How Much Does It Cost to Pressure Wash a Driveway?

Estimating Driveway Pressure Washing Costs

Consider the following factors when estimating how much it will cost to pressure wash your driveway.

Pressure Washer Rental/Purchase

If you're doing the job yourself, you'll have to get a pressure washer. That means either renting or buying one.

You can rent a pressure washer for about $50 to $100 per day from a hardware store. If you want to buy one, you'll pay between $100 and $600 for a pressure washer, depending on what kind you want. An electric pressure washer will cost more than a gas-powered version.

Labor Costs

You can hire a handyperson to do this type of job and most of them will already own a pressure washer. They will generally charge $60 to $125 per hour to pressure wash your driveway, a job that should only take an hour or two.

Square Footage

The square footage of your driveway will be a big cost-driver as well, which we will discuss in the next section.

Additional or Unexpected Costs

You may have some additional costs after starting the job. For example, you may decide to clear the sidewalks as well, which means either more work for the handyperson or you will have to rent the pressure washer for longer.

How Much Does It Cost to Pressure Wash a Driveway by Square Foot?

You will pay $0.20 to $0.40 per square foot to pressure wash a driveway. The average two-car driveway is about 16 feet by 40 feet—generally averaging about 600 to 800 square feet. That comes out to a range of $120 to $320 for the project. For long, winding driveways on large properties, it would not be uncommon for it to be 1,000 square feet or much more.

How Much Does It Cost to Pressure Wash a Driveway Yourself?

If you’re doing the pressure washing yourself and you already own a pressure washer, there is no cost to this project except some marginal increase on your utility bill for electricity and water usage. However, if you have to rent a pressure washer for the day, your total out-of-pocket cost will probably be about $100. If you buy a pressure washer, you could spend up to $600 for the machine.

Since this is only a one to two-hour job, you might as well hire a professional pressure washing handyperson unless you really want to do it yourself. You’re only likely to pay a handyperson $150 to $200 at most to do this job, which is not much more than you would to rent a pressure washer. Plus you can ensure the job is done right and it’s not you who has to do the work. 

What Factors Influence the Cost to Pressure Wash a Driveway?

When it comes to pressure washing a driveway, there are generally three main cost factors.

Square Footage

Square footage is the biggest factor. The more space your driveway covers, the more labor hours a professional will charge to do the job, or the longer you’ll have to rent a pressure washer to do it yourself.

DIY or Hire a Pro

DIY could be both the least—or most—expensive route. DIY pressure washing could be the most budget-friendly option if you just rent the washer for a day; but if you buy it, it may be more expensive than hiring a professional. Of course, if you want to use the pressure washer again in the future, it’s a good long-term investment.

Type of Pressure Washer

Gas-powered pressure washers tend to be more expensive than electric pressure washers, so you could save some money by going with the electric version.

FAQs About Pressure Washing a Driveway

Should you use bleach when pressure washing a driveway?

It's a bad idea to use bleach when pressure washing your driveway because it can damage the machine. If you want to use bleach to lighten stains on your driveway, you should do it separately from the power washing treatment.

Can you damage concrete with power washing?

Yes, power washing will gradually wear down the surface of concrete and cause damage, so you'll have to be very careful and use the lightest setting when cleaning concrete. If you’re not careful, you’ll have to pay for the cost of repairing a driveway or the cost of concrete resurfacing.

What is the difference between pressure washing and power washing?

The only difference between the two is that power washing uses hot water and pressure washing uses lukewarm or cold water.