Why there's no flat rate
It would be easy to publish a price per square metre. It would also be misleading. The size of an area is only one part of what a job takes. A small, shaded patio with moss in every joint and access only through the house can take longer than a much bigger concrete drive at the front that just needs freshening up.
So instead of a price list, here's what actually goes into a power washing quote, and how to get an accurate, fixed price from a few photos.
The six things that set the price
| Factor | Usually quicker | Usually takes longer |
|---|---|---|
| Area | One open area | Several areas, with steps, edges and walls |
| Surface | Concrete, granite, porcelain | Sandstone, limestone, imprinted concrete, tarmac, roofs and render |
| Condition | Light grime | Thick moss, weeds in every joint, oil stains, black spot |
| Access | Van close by, open frontage | Side passages, steps, access through the house, height |
| Water supply | Outside tap close to the work | No outside tap |
| Extras | Just the one surface | Gutters, fascias, walls, paths and garden furniture added |
Area
Size matters, but so does shape. Edges, steps, borders, the strip along the house and the corners around bins and planters all take time to do properly, and they're what makes a clean look finished. Three small areas also take longer than one large one, because each needs its own set-up and rinse-down.
Surface
Tough surfaces like concrete and granite take a hot-water pressure wash well, so the work moves quickly. Soft stone like Indian sandstone needs lower pressure and more passes. Tarmac and imprinted concrete need a gentler hand. Roofs, render and painted surfaces are soft washed, which is slower and may involve a treatment. Our power washing guide explains why each surface is handled the way it is.
Condition
A driveway washed every couple of years is a quick job. One that's been left for a decade, green and black with moss packed into every joint, takes much longer. Oil stains, rust marks and black spot lichen each add time, and black spot usually needs a separate treatment over a longer period.
Access
Hoses and equipment have to reach the work, so where the van can park makes a difference. Front gardens with an open frontage are easiest. Back gardens through a side gate are fine; patios that can only be reached through the house take more care and time. For roofs and gutters, the height of the house, a conservatory below or a steep bank all change how the job is done.
Water supply
The machine needs a water supply, and an outside tap close to the work is easiest. If you don't have one, mention it when you send photos so we can plan around it.
Extras
Gutters, fascias and soffits, garden walls, side paths and patio furniture can all be added. Each adds time, but adding them to a visit that's already happening is a smaller job than booking them separately, because the set-up is already done.
spotless.ieFour jobs, four different prices
Picture four jobs that could all be described as "a bit of power washing":
- A plain concrete drive at the front of a semi-d, in the open, with light dirt and an outside tap by the door. Straightforward: a hot-water wash, the edges finished and a rinse-down.
- A block-paved drive in a mature, leafy estate, shaded most of the day, with moss in every joint and oil drips where the car parks. Much more time on the joints, edges and stains, and probably advice on re-sanding afterwards.
- An Indian sandstone patio behind a terraced house, reachable only through the hall, with steps up to the lawn and black spot on several slabs. Lower pressure, more care with the stone, hoses brought through the house, and an honest conversation about what can be done with the black spot.
- Roof, gutters and fascias on a two-storey house, with thick moss on the north-facing slope. Height and access, protecting what's below, clearing the gutters after the roof and washing the roofline last. More involved, but one visit for the whole roofline, as our roof cleaning and gutter cleaning pages explain.
None of these has a set price, but they show why two quotes for "a driveway" can be so different.
What's usually in the price, and what isn't
A quote from us covers the work described in it: protecting doors and drains, washing the surface, finishing the edges and rinsing down walls, windows and paving at the end. On a gutter clean, the waste is bagged and taken away.
Some things are separate jobs, and it's worth knowing which, so you're comparing like with like:
- Re-sanding block paving. We'll advise whether it's needed, but it's done once the surface is dry, by you or a paving contractor.
- Sealing. Sealing paving or tarmac is a separate job from cleaning it.
- Repairs. Cracked slabs, loose blocks, broken gutters or slipped tiles need a different trade. We'll point out what we see.
Want an accurate price? Send a wide photo and a close-up of each area on WhatsApp, with your area or Eircode. We'll reply with a fixed price, usually the same day.
How to get an accurate quote from photos
Most jobs can be priced from photos without a visit, and the better the photos, the more accurate the price. Send:
- A wide shot of each area, taken from the footpath or the far end of the garden, so the whole surface is in view.
- Close-ups of the worst patches: moss, oil, black spots or crumbling joints.
- The access: the side gate, any steps, and where a van could park.
- Where the outside tap is, or a note to say there isn't one.
- For roofs and gutters, the front, back and side of the house, plus anything fragile below, such as a conservatory.
- Your area or Eircode.
For a very large or unusual job, a call or a visit may be needed first. Either way, you'll have a fixed price before anything is booked.
Getting good value
The lowest quote isn't always the best value. A rushed, high-pressure blast can leave stripes, wash out the joints or damage soft stone, and putting that right costs more than the clean did. A few things genuinely help:
- Combine areas. The driveway, front path and patio on one visit is one set-up instead of three.
- Get the order right. If the roof and gutters need doing, do them before the paving, or the moss coming down will undo the clean.
- Keep on top of it. A surface cleaned every couple of years is a quicker job each time than one left for a decade.
- Clear the way. Move cars, bins and bikes before the wash so the whole surface can be reached.
Getting it done
Our power washing service covers driveways, patios, roofs, gutters and walls in Dublin and all of Leinster. For detail on particular jobs, see driveway cleaning, patio cleaning and fascia and soffit cleaning. If you're comparing surfaces, the driveway cleaning guide and the patio cleaning guide go into each one in more depth.
