Pressure Washing Costs UK — What to Charge for Patios, Driveways and Decking in 2026

Pricing by Surface and Per m²

The most accurate way to price pressure washing is per square metre, because the time and consumables scale roughly with area. Different surfaces wash at different speeds and carry different risks, so your per-m² rate should reflect the surface type. Here are the current UK rates for the main exterior surfaces.

• Patio (slabs, flags, Indian sandstone): £2–£5/m²
• Block paving driveway: £3–£6/m² (higher because re-sanding is usually needed)
• Concrete driveway or path: £2–£4/m²
• Decking (timber or composite): £3–£6/m²
• Tarmac: £2–£4/m² — wash at lower pressure to avoid stripping the surface

Whatever your per-m² rate, always apply a minimum call-out charge of £80–£120. Your setup, travel, fuel and pack-down time are the same whether the job is 8m² or 80m². Without a minimum, a small front path priced purely on area would lose you money before you've unrolled the hose.

Typical Job Prices

Per-m² rates are the foundation, but customers think in whole-job terms, so it helps to know where typical jobs land. These figures assume a standard wash with a surface cleaner and include normal levels of dirt, moss and algae.

• Small patio or front path (up to 40m²): £120–£200
• Average patio or driveway (40–80m²): £200–£350
• Large driveway (80m²+): £350–£600+

Add re-sanding, sealing or a softwash of adjacent walls and these numbers climb quickly — a block paving driveway with a full re-sand and seal can comfortably reach £600–£900 on a larger property. The base wash is only the starting point.

Pricing Methods: Per m², Fixed Price or Day Rate

There are three common ways operators price pressure washing, and each has its place.

• Per m²: The most accurate method for most jobs. You measure the area, apply your surface rate, and add a minimum charge. It scales fairly and is easy to justify to the customer.
• Fixed price per job: What you quote the customer in the end — calculate it from your per-m² rate but present it as a single, clear figure with a defined scope. Customers prefer a fixed number to a rate they have to trust you to apply honestly.
• Day rate: A solo operator typically works to £200–£400 per day. This is useful for large, irregular or multi-surface jobs where measuring every area is impractical, and as a sanity check — if your per-m² quote works out below your day rate for the time the job will take, you've underpriced it.

The best approach is to price per m² with a minimum charge to build the number, then present it to the customer as a fixed price with a clear, written scope. That way you protect your margin while giving the customer the certainty they want.

What Affects the Price

Two patios of identical size can be worth very different amounts. Before you quote, assess these factors — each one can add or subtract significantly from the price.

• Surface type: Block paving costs more because joints need re-sanding; tarmac needs lower pressure and more care; Indian sandstone and porcelain need a gentler touch than concrete.
• Level of dirt, moss, algae and weeds: A lightly soiled patio washes fast; one buried under thick moss with weeds in every joint takes far longer and may need a pre-treatment.
• Oil stains: Engine oil on a driveway needs a degreaser and extra passes — sometimes it never fully clears. Flag it and price for the extra time, or exclude it from your guarantee.
• Surface area: Bigger jobs cost more in total but often less per m² — your setup is amortised over more area.
• Access to water and power: No outside tap or no power point means bringing a water bowser or a petrol machine, which adds cost and complexity.
• Waste and slurry disposal: Washing produces a slurry of sand, dirt and organic matter that has to go somewhere. On enclosed sites you may need to collect and dispose of it.
• Whether re-sanding or sealing is included: These are separate billable services — be clear in your quote about what is and isn't covered.

Block Paving: Always Quote the Full Service

Block paving is the single most important surface to get right, because washing it is only half the job. The high-pressure water that lifts the dirt also strips the kiln-dried sand out of the joints. If you wash a block paving driveway and leave it at that, you've created a problem: bare joints invite weeds, allow the blocks to shift and rock underfoot, and let the surface deteriorate far faster than before you touched it.

The full service is a three-stage process:

• Pressure wash the blocks clean, removing dirt, moss and weeds.
• Re-sand the joints with fresh kiln-dried sand brushed and vibrated into every gap once the surface is dry.
• Seal (optional): a block paving sealer locks the sand in place, inhibits weed regrowth and enhances the colour.

Always quote re-sanding on block paving as standard, not as an afterthought. Explain to the customer why it matters — bare joints mean weeds and movement within weeks — and you'll both protect the job quality and add value to the ticket. An operator who washes and walks away leaves the driveway worse off and invites a complaint.

Surface Cleaner vs Lance

The single biggest difference between a professional finish and an amateur one is the use of a rotary surface cleaner — sometimes called a whirlaway or flat-surface cleaner. This is the enclosed circular attachment that houses two or more spinning jets under a shroud and glides across the surface.

A surface cleaner gives an even, streak-free finish across the whole area and works several times faster than a lance. A lance, swept by hand, almost always leaves stripe marks — the dreaded "tiger stripes" — where overlapping passes clean unevenly. On a large driveway, the time saved by a surface cleaner alone justifies its cost, and the quality of finish justifies your price.

Keep the lance for edges, corners, steps and detail work the surface cleaner can't reach, and for stubborn spots that need a concentrated jet. Use the right tool for each part of the job: surface cleaner for the open areas, lance for the detail.

Add-Ons and Upsells

The base wash is where the job starts, not where it ends. The right upsells often double the value of a job for a fraction of the extra time — you're already on site, set up and dirty. Offer these as clear, separately priced line items so the customer can see the value.

• Re-sanding: £1–£3/m² — essential on block paving, quick to do, and high margin.
• Patio and driveway sealing: a high-value upsell that protects the surface, deters weeds and enhances colour — see our guide to driveway sealing for full pricing.
• Weed treatment: a residual weedkiller applied to joints after washing keeps the surface clean for longer.
• Gutter, render and wall softwash: while you're on site, a low-pressure clean of nearby walls, render or gutters is an easy add-on.
• Decking oil or stain: after washed timber decking has dried, a re-oil or re-stain transforms it and is a natural follow-on service.

Quote upsells at the survey stage, not after the customer has agreed the base price. Showing them the state of the joints, the faded decking or the green render is the easiest way to demonstrate why the extra service is worth it.

Soft Washing vs Pressure Washing: Know When Not to Blast

High pressure is the right tool for hard, durable surfaces — concrete, block paving, most patio slabs. It is the wrong tool for render, soft pointing, painted surfaces and some natural stone. Blasting render strips the finish and drives water into the wall; high pressure blows out aging mortar joints and can pit or etch soft sandstone and limestone.

For these delicate surfaces, soft washing is the professional method. Soft washing uses a low-pressure spray to apply a cleaning solution — typically a biocide — that kills algae and organic growth at the root. The surface then cleans itself over the following days and weeks without any aggressive pressure. It is gentler, safer and longer-lasting on walls, render and heritage stone.

Knowing when not to blast is a mark of a professional. Quoting a softwash on a rendered wall rather than a pressure wash protects the customer's property, protects you from a damage claim, and positions you as the operator who knows what they're doing.

Equipment and Running Costs

Knowing your cost base is the difference between a price and a guess. Pressure washing has low consumables, but the kit and fuel still need to be accounted for in your margin.

• Petrol vs electric machine: A domestic electric washer is fine for small jobs, but a commercial petrol machine delivers the flow rate and pressure that make a surface cleaner work properly and free you from needing a power point. Expect £700–£2,500 for a commercial petrol unit.
• Surface cleaner: £100–£400 for a quality flat-surface cleaner sized to your machine's flow — the best-value tool you'll buy.
• Water bowser or tank: If you regularly work properties with no outside tap, a transportable tank or bowser (£200–£800+) lets you bring your own water and quote those jobs confidently.
• Fuel and wear: Petrol, pump wear, hoses, lances, nozzles and the inevitable repairs all eat into margin — build a modest allowance for these into every job.

Once you can see your running cost per day, your day rate and per-m² rates stop being a finger-in-the-air number and become a deliberate margin.

Water, Waste and Environmental Rules

Pressure washing produces runoff — a slurry of sand, dirt, organic matter and, where used, sealers, degreasers or biocide. This shouldn't be allowed to enter watercourses or storm drains. On driveways, be especially mindful of where the runoff flows: many drives slope toward a road gully or a surface-water drain that leads straight to a watercourse, not the foul sewer.

Some councils and the Environment Agency have rules on what can enter surface-water drains, and discharging contaminated runoff can carry penalties. In practice, sweep up slurry rather than washing it into the nearest gully, be careful with degreasers and chemicals near drains, and on sensitive sites consider blocking or bunding the drain while you work. It's a brief consideration on most domestic jobs but an important one to get right.

Seasonality and Recurring Revenue

Pressure washing has a clear seasonal shape, and understanding it helps you fill your diary year-round. Spring and summer are the peak — people prepare gardens and patios for outdoor living, and demand spikes from April through August. Autumn brings a second wave as fallen leaves and damp drive moss and algae growth across patios and drives.

The real prize is recurring revenue. Most surfaces need doing again every year or two, so an annual or twice-yearly maintenance clean turns a one-off into a recurring booking. Capture every customer onto a maintenance schedule and you build a base of repeat work that smooths out the quiet months. Commercial contracts go further still: forecourts, car parks, communal areas of apartment blocks and trade premises all need regular cleaning and pay reliably on contract. A handful of commercial accounts can underpin your winter income.

Quoting Tips: What to Check Before You Price

Most underpriced pressure washing jobs come from quoting off a phone call or a glance rather than a proper assessment. Before you commit a price, run through this checklist.

• Measure the m² accurately: Pace it out or use a tape — don't eyeball it. Area is the basis of your whole price.
• Assess the dirt level and oil stains: Heavy moss, weeds and engine oil all add time. Flag oil stains explicitly — they may not fully clear.
• Check water and power access: No tap or no power changes your kit and your cost. Confirm it before quoting.
• Always include or quote re-sanding on block paving: Never leave it off — bare joints mean weeds and movement and an unhappy customer.
• Price disposal: If slurry has to be collected and removed, build it into the quote.
• Give a fixed price with a clear scope: State exactly what's included and excluded so there's no dispute on the day.
• Take before-and-after photos: Every job is a marketing asset — the transformation sells the next job.

Quick Reference: Pressure Washing Prices UK 2026