A floor sander is rented for a weekend and the machine is only part of the bill. A drum or belt sander typically runs $50 to $90 a day, an edger $25 to $45, and the abrasives are charged separately at a few dollars a sheet or belt, often with unused ones credited back. A 200 square foot room commonly takes three grits and more paper than first-timers expect.
What a weekend actually costs
Take the drum sander, the edger, a corner or detail sander if the room has closets, and abrasives in three grits. Machines might total $80 to $140 for a day, or roughly $200 to $350 for a weekend rate, with abrasives on top. Many yards run a sale-or-return arrangement on paper, so take more than you think and bring back what you did not open.
Drum, belt or orbital
A drum sander cuts fastest and is the least forgiving: stopping while the drum is down leaves a dish in the board that no later grit removes. A continuous belt machine is steadier for the same aggression. A random orbital is much slower and much harder to ruin a floor with, which makes it the sensible rental for a first refinish or for a screen-and-recoat rather than a full strip.
Dust is the health issue, not the mess
Wood flooring dust is a respiratory hazard and old finishes can carry worse. Rent machines with working dust collection and empty the bag well before it fills, because a full bag stops collecting. Bag contents from oil-based finishes can self-heat, so they get spread out or soaked outside rather than left in a heap in the garage overnight.
Finding a yard that stocks them
Floor sanders live at the tool counter of general rental centers rather than at heavy machinery yards, and the Census Bureau counts 1,707 general rental centers among 5,830 rental establishments nationally. Supply is thickest in metro counties. Call before driving, because on a spring weekend the sanders are usually the first thing off the shelf.
Questions people ask about floor sander rental near me
How long does it take to sand a room?
For a competent first-timer, a 200 square foot room with three grits, edging and vacuuming is a full day, and the finish coats are the day after. Booking a weekend rate rather than a day rate leaves room for the mistakes everyone makes on the first pass.
How much sandpaper will I need?
Plan on roughly one belt or sheet per 100 to 150 square feet per grit, more if the old finish is thick or the floor has adhesive on it. Ask the yard for its return policy and over-order accordingly.
Can I use a drum sander on engineered flooring?
Only if the wear layer is thick enough, which is often not the case. Many engineered floors tolerate a light screen and recoat but not a full strip, and taking too much off exposes the plywood core permanently.
Do rented sanders come with dust bags?
They should. Confirm the bag is included and intact when you collect, and ask whether the machine takes a vacuum hose instead, which is far cleaner in an occupied house.