Approach
A clean only goes well when the surface, its condition and the drainage are understood. The sample estimate is a starting point for that conversation, never a replacement for it.
Four steps
Treat each driveway, patio or path as a rectangle and measure its length and width. Sides from 1 m to 20 m, areas from 5 square metres to 200 square metres, up to 300 square metres in total.
The estimator shows each line: cleaning for each surface, any heavy-soiling addition, the joint-sand allowance and the minimum. Unknowns become an assessment brief instead.
A site visit checks the material, how firmly it is bedded and where the water drains. It sets the real scope and a written quote.
The clean itself is one steady, controlled pass over each area, followed by a quiet inspection of the result before any re-sanding is discussed.
How the sample sums work
These rules are applied in this order by both the page and the demo server, from one shared table of illustrative sample rates.
| Item | Sample rate |
|---|---|
| Concrete cleaning | £3.25 per square metre |
| Block paving cleaning | £4.25 per square metre |
| Paving slabs or stone cleaning | £4.75 per square metre |
| Heavy-soiling addition | 20% of cleaning |
| Joint-sand allowance (block paving only) | £1.50 per square metre |
| Minimum per job (applied once) | £120 |
| Indicative range | 15% either side, to £5 |
Worked out by the same engine as the estimator.
A 6 m by 4 m block-paved area, sound paving, ordinary soiling, with the joint-sand allowance.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Block paving cleaning24 square metres at £4.25 per square metre | £102 |
| Joint-sand allowance (sample)24 square metres of block paving at £1.50 per square metre | £36 |
| Sample total | £138 |
| Indicative range | £120 to £160 |
Block-paved areas of 6 m by 4 m and 5 m by 2 m, heavy soiling, with the joint-sand allowance on both.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Block paving cleaning34 square metres at £4.25 per square metre | £144.50 |
| Heavy-soiling addition20% of the £144.50 cleaning | £28.90 |
| Joint-sand allowance (sample)34 square metres of block paving at £1.50 per square metre | £51 |
| Sample total | £224.40 |
| Indicative range | £190 to £260 |
A 2 m by 3 m concrete area with ordinary soiling: the minimum applies.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Concrete cleaning6 square metres at £3.25 per square metre | £19.50 |
| Minimum job adjustmentBrings £19.50 up to the £120 minimum | £100.50 |
| Sample total | £120 |
| Indicative range | £120 to £140 |
Illustrative sample rates for a fictional business. This is not a quotation and not researched market pricing.
Drainage and runoff
Cleaning paving produces dirty water. Before any clean is planned, it needs somewhere suitable to drain: a gully, a drain or soft ground.
If you are not sure where it would go, the estimator asks for a visit first. If there are oil, fuel or chemical spills, the runoff may be contaminated and needs separate handling, so it is not priced here.
About the drawings
Every picture on this site is a drawing made for the demonstration. None is a photograph, and none shows a real customer's property or a real result.
The plan on the estimate page is drawn to scale only when every area has a length and width, and it says so. Otherwise it is marked as illustrative and not to scale. Areas are shown side by side for comparison, never in their real positions.
Try it