cleaning
Driveway cleaning and sealing
£100 to £160 cleans a 30 square metre drive, £150 to £250 a 60 square metre one and £225 to £350 at 90 square metres. Sealing roughly doubles that, at £200 to £650. The published UK average for a power washed driveway is £300.
What this covers
What it costs. Driveway pricing divides into a cleaning figure and a sealing figure, and the two together roughly double the bill. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- Washing block paving, concrete and tarmac
- Removing weed growth from the joints
- Re-sanding block paving after cleaning
- Treating oil staining where it can be lifted
- Sealing to slow moss and weed return
What is involved
Surface decides both method and price. Concrete cleans at £100 to £200 and seals for £180 to £350. Block paving runs £120 to £250 to clean, rising to £250 to £450 sealed, and always needs kiln dried sand brushed back into the joints afterwards because the lance strips them. Resin bound sits at £120 to £250. Tarmac cleans at £100 to £220 and is the one surface where sealing divides opinion, with one guide calling it uncommon and another pricing sealant at £5 to £10 a square metre.
Sealant choice sets how often the job comes round again. Water based products last one to two years, acrylic two to three, solvent based three to four and polyurethane four to six, while resin bound surfaces go eight to ten years between coats. Supply prices per litre run £5 to £9 for acrylic, £9 to £13 for polyurethane and £15 to £25 for specialist products, with labour at £150 to £200 a day and a second coat adding £3 to £6 a square metre.
Preparation carries hidden lines. Weed and algae pre-treatment costs £2 to £5 a square metre, heavy soiling adds £50 to £100, oil stains run £10 to £30 each and efflorescence removal £30 to £60. Sunken or cracked blocks are replaced at £5 to £15 apiece. Sealing over a damp or poorly cleaned surface traps moisture and clouds the finish, so a contractor who wants a drying day between the two visits is following the product instructions rather than padding the job.
Choosing someone for the job
What is the drive made of, and does the quote price cleaning and sealing as separate stages? Which sealant is proposed, and how many years does the manufacturer claim? Is kiln dried sand brushed back into block paving joints, and is that in the price? How long between washing and sealing, and what happens if rain arrives? Are oil stains, weed treatment and sunken blocks quoted, or will they appear later?
Common questions
How often does a driveway need cleaning?
Unsealed block paving wants washing every two to three years, and a sealed drive stretches to four or five. Shaded north facing drives under trees green over faster and often need a yearly biocide instead of a full wash.
Does block paving have to be re-sanded?
Jet washing lifts jointing sand out, and without replacement the blocks loosen and weeds return quickly. Kiln dried sand costs about £1 a square metre and should appear on any competent block paving quote.