Screed cost per m² in Belgium (2026): sand-cement, liquid, insulating and drying time
Short answer: In 2026, KlusConnect puts sand-cement screed at €15–30 per m² and liquid screed (cement or anhydrite) at €20–40, excluding VAT; for insulating screed, KlusConnect gives €25–40 and Prijs-chape.be €30–50. Sand-cement dries at roughly 1 week per cm up to 5 cm. Before parquet, residual moisture is measured (at most 2% according to Vloerman).
Prices in this article are indicative Belgian market ranges, not Alpha Services Benelux's price list. Your fixed price is in the quote.
How much does screed cost per m² in Belgium in 2026?
Excluding VAT, KlusConnect quotes €15–30/m² for sand-cement, €20–40/m² for liquid and €25–40/m² for insulating screed; Prijs-chape.be arrives at €30–50/m² for insulating screed. The price depends on thickness, floor area and finish level.
| Type | KlusConnect | Prijs-chape.be |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional sand-cement screed | €15–30 (±8 cm) | €15–22 (6–8 cm) |
| Liquid screed (cement or anhydrite) | €20–40 | €20–30 (anhydrite, 4–6 cm) |
| Insulating screed | €25–40 | €30–50 (with PIR insulation) |
KlusConnect explicitly states installation for sand-cement and liquid screed; for insulating screed, check whether installation is included in the price.
Other guides use a different price basis. The gap therefore comes mostly from what the price includes (VAT, installation), not from where the guide is based:
| Type | Incl. VAT, supplied and installed (TafSquare) | VAT basis not stated (ChapeWijzer, private clients) | VAT and installation basis not stated (Chape-expert.be) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional | €30–45 | €18–28 | €12–15 |
| Liquid / anhydrite | €35–55 | €22–30 | €12–15 |
| Insulating | €40–60 | €30–55 | €18–25 |
For every price, ask whether VAT, installation, pump and perimeter insulation are included before you compare figures.
What drives the price of screed?
Thickness, floor area, screed type and site access weigh the most. Several items are often billed on top.
- Floor area: according to David E. Chape, about €20–25/m² for 150 m² versus about €30/m² for 50–70 m². KlusConnect notes that many screed installers only take jobs from about 50 m².
- Thickness: ChapeWijzer adds roughly €2–4/m² per extra cm above 60 mm.
- Small jobs: Prijs-chape.be mentions a start-up fee of €350–600; TafSquare adds 20–30% below 20 m².
- Underfloor heating: TafSquare quotes €5–10/m² extra.
- Access: €3–6/m² extra for difficult access, €5–10/m² for upper floors without a lift (TafSquare).
| Item | Indicative range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pump delivery | €150–300 | ChapeWijzer |
| Perimeter insulation | €1–3 per m² | ChapeWijzer |
| Drying accelerator (20 days) | €2.50–4 per m² | Prijs-chape.be |
| Drying accelerator (10–15 days) | €4.50–7 per m² | Prijs-chape.be |
| Removing old screed | €10–30 per m² | TafSquare |
| Skip for rubble | €250–500 | TafSquare |
Perimeter strips, sanding the laitance, moisture measurement and rubble removal are, according to David E. Chape, often handled separately or overlooked on quotes.
How long must screed dry before tiles or parquet?
As a rule of thumb, sand-cement screed dries about 1 week per cm up to 5 cm and longer above that; some guides say anhydrite dries faster (2–4 weeks), but Vloerman does not (≥5 weeks at 5 cm); a moisture measurement decides. Before tiles or parquet, what counts is the measured residual moisture, not the number of days.
| Type | Drying time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sand-cement 4–5 cm | 4–5 weeks (6 cm: 7 weeks; 8 cm: 11 weeks) | Vloerman |
| Sand-cement 5 cm / 6–8 cm | 4–6 weeks / 6–8 weeks | TafSquare / Prijs-chape.be |
| Anhydrite | from 2–3 weeks (TafSquare) and 3–4 weeks (Prijs-chape.be, 4–6 cm) to at least 5 weeks at 5 cm (Vloerman) | three guides |
| Liquid screed | 4–12 weeks in total; walkable after about 48 hours | Vloerman |
| Fast-drying screed (≤6 cm) | 2–4 up to 14–16 days depending on the additive; TafSquare says 3–7 days | Vloerman / TafSquare |
| Floor covering | Maximum residual moisture |
|---|---|
| Tiles | ≤ 3% |
| Parquet | ≤ 2% |
| PVC and laminate | ≤ 2% |
| Anhydrite screed itself | ≤ 0.5% |
TafSquare adds 1–2 weeks in a cold or damp home. Have a professional carry out the moisture test and follow the requirements of the floor-covering supplier. For underfloor heating, Vloerman gives a wait before first heating of 21–28 days (cement) or 14–21 days (anhydrite); see also our guide to underfloor heating cost per m².
Which type of screed suits which situation?
Sand-cement has the lowest indicative range per m², liquid screed suits large areas and underfloor heating, and insulating screed combines insulation and floor build-up.
- Sand-cement: the type with the lowest range in the tables, but the longest drying time in thicker layers.
- Liquid (cement or anhydrite): thinner (4–6 cm) and quicker to dry according to Prijs-chape.be; anhydrite usually needs sanding.
- Insulating: higher price and a thicker floor build-up (12–16 cm with PIR according to Prijs-chape.be), so check the available height.
- Fast-drying: useful for tight schedules; Chape-expert.be quotes a 30% to 90% surcharge depending on the drying time wanted.
Planning tiles or parquet on top? See the cost of wood, vinyl and laminate flooring per m² and our interior renovation page.
VAT on screed: 6% or 21%?
6% VAT applies to screed work in a home at least 10 years old (first occupation) that is mainly used privately, when the contractor supplies and installs the materials; otherwise it is 21%. Test-Aankoop (February 2026) lists these conditions: on €10,000 excluding VAT, that is €600 VAT versus €2,100 at 21%.
- If you buy the materials yourself, they stay at 21%.
- The reduced rate falls away if materials are delivered without installation.
Screed on its own is not a standard premium item; check the official regional portals (vlaanderen.be/mijn-verbouwpremie, wallonie.be and, for Brussels, Homegrade) for what applies to your project.
Comparing quotes without surprises
Only compare quotes that cover the same thickness, type and included items. This way a low price per m² is not topped up with extras afterwards.
- Ask for the price per m² at a stated thickness; a price per m³ or per bag says little about the final amount.
- Check whether VAT (6% or 21%), pump, perimeter insulation, substrate preparation and rubble removal are included.
- Have it written down when residual moisture will be measured, and by whom, before the floor covering.
- For underfloor heating, ask about the screed type and the wait before first heating.
- Insist on a written quote stating area, thickness and drying time.
Alpha Services Benelux (active since 2014) works as a contractor with its own team and gives a fixed written quote after a site visit. The prices above are market ranges, not a price list from Alpha Services Benelux. Planning a renovation? See our renovation page.
Fixed quote after a site visit
Alpha Services Benelux does the work with its own team, active since 2014. VAT BE 0541.320.178.
Request a quoteFrequently asked questions
How much does installed screed cost per m² in Belgium?
According to KlusConnect, excluding VAT: sand-cement €15–30/m², liquid €20–40/m² and insulating €25–40/m². Prijs-chape.be gives €30–50/m² for insulating screed with PIR insulation. With 6% VAT, add 6%. The final price depends on thickness, area and what the quote includes.
How much does screed cost per m³?
Installed screed is quoted per m² at a stated thickness, not per m³. Convert yourself: 1 m² at 6 cm is 0.06 m³. Always ask for the m² price with thickness, pump, perimeter insulation and VAT stated.
How long must screed dry before laying tiles?
Guides give roughly 1 week per cm for sand-cement up to 5 cm, so 4–5 weeks for 4–5 cm. Vloerman sets maximum residual moisture at 3% for tiles. Have a professional measure the moisture before the tiles go down.
When can I lay parquet on new screed?
Only when the measured residual moisture is below the limit: according to Vloerman, at most 2% for parquet and 0.5% for anhydrite screed. Without a measurement the parquet may be damaged. Expect from a few weeks to over 10 weeks depending on type and thickness.
Is liquid screed more expensive than sand-cement?
Usually yes: €20–40/m² versus €15–30/m² excluding VAT according to KlusConnect. Liquid screed is thinner and flatter, but anhydrite often needs sanding. Sand-cement costs less but dries longer in thick layers.
What does screed cost per bag?
A bag price covers only the material and says nothing about the total. For installed screed, ask for a price per m². If you buy the materials yourself, VAT is 21%; 6% is only possible when the contractor supplies and installs.
Sources
- Prijs chape gieten 2026: per m² — KlusConnect
- Prijs Chape Per m² 2026: Wat Kost een Dekvloer in België? — Prijs-chape.be
- 2026 Coût de la pose d'une chape — TafSquare
- Chape Prijs 2026 Vlaanderen - per m² per type — ChapeWijzer
- Combien coûte une chape ? Prix/m² selon les types de chapes — Chape-expert.be
- Droogtijd chape: tijden per soort en versnellen tips — Vloerman
- Wanneer en hoe krijg je verminderd btw-tarief van 6% voor werken aan je woning? — Test-Aankoop (9 Feb 2026)
- Price of a screed per m² in Belgium: 2026 rates — David E. Chape