How to Choose an Epoxy Flooring Contractor in San Antonio (And Avoid the Bad Ones)

The San Antonio Epoxy Market Has a Quality Problem

Search for epoxy flooring in San Antonio and you'll find dozens of contractors promising lifetime floors for $1,500 installed. Some of them will deliver. Many won't. The difference almost always comes down to surface preparation - and surface prep is the one thing you can't see after the coating goes down. By the time a poorly prepped floor starts peeling in the heat of a Texas July, the contractor is long gone and the warranty they promised isn't worth the paper it was printed on.

This guide gives you a practical framework for vetting any epoxy contractor in San Antonio before you sign anything.

Five Red Flags That Should End the Conversation

1. Acid Etching Is the Only Prep Method Offered

Acid etching - pouring diluted muriatic acid on concrete to open the pores - was once the standard. It isn't anymore. Acid etching doesn't remove oil contamination, doesn't address moisture migration, and produces an inconsistent surface profile. The industry benchmark is diamond grinding with a CSP 2–3 (Concrete Surface Profile) using professional grinders. If a contractor says they'll etch your slab, ask why they're not grinding. The answer will tell you a lot.

2. No Moisture Test Before Quoting

San Antonio sits on expansive clay soil with a high water table in many neighborhoods. Moisture vapor drives through slabs year-round - especially in summer when the surface is hot and the soil below is relatively cooler. If a contractor walks in, looks at your floor for two minutes, and hands you a price without testing moisture levels (using ASTM F2170 in-situ probes or at minimum calcium chloride tests), they are skipping the most critical diagnostic step. Coating over a high-vapor slab guarantees delamination.

3. No Written Warranty

Verbal warranties are unenforceable. A real epoxy warranty specifies what's covered (delamination, peeling, topcoat failure), what's excluded (physical impact damage, chemical spills left sitting), the duration (typically 2–5 years for residential, longer for commercial), and how to make a claim. If a contractor can't hand you a written warranty document before installation begins, walk away.

4. Quote-to-Install in Under 24 Hours

A proper site visit includes visual inspection, moisture testing, surface profile assessment, and measurement. That takes time. A contractor who calls you the same evening with a final price - or who wants to start tomorrow - hasn't done the diagnostic work. Fast turnaround sounds convenient; it usually means they skipped the steps that protect you.

5. No Local Portfolio

Generic before/after photos from a manufacturer's website don't tell you anything about local execution. Ask for photos of completed jobs in the San Antonio area - ideally with neighborhood names or client types (residential garage, commercial kitchen, etc.). If a contractor can't show you at least 10–15 local completed projects, they either don't have the track record here or they don't take photos of their work (also not a good sign).

7 Questions to Ask Any Epoxy Contractor Before Hiring

1. What surface preparation method do you use, and what CSP profile will you achieve? - Diamond grinding to CSP 2–3 is the correct answer for most systems.
2. Do you perform moisture testing before every installation? - Yes, using ASTM F2170 or calcium chloride is the right answer.
3. What is the total mil thickness of the system you're installing? - A residential chip system should run 20+ mils total. Less than 15 mils is undersized for Texas traffic and heat.
4. What topcoat product do you use, and is it UV-stable? - Polyaspartic or aliphatic urethane topcoats are UV-stable. Standard epoxy topcoats yellow and chalk outdoors and in south-facing garages.
5. Do you use your own crew or subcontractors? - In-house crews mean consistent quality control. Subcontractors vary.
6. Can you provide a written, itemized quote with product data sheets? - If a contractor refuses to name the products they're installing, that's a red flag.
7. What does your written warranty cover and for how long? - Get the warranty document before signing any contract.

What a Proper Quote Document Should Include

A legitimate epoxy flooring quote is not a single dollar amount on a piece of paper. It should itemize: the scope of work (square footage, areas included and excluded), the surface preparation method and expected surface profile, moisture testing protocol, primer coat product and mil thickness, base coat product and mil thickness, decorative layer if applicable (chip type and coverage rate), topcoat product name and mil thickness, estimated cure time before foot and vehicle traffic, warranty terms, and total price with payment schedule. If any of those elements are missing, you're not comparing quotes - you're comparing guesses.

The Diamond Grinding Requirement

It deserves its own section because it's that important. Diamond grinding opens the concrete surface mechanically, removes surface contaminants, and creates a consistent profile for the epoxy to bond to. It requires professional-grade equipment (planetary grinders with dust extraction) and experienced operators. It takes longer than acid etching and costs more. It's also why professionally ground floors last 15–20 years and acid-etched floors often peel within two to three Texas summers. Ask your contractor to show you their grinding equipment before the job starts.

Why ProEpoxy Uses Only Its Own Crew

We made the decision early on not to subcontract installations. Every ProEpoxy installation in the San Antonio metro is completed by our own trained, W-2 employees who follow our prep standards on every job. That matters for quality consistency - but it also matters for accountability. When our crew installs your floor, we know exactly what was done and can stand behind it with a written warranty that's actually meaningful.

Verifying Insurance and Licensing in Texas

Texas does not require a specific license for epoxy flooring contractors, but a legitimate contractor should carry general liability insurance (minimum $1 million per occurrence is standard) and workers' compensation coverage. Ask for certificates of insurance naming your property as an additional insured before work begins. You can verify a company's workers' comp coverage through the Texas Department of Insurance at tdi.texas.gov. If a contractor can't provide insurance certificates, any damage to your property or injury on your site becomes your liability problem.

What a Warranty Should Cover

A meaningful epoxy flooring warranty covers delamination (the coating separating from the concrete), peeling or flaking of the topcoat under normal use, and significant color change beyond normal UV fade. It should specify a minimum duration - two years is a baseline; five years is better for residential systems; some commercial systems carry longer coverage. It should also specify the claims process: who to contact, what documentation is needed, and what remedy is provided (repair, recoat, or replacement). If the warranty language is vague on any of those points, it won't protect you when you need it to.