Austin Polished Concrete Floors

Choose your polished concrete finish

Choose a polished concrete finish in two steps: how much stone shows, then how much shine. When the job calls for it, we make a sample on your own slab.

Talk with us about your floor

Reflective gray polished concrete floor in a new home beside a brick wall and metal staircase — A real polishing job on new construction. Lighting changes how glossy a floor looks, so this photo doesn't show a measured amount of stone or shine.

Two decisions to make

How much stone shows

Polished concrete finishes come down to two separate choices: how much stone shows and how shiny the surface looks. A light grind at the surface keeps more of the smooth cement top. Go a little deeper for a fine grind and you'll usually see sand and small stone, and deeper still can show larger stone. Your slab sets the limit, though: how flat it is and how the stone is spread through it decide how even it can look. See how we pick the finish with you on our residential polished concrete page.

How shiny it looks

Tell us how much shine and how sharp a reflection you want, which is a separate choice from how much stone shows. A grit number tells you which tools we used, not exactly how the floor will look.

Edges and repairs

Look at edges, thresholds, patches, and joints along with the main floor, and write down any differences you're OK with before work starts.

See the difference before you approve

Light grind

Very little stone shows, and you may still see marks from the original troweling.

Fine grind

Sand and small stone may show.

Larger stone

Larger stone may show where the slab allows.

These drawings explain the choices. They aren't real samples or a promise of how your floor will look. Look at the real project photo above. When the job calls for it, we can make a sample on your slab so you can settle on the finish.

If your job includes a sample

Pick sample spots that stand for the whole floor, including a repair or uneven area if there is one.
Write down the prep, how much stone shows, the shine, how we'll handle edges, and the products you picked.
Check it under the lighting we agreed on, once the sample is ready to judge.
Write down the variation you accept and anything that needs changing before we go on.

Open the free sample approval form

Reference: Concrete Polishing Council appearance and exposure resources. Reviewed September 19, 2026. We work from your project plans and the maker's current product instructions.