elements must be laid under the finished floor.
The two jobs can be combined: screed first, then a thin pour if the surface is still not level enough. For more on the thin layer, see the page floor levelling in an apartment.
Laying a concrete floor: the order of work
- Removing the old floor The covering, the old screed or the plank floor is removed down to the floor slab. This is calculated as demolition work in an apartment.
- Height plan The finished floor level is set throughout the apartment, taking into account the thickness of the coverings, thresholds and doors.
- Layers under the screed If soundproofing or underfloor heating is planned, their layers are placed before the screed. For more, see the page soundproofing in an apartment.
- Movement joints In Ceresit's instructions for levelling compounds, areas indoors are up to 36 m², joints are also placed at room thresholds, and the joints of the base are repeated in the next layer.
- Laying the screed The mortar or concrete is laid to the set level and smoothed.
- Drying The covering is laid only when the screed moisture meets the covering manufacturer's requirements.
How long screed must dry before the floor covering
Screed dries for longer than a thin pour, and this determines when the covering can be laid. Manufacturers' data differ, so before the work check the instructions for the specific material and covering:
- Tiles: the manufacturer of Ceresit CM 17 tile adhesive requires the cement screed under tiles to be at least 28 days old and its moisture below 4%.
- Laminate: Quick-Step states that a new concrete floor dries for at least a week per centimetre up to 4 cm, and twice as long if thicker. Moisture must be below 2.5% (CM method), and below 1.5% with underfloor heating.
- Parquet and resilient coverings: Ceresit data for a cement base require moisture of up to 2.0%, and up to 1.8% with underfloor heating.
By Quick-Step's calculation, a 4 cm thick screed needs at least 4 weeks. How long a renovation takes depends on the amount of work and the drying time of the materials. More on this on the page drying times in renovation.
Manufacturers' data: Ceresit CM 17 and CN 76 technical data sheets, Quick-Step laminate installation instructions. Checked 11.11.2026.
What to decide before the screed
- Which coverings there will be in each room. Tiles with adhesive, laminate with underlay and parquet have different thicknesses, and the finished floor must be on one level.
- Whether there will be electric or water underfloor heating. Connecting a water system to the building's heating affects common property; see the page underfloor heating installation.
- Whether you will choose the materials yourself; write this in the request.
- When you need to move back in. Plan the screed drying time before the covering and the furniture.
The price of laying a concrete floor
Floor levelling, pour or screed: from €6.50/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. The price depends on the screed thickness, the area, the condition of the old floor and whether other layers are planned under the screed.
| Example | Calculation | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2-room apartment of 50 m², screed in all rooms | 50 m² × €6.50 | from €325 |
| Demolition of the old floor in the same apartment | 50 m² × €6 | from €300 |
Screed is usually part of a full renovation, where the price is from €280/m² of apartment area. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices are on the page renovation prices.
What is in the price
What this work includes
- Laying screed to the agreed floor level
- Work priced per m² of floor area
- The price rises with the thickness of the layer
What is calculated separately
- Cement, sand, mixes and other materials
- Demolition of the old floor
- Soundproofing and underfloor heating under the screed
- The floor covering
Sources
- Floor finishes are part of the apartment; floor slabs with insulation are common property; work without consent if it does not affect common property; association's consent checked 11 November 2026
- CM 17: screed at least 28 days old, moisture below 4% checked 11 November 2026
- CN 76: layers of 4–50 mm, moisture under coverings, expansion joints checked 11 November 2026
- Quick-Step: drying a week per cm up to 4 cm, moisture below 2.5% / 1.5% checked 11 November 2026
