How much does driveway cleaning cost?

Area is the baseline, and most cleaners work to a per-square-metre figure. Measure your drive before asking for quotes and every price you get back becomes comparable.

Surface type changes the method. Block paving cleans well but loses its jointing sand in the process. Concrete and tarmac are more forgiving. Natural stone and older, softer surfaces need lower pressure and more care, which takes longer.

How bad it is. Green algae comes off easily. Years of ingrained black spot lichen, oil stains and tyre marks need chemical treatment and repeat passes.

Access to water and power. Most professionals bring their own, but if they are using your outside tap, it is worth confirming there is one that works.

Waste and run-off. A good contractor manages where the dirty water goes rather than sending it into a neighbour's garden or a surface drain.

This is the thing most people do not know before their first clean. Pressure-washing block paving blasts out the kiln-dried sand between the blocks — the sand that stops them shifting and stops weeds growing.

If that sand is not replaced, the blocks work loose, the surface becomes uneven and weeds return faster than before. A quote that does not mention re-sanding is either including it silently or not doing it, and you need to know which.

Kiln-dried sand is the standard. Polymeric jointing sand costs more, sets slightly firm when wetted and resists weeds and washout better — worth asking about if weeds are your main complaint.

For concrete, tarmac and stone this does not apply, which is one reason those surfaces are cheaper to have cleaned.

Sealing is a separate job done after cleaning and drying, typically £200–£500 for a driveway. It does three things: slows re-staining, stabilises the jointing sand, and deepens the colour.

The honest case against is that it is not permanent — expect to redo it every few years — and a poorly applied seal can look patchy or unnaturally glossy. It also needs genuinely dry conditions, so it cannot be done on the same visit as the clean.

If you go ahead, ask which product, what finish it leaves, and how long before you can drive on it. Ask too whether they will re-sand before sealing, since sealing over missing sand locks in the problem.

For many drives, cleaning every couple of years without sealing is the more economical approach. It is a genuine choice rather than a necessity.

Combine the drive and patio in one visit. Setup and travel happen once, so the second area costs less than it would alone.

Clean before it gets bad. Annual or biennial cleaning is quick; a decade of lichen needs chemical treatment and multiple passes.

Clear the area first. Move cars, bins and pots so nobody is paid to do it.

Ask neighbours. Contractors will often discount several drives on the same street.

And be clear whether re-sanding is included when comparing quotes. A cheaper price that omits it is not cheaper — it is a different job.