Quick answer
Not over it — through it. Existing garage paint has to be removed completely before a new coating goes down, because epoxy bonds to concrete, not to paint. Diamond grinding takes off the paint, the sealer beneath it, and the weak surface layer of the slab in a single pass. On most garages it adds no cost beyond normal prep.
This is the single most common question we get from buyers of older North Jersey homes, and the answer people are hoping for — 'just go over it' — is the answer that guarantees the new floor fails.
What affects the price
- Epoxy is only as strong as what it's stuck to — coating over paint means your floor is held on by the paint
- Diamond grinding removes paint, sealer and laitance together; a separate stripping step is rarely needed
- Pre-1978 homes: paint may contain lead, which changes the containment and disposal requirements
- Thick, well-bonded industrial coatings occasionally get shot-blasted instead of ground
- What we won't do: 'scuff and recoat' over paint, no matter how good it looks today
Ready for the real thing? See our garage epoxy service →
