The average cost to rent a floor sander is $55, but it can cost between $25 and $70, depending on the type of sander and rental length.
It’s been nagging at you for a while: your once boldly shimmering hardwood floors are looking dull and worn, crying out to be refinished. You may be itching to flex your DIY muscles, but buying a floor sander is expensive, with the lowest-priced machines starting at $2,500—a steep cost for a piece of equipment you’re likely only to use on rare occasions.
What about a rental? We’ll break down the average costs, so you can make your decision and be on your way back to the elegant and polished hardwood you fell in love with.
Whether you’re renting an orbital sander or a drum sander, the average cost is $55 per day or between $160 and $268 per week.
The cost of floor sander rental varies by the type of machine and the length of the rental. Most big box stores and equipment dealers offer rentals in increments of four hours, or daily, weekly, and monthly rates.
To refinish the majority of your flooring, you’ll be using one large sander. For home use, you’ll have a choice between four different types of machines:
Built with a rotating cylinder outfitted with sandpaper, drum sanders are the most powerful machines available for home use. About the size of a small lawnmower, drum sanders are operated with a push-pull handle. Drum sanders are the most efficient choice—allowing you to finish the job quicker and with less physical effort than an orbital sander, but they pose the greatest risk of damaging your floors if operated incorrectly. Most home rental models are equipped with an 8-inch drum, though some rental outlets also offer 12-inch models. Drum sanders are very heavy—so you will either need to find a rental company that delivers or bring along a friend to help you carry it and load it in and out of the car.
Rather than a rotating drum, an orbital sander has sandpaper attached to a circular or square pad that turns in a circular pattern. Much less powerful than a drum sander, professionals typically use orbital sanders for finishing. But because errors are less likely to result in damage using these lighter-weight machines, DIYers sometimes choose them for the main job. Some homeowners find that refinishing a floor with an orbital sander demands far too much time and effort to be worth hedging the risk to bump up to a higher sanding power with a different machine. An orbital sander will require more sandpaper than a drum sander to do the same job—but it offers benefits like giving you greater access to edges and corners, and one person can transport them.
The only difference between an orbital sander and a random orbital sander is that the sand pad of the latter operates in a pattern using back-and-forth movements as well as circular ones. This gives them a little more power than a standard orbital sander (better suited for DIY refinishing)—and makes them less likely to create a circular pattern on the floor.
As the name suggests, vibrating sanders work your floors with a vibrating pad instead of one moving in an orbital pattern or a rotating drum. Like orbital sanders, they are used primarily for finishing rather than a full sanding job—but they might be your best bet if your flooring has variable patterns, like parquet. Moving smoothly along the floor, they are perhaps the easiest type of sander to use and less likely to create unintentional damage.
All four types of larger floor sanders have rental rates within a similar range. Many rental businesses charge slightly more or less for different machines, so expect costs for an orbital sander rental to fall at the lower end, while drum sanders will be at the highest.
| Rental Period | Cost |
|---|---|
| 4-Hour rental | $30–$48 |
| Per day | $40–$69 |
| Per week | $160–$268 |
| Per month | $415–$828 |
While you can use a drum sander to cover about 90% of your floor, you will need to rent a smaller machine to sand the edges close to baseboards, doorways, and corners—and for tight spots and hard-to-reach places. Edger sanders are handheld and employ orbiting sander pads. However, just because they’re smaller, doesn’t mean they don’t pose risks to your flooring if used improperly. Edging sanders for home use generally feature a 7-inch pad. In addition to edgers, you can also find specialized extension edgers that can reach underneath larger permanent fixtures like heaters and radiators.
The same outlets that will rent you a large sander will also carry a range of this auxiliary equipment, at prices a little lower than they charge for the big sanders.
| Rental Period | Cost |
|---|---|
| 4-hour rental | $25–$48 |
| Per day | $40–$69 |
| Per week | $104–$276 |
| Per month | $276–$828 |
If you’re planning to do the refinishing work, sanding your hardwood floors is just the first part of the job. In addition to the floor sander rental, expect to buy:
| Material | Cost |
|---|---|
| Stain | $27–$40 per gallon |
| Varnish | $165–$360 |
| Belt sander and other sanding materials | $140 |
| Drum sander | $55 per day |
| Tools and painting equipment | $125 |
| Cleaning and safety tools | $150 |
| Sandpaper | $3–$12 |
| Extension cords | $25–$70 |
| Safety goggles | $25 |
| Respirator | $20 |
| Vacuum | $70 |
| Dust bags | $30 |
| Heavy-duty trash bags | $20–$30 |
With the sander rental just one portion of the full cost, expect to pay between $500 and $1,000 to completely refinish your floors by yourself. This represents significant savings compared to hiring local floor refinishers, who charge between $3 to $8 per square foot—with average total costs falling between $1,075 and $2,492 and or as high as $4,000 for a large or complex job.
Sanding and refinishing hardwood floors is a highly involved and delicate project, and it’s easy to make mistakes like gouging. If this happens, you could end up paying two to three times the cost of a professional refinishing job to replace the damaged flooring. If, however, you have experience with similar types of sanding and finishing work and are confident in your skills (or if your floor is in pretty good shape and only requires an orbital or vibrating sander), the DIY job can save you a significant amount of money.
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In addition to local hardware stores, many big-box chains and national equipment rental companies carry floor sanders for rent. Additionally, U-Sand, manufacturers of a random orbital floor sander, operate a rental program in partnership with a number of different regional chains and local outlets. Make sure to thoroughly compare the prices at all the stores nearest you—while the costs average out to a similar range across dealerships, some of them offer significantly better rates for long-term rentals than others.
Many factors impact how long it takes to sand a floor with a sander, including the size of the room and the condition of the floors. A large room with floors in rough condition may take all day for sanding, while other floors may only take a few hours.
Sand your floors if they’ve seen a lot of wear and tear, the finish is worn out, or you’ve experienced water damage. Lastly, you may prefer sanding your floors simply because you want a new look for your room.
Yes, cleaning your floors before you sand them is essential, and you must allow plenty of time to ensure it’s done correctly. Sweep and vacuum to clean the floors as much as possible because added dirt and debris can interfere with the sanding process.
