Sealing a typical two-car concrete driveway yourself costs roughly $90 to $450 in materials, depending on whether you use an acrylic film-former or a penetrating silane/siloxane, plus whatever you need to spend on tools. Hiring a contractor runs about $1 to $3 per square foot, or $500 to $1,500 for the same driveway, with stamped and decorative concrete — or any job that involves stripping old sealer — costing more.
The headline number matters less than what it buys. A cheap acrylic needs redoing every two or three years; a good penetrating sealer can go seven to ten. Once you divide the cost by the years of protection, the order of the options often flips. This guide covers both the upfront price and the cost per year, so you can compare like with like.
Cost Per Square Foot by Sealer Type
Concrete sealers fall into two families. Penetrating sealers — silanes, siloxanes and blends of the two — soak into the pores and react to form a water-repellent layer below the surface. They leave no visible film and do not change the look of the concrete. Film-forming sealers — acrylics, polyurethanes and epoxies — sit on top, darken and enhance the surface, and wear away with traffic and sun. The price per gallon and the coverage per gallon both differ sharply between them, so the useful figure is cost per square foot.
| Sealer type | Price / gallon | Coverage / gallon | DIY materials / sq ft | Pro installed / sq ft | Realistic life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium silane/siloxane (penetrating) | $45 – $100 | 100 – 200 sq ft | $0.30 – $0.90 | $1.00 – $2.25 | 7 – 10+ years |
| Budget water-based siloxane | $20 – $45 | 100 – 250 sq ft | $0.12 – $0.40 | $0.80 – $1.75 | 3 – 5 years |
| Solvent-based acrylic (2 coats) | $25 – $55 | 200 – 400 sq ft | $0.18 – $0.45 | $1.00 – $2.50 | 2 – 3 years |
| Water-based acrylic (2 coats) | $25 – $50 | 250 – 400 sq ft | $0.15 – $0.40 | $1.00 – $2.25 | 1 – 3 years |
| Polyurethane (aliphatic, 2 coats) | $60 – $130 | 300 – 500 sq ft | $0.30 – $0.85 | $1.75 – $3.50 | 3 – 5 years |
| Epoxy (not recommended outdoors) | $40 – $120 | 150 – 300 sq ft | $0.50 – $1.50 | $3.00 – $6.00 | Short — yellows in sun |
Coverage on penetrating sealers depends heavily on how porous the slab is. An old, weathered broom finish can drink a gallon every 100 square feet; a dense, steel-troweled surface may stretch to 200 or more. Acrylic coverage is better on the second coat than the first because the first one fills the pores. The material figures above assume a saturating application of penetrating sealer and two coats of any film-former, which is how most manufacturers specify a driveway.
Cost and Gallons by Driveway Size
Measure length times width and add any apron, walkway or turnaround you intend to seal at the same time. Most residential driveways fall into one of the bands below. Gallon figures include a modest allowance for a porous surface; buy toward the top of the range for an old or rough slab and toward the bottom for a newer, smoother one.
| Driveway | Approx. area | Penetrating (gal) | Acrylic, 2 coats (gal) | DIY materials | Professional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single car, 12 × 24 ft | ~300 sq ft | 2 – 3 | 2 – 3 | $50 – $280 | $350 – $800 |
| Two car, 20 × 25 ft | ~500 sq ft | 3 – 5 | 3 – 4 | $90 – $450 | $500 – $1,500 |
| Two car, long, 20 × 40 ft | ~800 sq ft | 4 – 8 | 4 – 7 | $130 – $700 | $800 – $2,200 |
| Three car or large, 30 × 40 ft | ~1,200 sq ft | 6 – 12 | 6 – 10 | $200 – $1,050 | $1,200 – $3,200 |
The low end of each DIY range is a budget acrylic or water-based siloxane; the high end is a premium silane/siloxane on a thirsty slab. Professional ranges assume routine cleaning and a standard broom-finish driveway. Small driveways often hit a contractor's minimum charge, which is why a 300-square-foot job rarely comes in much below $350 even at a low per-foot rate.
Sealer is sold most economically in 5-gallon pails, which usually cost noticeably less per gallon than single gallons. For anything over about 500 square feet, pricing the pail first is worth the minute it takes. Leftover penetrating sealer keeps reasonably well if the container is sealed tight and protected from freezing, so the remainder can go on a walkway or patio.
DIY Materials: What Each Sealer Buys
Penetrating Silane and Siloxane
These are the sealers most concrete professionals prefer for driveways in freeze-thaw climates, and the reason is straightforward: they keep water and dissolved de-icing salt out of the concrete without forming a film that can peel, whiten or get slippery. Silane molecules are very small and penetrate deeply into dense concrete; siloxanes are larger and work well on more porous surfaces. Many of the better driveway products blend the two. The silane vs siloxane comparison explains which suits which slab.
Price follows active-solids content. Budget water-based siloxanes at $20–$45 a gallon carry relatively little active ingredient and typically need reapplying every three to five years. Premium products with higher silane/siloxane content cost $45–$100 a gallon, but can last seven to ten years or longer on a driveway because the protection sits below the wearing surface rather than on it. On a 500-square-foot driveway that is roughly $100–$150 for a budget product against $200–$450 for a premium one.
The trade-off is appearance. A penetrating sealer leaves the concrete looking essentially as it did before, with water beading on the surface. If you want colour enhancement or a sheen, it will not provide it.
Acrylic
Acrylic is the cheapest film-forming option and the one most homeowners picture when they think of "sealing" — it darkens the concrete, brings out colour, and leaves anything from a satin to a high-gloss wet look. Solvent-based acrylics penetrate a little better, enhance colour more and generally last longer than water-based versions; water-based products are lower odour, easier to clean up, and the only option in some areas that restrict high-VOC solvent sealers.
Materials are cheap: $25–$55 a gallon, covering roughly 200–300 square feet on a first coat and 300–400 on a second. A two-coat job on 500 square feet uses three to four gallons, or $90–$220. The catch is lifespan. Tire traffic and UV wear acrylic down in two to three years on a daily-use driveway, and it can turn white or cloudy ("blush") if applied over a damp slab. It can also get slick when wet, which is why many installers mix in an anti-skid grit for $10–$25 a container.
Polyurethane and Epoxy
Aliphatic polyurethane is a tougher film than acrylic, with better resistance to abrasion, hot tires and chemicals, and it holds up to sunlight without yellowing. Materials run $60–$130 a gallon, and some systems call for an acrylic or epoxy primer underneath, which adds cost and a step. It is more common on commercial work and decorative concrete than on ordinary residential driveways, and it is less forgiving to apply. Expect $150–$425 in materials for a 500-square-foot driveway.
Epoxy belongs in the garage, not on the driveway. Most epoxies yellow and chalk in direct sun, and as a vapour-tight film over an exterior slab they can trap moisture and delaminate. If someone quotes you epoxy for an outdoor driveway, ask why. The concrete sealer buying guide covers where each chemistry fits beyond driveways.
Tools and Supplies
Sealer is the smaller part of a first-time DIY budget if you own nothing. The tools are cheap individually and add up quickly.
- Pressure washer — rental runs $50–$100 a day; a 3,000 psi gas unit costs $300–$500 to buy and is only worth it if you will use it elsewhere. A rotary surface-cleaner attachment ($40–$100) cleans flat concrete far faster and more evenly than a wand alone.
- Concrete cleaner and degreaser — $15–$40 a gallon. Oil spots must be treated before sealing; see the guide to removing oil stains from a driveway for what works. A dedicated driveway cleaner is worth it on a heavily stained slab.
- Low-pressure pump sprayer — $20–$40 for a basic garden type, which suits water-based products. Solvent-based sealers need a sprayer with solvent-resistant (usually Viton) seals, at $40–$80, or they will destroy a standard one mid-job.
- Roller, frame and extension pole — $25–$50, plus $5–$10 per nap cover. A roller is used to back-roll sprayed sealer and spread puddles; solvent acrylics usually need a nap rated for solvents.
- Crack filler — polyurethane self-levelling sealant at $8–$15 per tube, plus foam backer rod for wider cracks at $5–$10 a pack.
- Respirator and gloves — an organic-vapour respirator runs $25–$50 and is essential with solvent-based products. Chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection add $10–$20.
- Painter's tape and plastic sheeting — $15–$30 to protect garage doors, siding, landscaping and the edges of an adjoining asphalt or paver surface.
Starting from scratch with a rented pressure washer, a first DIY job adds roughly $150–$250 in tools and supplies. If you already own a pressure washer, a sprayer and a roller, the extra spend drops to $50–$100 for cleaner, crack filler and consumables. The second and later sealing jobs are almost all materials.
What Professionals Charge
Most contractors price concrete sealing per square foot, with the cleaning included and repairs or stripping quoted separately. Typical 2026 ranges:
| Job | Price / sq ft | Two-car driveway (~500 sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Clean + penetrating sealer | $0.80 – $2.25 | $400 – $1,125* |
| Clean + acrylic, 2 coats | $1.00 – $2.50 | $500 – $1,250 |
| Clean + polyurethane system | $1.75 – $3.50 | $875 – $1,750 |
| Reseal stamped / decorative concrete | $1.50 – $3.50 | $750 – $1,750 |
| Strip old acrylic + reseal | $2.50 – $6.00 | $1,250 – $3,000 |
| Pressure washing only | $0.15 – $0.40 | $100 – $250 |
*Many contractors have a minimum job charge of roughly $250–$500, so the very bottom of these ranges applies only to larger driveways. Prices run toward the top of each range in high-cost metro areas and in spring, when sealing crews are busiest.
A professional job on an average driveway usually takes one day, sometimes split across two visits if the slab needs to dry after washing. You are paying for the cleaning equipment, commercial sealer bought in bulk, the labour of spraying and back-rolling evenly, and — with a reputable crew — a judgment about whether your slab is dry enough and warm enough to seal that day. Ask whether the price includes cleaning, how many coats, the product name, and whether the quote covers the apron and walkway or the driveway alone.
What Pushes a Quote Up
1. Cleaning Beyond a Rinse
A routine pressure wash is almost always included. Heavy oil staining, rust marks, efflorescence, mildew or tree sap are not, and each needs its own treatment before sealer will bond or penetrate evenly. Expect $25–$100 per significant oil stain for degreasing or poultice treatment, or a flat $50–$200 for a heavily soiled slab. Sealing over a stain locks it in permanently, so this is not an extra to skip.
2. Crack Repair
Hairline cracks are cosmetic and a penetrating sealer will help protect them. Cracks wider than about an eighth of an inch should be cleaned out and filled with a flexible sealant before sealing. Contractors typically charge $3–$10 per linear foot, or $100–$500 added to a driveway with several runs of cracking. Doing it yourself costs a few tubes of sealant. Spalling, scaling and pitted surfaces are a different problem: resurfacing runs $3–$7 per square foot and is a separate job from sealing.
3. Stripping Old Acrylic
This is the line item that most often surprises homeowners. If an old acrylic has peeled, gone patchy, or whitened beyond what a solvent re-wet can fix — or if you want to switch to a penetrating sealer — it has to be chemically stripped, scrubbed and rinsed before anything new goes down. Stripper costs $40–$80 a gallon and covers perhaps 100–200 square feet, so $0.25–$0.80 per square foot in materials alone, plus a messy day of work. Professionally it adds roughly $1–$3 per square foot to the sealing price.
Mild blushing in a solvent-based acrylic can sometimes be fixed far more cheaply by re-wetting the surface with xylene, which re-dissolves the film and lets trapped moisture escape. A contractor may charge $150–$400 for that on a driveway, against well over $1,000 for a full strip.
4. Stamped and Decorative Concrete
Stamped, coloured and exposed-aggregate driveways cost more to seal for good reasons. The textured surface takes more sealer and more labour to cover evenly, low spots collect puddles that need back-rolling, and the sealer is part of the finish — owners usually want a consistent sheen and colour, and sometimes a tinted sealer or colour restoration. Most stamped driveways are sealed with acrylic for the look, which brings the two-to-three-year reapplication cycle with it. Expect $1.50–$3.50 per square foot for a straightforward reseal and $2.50–$6 with stripping. The stamped concrete sealer guide covers which products hold colour and sheen longest.
5. Access, Size and Timing
Long driveways bring the per-foot price down; small ones run into minimum charges. Steep slopes, tight access for equipment, a lot of hand-masking against siding or landscaping, and a need to protect an adjoining paver or asphalt surface all add labour. Booking in late summer or early autumn, or bundling the driveway with a patio and walkway, can bring per-foot pricing down.
Reapplication and Cost Per Year
Upfront cost is misleading on its own because the products last such different lengths of time. Dividing by expected life gives a fairer comparison. Figures below are for a 500-square-foot driveway in a climate with real winters; mild, dry climates generally stretch every interval.
| Approach | Cost per application | Reapply every | Approx. cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY premium silane/siloxane | $200 – $450 | 7 – 10 years | $20 – $65 |
| DIY budget water-based siloxane | $100 – $200 | 3 – 5 years | $20 – $65 |
| DIY acrylic, 2 coats | $90 – $220 | 2 – 3 years | $30 – $110 |
| Pro penetrating sealer | $400 – $1,125 | 7 – 10 years | $40 – $160 |
| Pro acrylic | $500 – $1,250 | 2 – 3 years | $165 – $625 |
| Pro stamped reseal (acrylic) | $750 – $1,750 | 2 – 3 years | $250 – $875 |
Two things stand out. First, a premium penetrating sealer and a budget one land at similar annual cost, but the premium product means doing the job half as often — fewer weekends of washing and spraying, and fewer chances to get the conditions wrong. Second, professional acrylic is by far the most expensive way to maintain an ordinary driveway over time. It is a reasonable choice when you specifically want the wet look; it is a poor one if you only want protection.
Note that a penetrating sealer's life is harder to see than an acrylic's. Acrylic visibly dulls and wears in the tire paths. A silane/siloxane simply stops beading water. Splash a cup of water on the driveway each spring: if it beads, the sealer is working; if it darkens the concrete and soaks in, it is time to reapply. That test, rather than the calendar, is the best guide to when and how to reseal.
For comparison, asphalt driveways follow a different cost pattern entirely — cheaper sealer, but reapplied every two to three years without exception. The asphalt driveway sealing cost guide has those numbers.
DIY or Professional?
DIY makes sense for most plain broom-finish driveways. The work is cleaning, waiting for the slab to dry, and spraying a liquid evenly — none of it requires special skill, and a penetrating sealer in particular is forgiving because there is no film to streak or lap. On a two-car driveway the saving is typically $400–$1,000 per application, and with a seven-to-ten-year product you are doing it rarely. Plan on a full day for cleaning, at least 24 hours of drying, and a few hours to apply.
Professional makes sense when the job includes stripping an old acrylic, when the driveway is stamped or coloured and the finish matters, when you want a solvent-based or polyurethane system and do not want to handle the chemicals, or simply when the driveway is large and your time is worth more than the difference. A contractor also takes on the risk of blushing, streaking or a poorly timed rainstorm.
The middle path most homeowners should consider: hire a pressure-washing service and apply the sealer yourself. Cleaning is the heaviest, most equipment-dependent part of the job, and at $100–$250 it is a modest spend. Spraying a penetrating sealer on a clean, dry driveway afterward takes a couple of hours with a pump sprayer. The total typically lands at $300–$700 on a two-car driveway — well under a full professional job.
Where Sealing Budgets Go Wrong
Buying by price per gallon. A $25 gallon that covers 300 square feet and lasts two years is not cheaper than a $70 gallon that covers 150 and lasts eight. Compare cost per square foot per year of life.
Underestimating porosity. Old, weathered concrete absorbs far more penetrating sealer than the label's best case. Running out halfway leaves a visible line where one batch stops, so buy 10–20% over your calculation and keep the receipt for unopened containers.
Sealing a damp slab. The most common cause of whitened acrylic is moisture trapped under the film. Most products want the concrete dry for 24–48 hours after washing or rain, and air and surface temperatures above about 50°F for the full cure. Ignoring this is how a $150 job turns into a $1,000 strip.
Over-applying acrylic. Thick coats do not last longer; they trap solvent, blush and peel. Two thin coats beat one heavy one, and they cost the same.
Sealing too soon on new concrete. Fresh concrete generally needs about 28 days to cure before a film-forming sealer goes down, though some penetrating products are rated for earlier application. Check the label before you spend anything on a new pour.
Switching chemistries without budgeting for it. Moving from acrylic to penetrating sealer means stripping first. It is often the right long-term move, but cost it as a strip-and-seal job, not a sealing job.
The Short Version
For a plain concrete driveway, budget $200–$450 in materials for a premium silane/siloxane sealer on a two-car driveway, plus $50–$250 in tools and supplies the first time. It is invisible, does not get slippery, and typically lasts seven to ten years, which makes it the cheapest protection per year. The concrete driveway sealer comparison covers specific products.
Budget $90–$220 for a DIY acrylic if you want the darker, wet look — and accept that you will be doing it again in two to three years.
Budget $500–$1,500 to have a contractor clean and seal the same driveway, and $1,250–$3,000 if the job involves stripping old acrylic or resealing stamped concrete.
Whichever you choose, the money is wasted if the slab is dirty, damp or cold when the sealer goes down. Preparation and timing are free, and they decide how long every other dollar lasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a typical two-car driveway of about 500 square feet, DIY materials cost roughly $90–$250 for two coats of acrylic or $100–$450 for a penetrating silane/siloxane sealer, plus $50–$250 for tools and cleaning supplies on a first job. Professional cleaning and sealing generally costs $1–$3 per square foot, or $500–$1,500 for the same driveway. Stripping old acrylic or resealing stamped concrete pushes a professional job to roughly $1,250–$3,000.
Divide the square footage by the coverage rate. Penetrating silane/siloxane sealers typically cover 100–200 square feet per gallon depending on porosity, so a 500-square-foot driveway needs three to five gallons. Acrylics cover roughly 200–300 square feet on the first coat and 300–400 on the second, so two coats on the same driveway use three to four gallons. Add 10–20% for old or rough concrete, which absorbs far more than a smooth new slab.
Acrylic is usually cheaper up front, and penetrating sealer is usually cheaper over time. A DIY acrylic job might cost $90–$220 but needs redoing every two to three years. A premium silane/siloxane might cost $200–$450 but can last seven to ten years. Per year of protection, the penetrating sealer typically costs the same or less — and you do the work far less often.
It depends on the sealer. Acrylics generally need reapplying every two to three years on a daily-use driveway. Polyurethanes last roughly three to five. Budget water-based siloxanes last three to five years, and premium silane/siloxane sealers seven to ten or more. The practical test is to splash water on the surface: if it beads, the protection is still working; if it soaks in and darkens the concrete, it is time to reseal.
The textured surface takes more sealer and more labour to cover evenly, puddles in the low spots need back-rolling, and the sealer is part of the decorative finish, so owners expect a consistent sheen and colour. Most stamped driveways use acrylic, which means a two-to-three-year cycle, and older acrylic often has to be stripped before resealing. Professional reseals typically run $1.50–$3.50 per square foot, and $2.50–$6 with stripping.
Routine pressure washing is normally included in a professional sealing price. Treatment of oil stains, rust or efflorescence often is not, and crack repair is almost always quoted separately — typically $3–$10 per linear foot, or $100–$500 for a driveway with several cracks. Ask for each item to be listed so you can compare quotes properly.
In most climates, yes. Concrete is porous, and water and de-icing salts that soak in cause scaling and spalling over freeze-thaw cycles. Repairing that damage or resurfacing costs several dollars per square foot, and replacement far more, while a penetrating sealer can protect the slab for roughly $20–$65 a year when you do it yourself. In mild, dry climates with no road salt, the benefit is smaller and is mostly about stain resistance and appearance.
No. A penetrating sealer needs to soak into bare concrete, and an acrylic or polyurethane film blocks it. The old film has to be chemically stripped first, which adds roughly $0.25–$0.80 per square foot in DIY materials or $1–$3 per square foot to a professional quote. If you are happy with the acrylic look, recoating with a compatible acrylic is far cheaper.