If you’re renovating a Brisbane home with timber floors, when in the project does the floor sanding happen? Get the sequence wrong and you’ll redo work, scratch fresh polyurethane, or stretch the project an extra week. Get it right and your floors look pristine on completion day. This is the trade-tested sequencing guide from Brisbane’s third-generation floor specialists — get a free written quote from our Brisbane team for any renovation timeline.
The basic rule: floor sanding happens LAST
Almost without exception, the trades sequence for a Brisbane renovation involving timber floors should run:
- Demolition
- Structural work (extensions, walls, doorways)
- Plumbing and electrical rough-in
- Insulation, plasterboard, cornices
- Tiling (wet areas)
- Cabinetry install (kitchen, bathrooms, laundry)
- Painting (ceiling, walls, trim) — second coat OK
- Plumbing and electrical fit-off
- Floor sanding and refinishing
- Final clean
- Furniture and decor in
Floor sanding sits at step 9. Everything that creates dust, moisture, or scratching risk happens before. The only thing after is the final clean and styling.
Why floor sanding goes last
Three big reasons:
- Other trades scratch fresh finish — kitchen install, painting touchups, plumber’s gear; anything dropped or dragged damages new polyurethane
- Sanding creates dust that paint hasn’t sealed yet — sand-dust on freshly-painted walls is a known problem; sequence sanding before paint and you’ll have grit in your wall finish
- Polyurethane curing schedule needs a quiet site — every trade walking through during the 5-day cure damages the finish; an empty post-build house cures cleanly
The exception: when sanding happens earlier
Sometimes you sand mid-project for specific reasons:
If existing timber needs to extend into a renovated area
e.g. you’re knocking down a wall between the kitchen and living room. The existing floor needs to be sanded to match the new timber installed in the kitchen area. This usually means sanding once everything is built but BEFORE the final cabinetry — so the cabinetry sits on already-sanded floor.
If the floor is being replaced entirely with new timber
New timber installation usually happens before painting and final fit-off. Sanding the new install happens within the install workflow, not as a separate step at the end.
For heritage character homes where sanding is the feature
Sometimes the floor is the star of the show and gets done early to set the visual tone for material selection (paint colour, cabinet finishes, etc.). The trade-off: you wrap and protect the freshly sanded floor through the rest of the trades, which is doable but expensive.
Quoting tip: get the floor sanding quote in week 1 of your renovation
Most Brisbane renovation projects book floor sanders too late, then either compress the sanding timeline (poor finish) or extend the project (cost overrun).
Best practice:
- Week 1 of the project: book a floor sanding quote and provisional date 6-10 weeks out
- Week 4: confirm the date once the project sequence is clearer
- Week 6: firm up the date with all other trades’ completion dates locked
This gives you priority booking, accurate scheduling, and a partner who’s been in the loop the whole time.
Coordinating floor sanding with kitchen installs
The most common renovation question: do you sand under kitchen cabinets?
Generally no — sanding under installed cabinets is impossible. Two scenarios:
- Existing floor extending into new kitchen area: sand BEFORE cabinet install. The cabinets sit on the sanded-and-finished floor. Risk: cabinet installers can mark the finish. Solution: protective film during install, then a screen-and-recoat after installation if any marks appear.
- New floor going under cabinets: install timber, sand, finish, then install cabinets on top. The cabinet footprint is hidden so finish quality there matters less. The visible floor in front of the cabinet line takes the focus.
Working with painters
The other trade that needs careful sequencing alongside floor sanding:
- Paint walls and ceilings FIRST (all coats) before sanding starts
- Skirting board paint: first coat before sanding, second/final coat after sanding. Sand-dust on the first coat is fine; sanding alongside fresh paint causes dust contamination
- Touchup work: after sanding is done and finish is cured (7+ days), painters can return for touch-ups without affecting the floor
Working with electricians and plumbers
Final fit-off (powerpoint covers, taps, light fittings, switches) can happen alongside or after floor sanding, depending on access:
- Powerpoints and switches: typically before floor sanding so we have free access to power. The covers and faceplates can wait.
- Taps and fittings: after floor sanding finish has cured (5+ days) so plumbers aren’t standing on fresh poly.
- Light fittings: generally before (so electricians have ladder access to all rooms) but can happen after.
Common renovation sequencing mistakes
- Booking the floor sander 2 weeks before completion — too tight; everything has to go perfectly, and renovations never do
- Sanding before painting — the dust gets into wet paint and shows forever
- Letting trades walk through fresh finish — pads under feet, no shoe on uncured polyurethane
- Forgetting that finish cure takes 5-7 days for furniture; project end date needs to account for this
- Not telling the floor sander about other trades’ timing — leads to surprises on day of sanding when the painter is still there
Brisbane suburbs where we do the most renovation work
Character suburbs running large 3-6 month renovations:
- Paddington, Bardon, Wilston — Queenslander renovations
- Bulimba, Hawthorne, Norman Park — character + extensions
- Clayfield, Auchenflower — heritage renos
Frequently asked questions
When should I book a floor sander for my Brisbane renovation?
Week 1 of your project. Get the quote and provisional date locked early. Confirm 4 weeks out, firm up 2 weeks out.
Can the floor be sanded while other trades are still on site?
Generally no. Sanding needs the site empty for clean dust extraction; finish cure needs trades off the floor. Trade-overlap creates poor outcomes.
Do you coordinate with builders directly?
Yes — we work with most Brisbane builders on renovation projects, including coordinating timelines, access, and the final-trades dance. We can be the floor specialist on a builder’s regular trade list.
Can you sand new timber installation as part of the install?
Yes — new timber installs include the sand-and-finish step. If your builder is installing new boards, we typically come in after install to sand and finish to ATFA specification.
What’s the cost difference between renovation floor sanding and standalone?
Same per-m² rate — read our cost guide for ranges. Renovations sometimes attract a small coordination surcharge if we’re working closely with other trades’ schedules. Always itemised in the written quote.
About the author: Max Francis is a third-generation timber flooring specialist with 25+ years’ experience, ATFA Member #98 and QBCC Licence #64691. He founded Quality Floors Brisbane in 2000 and works with his son Kyle to restore Brisbane’s timber floors using the latest dust-controlled sanding equipment. Read more about our team and credentials.