Need this sorted?
Need help with driveway cleaning? Book driveway cleaning or get a quote from OOR External.
Size and layout
Area is the starting point. A single-car drive takes less time than a double drive with a path to the door. Layout matters as well: narrow strips, curves, steps and borders take longer per square metre than a simple rectangle. Measure roughly or count the cars it holds, and include paths and side areas you want cleaned.
Surface type
Block paving, concrete, tarmac, resin and gravel-bonded surfaces each need different treatment. Block paving usually involves joint work, which adds time. Tarmac needs moderate pressure to avoid stripping. Imprinted concrete may have a sealer that needs care. The method guide on driveway cleaning explains how each is approached; this guide focuses on what that means for price.
Condition and soiling
A driveway cleaned regularly needs a lighter clean than one left for years. Heavy moss, weeds in every joint, black algae in shaded corners and oil stains all add time. Oil marks may need separate treatment, and long-standing stains may only lighten.
- Moss and weeds in joints
- Green or black algae in shade
- Oil and tyre marks
- Leaf and tannin staining
- Loose or sunken blocks
Re-sanding after cleaning
Pressure washing block paving removes joint sand along with the dirt. Refilling the joints with kiln-dried sand is part of a proper block paving clean and is one of the biggest differences between quotes. Ask for re-sanding to be shown separately. The blocks must be dry before the fresh sand is brushed into the joints.
Access, water and waste
Equipment needs space, a water supply and somewhere suitable for runoff. A drive on a steep slope, one shared with neighbours or one that drains towards the house needs more planning. Cars need moving, and debris needs clearing from drains and lawns afterwards.
Comparing driveway cleaning prices
Some quotes cover the jet wash only, while others include treatment, re-sanding and a tidy-up. A lower figure may leave you with empty joints and weeds back within months. Compare what each includes, how the surface will be protected and what happens to the waste. The general pressure washing cost guide covers other hard surfaces, and the patio cleaning cost guide covers patios specifically.
Need it sorted? Book driveway cleaning
Send OOR External your postcode, photographs of the driveway and a note of the surface type and any oil stains, and use the quote form below for a free written quotation. Domestic work is taken on within about fifteen miles of the Dover base.
One-off cleans and repeat visits
A first clean on a driveway left for many years usually costs more than later visits, because the build-up of moss, weeds and algae is greater and joints often need fully re-sanding. Once the drive is clean, keeping leaves off and dealing with moss early means the next clean is lighter. Some owners prefer a clean every few years; others want it done before selling a house or after building work. Telling the contractor why you want the drive cleaned helps them suggest a sensible scope.
Questions to ask before booking
Ask how the surface will be protected, which treatment is used, whether joints will be refilled and how runoff is handled. Check whether cars, bins and planters need moving and who does it. Clear answers make it easier to see why one quotation differs from another.