Rates are UK national (non-London): central London and constrained urban sites typically run dearer — adjust the labour, plant and access lines in the build-up accordingly.
Liquid anhydrite screed (50mm)
per m² · supply & lay
£13 – £27 / m²
What is it
The supply and laying of a 50 mm nominal pumped calcium-sulphate (anhydrite) liquid flowing floor screed, delivered ready-mixed and pumped to place, laid unbonded/floating over a prepared base to receive a floor finish, priced per m² of floor. A liquid screed is the self-levelling levelling topping between the structural base and the floor finish — the fast, pumped alternative to a traditional sand:cement screed. The rate carries two operations:
Pumped to place — a ready-mixed calcium-sulphate liquid screed delivered by truck and pumped to a nominal 50 mm over the prepared base, on a perimeter edge-foam strip and separating membrane.
Dappled & levelled — worked with a dapple bar to release air and self-levelled to a flat surface ready to receive the floor finish; unbonded/floating on a normal ground-floor base.
Rate range by screed depth
40 mm£13 – £16 / m²
50 mm£15 – £19 / m²
75 mm£21 – £27 / m²
Budget rate per m².
3 key cost drivers
Screed depth
A deeper screed uses proportionally more liquid screed per m²; 50 mm nominal is the standard floating depth over insulation or under-floor heating. Depth is the main lever on the material cost, the larger part of this rate.
Area & access
Large open pours with easy pump access lay fastest; small cut-up rooms or restricted access (pump-hose extensions, more pipe moves) slow the gang and lift the labour per m². It is a key driver of laying output.
Location
London and the South East typically add around 20% to labour.
Estimator
Budget rate generator
£15 – £19 / m²
Covers the supplied & pumped liquid screed, edge-foam & separating membrane, the laying gang and O&P · excl. the structural base, DPM, insulation, prelims & VAT
Exclusions
Lifting & material distribution — telehandler / forklift, hoist and site-distribution labour (an attendance, in main-contractor prelims)
The structural base / slab beneath, DPM / radon barrier & floor insulation
Under-floor-heating pipes, force-drying, the pre-tiling laitance sand & the floor finish
Scaffold supply (usually in preliminaries)
Preliminaries — main-contractor site set-up, management & welfare