Professional paver sealing costs roughly $0.75–$1.50 per square foot for sealing alone and $1.50–$3.00 per square foot for the full service most homeowners actually need: deep cleaning, re-sanding the joints with polymeric sand, and two coats of sealer. That puts a typical 300 sq ft patio at $450–$900 and a 600 sq ft driveway at $900–$1,800 for the complete job. Doing it yourself, the same patio costs about $250–$600 including sealer, polymeric sand and equipment rental.
The headline number hides most of what matters. A "sealing" quote at $0.90 per square foot and another at $2.50 are frequently not the same job — one is spraying a coat over whatever is there, the other is cleaning to bare paver, replacing washed-out joint sand and building a proper two-coat film. This guide separates the pieces so you can see what each costs and which ones your pavers genuinely need.
Cost Per Square Foot
Contractors price paver work per square foot, with a minimum charge — usually $300–$600 — that dominates on small jobs. A 120 sq ft walkway rarely costs less than the minimum regardless of the rate, which is why small areas are the strongest case for doing it yourself.
| Service | Professional / sq ft | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Full service: clean + re-sand + seal | $1.50 – $3.00 | Pressure clean, efflorescence and stain treatment, polymeric sand, two coats |
| Clean + seal (no re-sanding) | $1.00 – $2.00 | Surface cleaning and sealer; joints left as they are |
| Sealing only (maintenance coat) | $0.75 – $1.50 | Light rinse and one or two coats over sound existing sealer |
| Cleaning only | $0.30 – $0.80 | Surface-cleaner pressure washing and rinse |
| Re-sanding only | $0.50 – $1.50 | Removing loose joint material and refilling with polymeric sand |
| Stripping old sealer (add-on) | $1.00 – $3.00 | Chemical stripper, scrubbing and neutralising rinse |
| Slip-resistant additive (add-on) | $0.10 – $0.30 | Grit mixed into the final coat; common on pool decks |
The bundled rate is not simply the sum of the separate ones, because the setup — mobilising a crew, a surface cleaner and a sprayer — is shared. That is also why it is usually poor value to have one company clean and another seal.
Why first-time sealing costs more than resealing
The first seal on a paver installation, or on one left untreated for years, is almost always a full-service job. Years of dirt, algae and efflorescence have to come off, the top half-inch to inch of joint sand has usually washed out or grown weeds, and bare concrete pavers absorb a lot of the first coat. A maintenance reseal on pavers that were sealed properly three years ago is a lighter clean and often a single coat, so expect the second visit to land in the lower half of the range.
Patio, Driveway and Pool Deck Totals
These are typical installed totals in 2026 for common paver areas. Regional labour rates move them by perhaps 20% either way, with the high end in coastal metros and the Northeast.
| Project | Approx. area | Pro seal only | Pro full service | DIY materials only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkway | 100 – 150 sq ft | $300 – $500 (minimum) | $350 – $600 | $80 – $200 |
| Small patio | 200 sq ft | $300 – $500 | $400 – $700 | $100 – $275 |
| Average patio | 300 – 400 sq ft | $300 – $600 | $450 – $1,200 | $150 – $500 |
| Single-car driveway | 300 – 400 sq ft | $350 – $600 | $500 – $1,200 | $150 – $500 |
| Two-car driveway | 500 – 700 sq ft | $450 – $1,000 | $900 – $2,000 | $275 – $850 |
| Pool deck | 800 – 1,200 sq ft | $700 – $1,700 | $1,500 – $3,500 | $450 – $1,400 |
| Large patio + pool + walks | 1,500 sq ft+ | $1,100 – $2,200 | $2,300 – $4,500 | $750 – $1,800 |
Patios
Patios are the most common sealing job and the most forgiving. Foot traffic only, usually no oil, and the main enemies are algae, mildew in shaded corners and food or grease stains near the grill. A natural-look water-based sealer is the usual choice, and patios are where the low end of the pricing applies — unless the patio wraps around planting beds and walls that all need masking, which adds labour.
Driveways
Driveways cost more per square foot than patios for three reasons: oil and tyre stains need degreasing before sealing, the joints take more abuse from turning tyres and so lose more sand, and the sealer has to resist hot-tyre pickup. Expect a contractor to price stain treatment separately — $50–$200 for a typical driveway with a few drip spots. A cheap acrylic that softens under hot tyres will leave marks within a summer, so this is the place not to buy the bottom-shelf product.
Pool decks
Pool decks run highest per square foot. Chlorine and salt water attack weak sealers, the surface has to stay slip-resistant when wet, and the coping and pool water must be protected from overspray. Contractors usually add a grit additive to the final coat and may recommend a breathable penetrating or water-based product rather than a glossy film, because a high-gloss solvent acrylic becomes slippery underfoot. Travertine and natural stone decks cost more again because they are more porous and absorb more product. The specifics are covered in our guide to the best paver sealer for pool decks.
DIY Materials by Sealer Type
Sealer is the line where your choice moves the number most, and it is a choice about appearance and durability as much as price. The table gives typical 2026 retail prices for the category, not for any specific brand, and a realistic coverage per coat on concrete pavers — the optimistic figure on the label assumes a dense surface and a thin coat. Cost per square foot assumes the recommended number of coats, with the second coat going further than the first because the pavers absorb less.
| Sealer type | Typical price | Real coverage / coat | Cost / sq ft (full job) | Look | Reseal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water-based acrylic / urethane-acrylic | $30 – $65 / gal | 100 – 175 sq ft | $0.30 – $1.10 | Natural to satin; low odour | 3 – 5 years |
| Solvent-based acrylic (wet look) | $30 – $60 / gal | 100 – 175 sq ft | $0.30 – $0.95 | Darkened, glossy wet look | 2 – 3 years |
| Penetrating silane / siloxane | $30 – $80 / gal | 100 – 200 sq ft | $0.15 – $0.80 (often 1 coat) | Invisible, no sheen | 4 – 7 years |
| Penetrating with colour enhancer | $45 – $90 / gal | 100 – 175 sq ft | $0.30 – $1.30 | Deepened colour, matte | 3 – 5 years |
| Two-part urethane / polyaspartic | $80 – $150 / gal kit | 150 – 250 sq ft | $0.55 – $1.60 | High gloss, hard film | 5 – 8 years |
Five-gallon pails bring the per-gallon price down by 15–30%, and on anything over about 400 sq ft they are the sensible buy. Leftover sealer stores for a year or two if kept from freezing, which is useful for touch-ups.
Water-based sealers are where most homeowners should start. They breathe better, tolerate slightly damp pavers, are far less prone to the white "blushing" that plagues solvent acrylics, and clean up with water. Most give a natural or lightly enhanced look; our comparison of water-based paver sealers covers the differences between them, and if you want the pavers to look unsealed, the natural-look paver sealer guide narrows it further.
Solvent-based acrylics are the cheapest route to the dark, glossy wet look, and that low cost is real per coat. It is less real per year, because they wear and yellow faster in full sun and need recoating every two to three years. They also carry strong fumes and are restricted or banned in some states and air-quality districts.
Penetrating sealers soak in rather than forming a film. They change the appearance little or not at all, cannot peel or blush, and last longer, but they do not stabilise joint sand the way a film-forming sealer does — a real trade-off if your joints keep washing out.
The rest of the DIY shopping list
- Pressure washer rental — $60–$120 a day for a gas unit around 3,000 PSI, if you do not own one.
- Rotary surface cleaner — $20–$40 to rent or $60–$200 to buy. It cleans far faster and more evenly than a wand, and it is much less likely to blast sand out of the joints. Our guide to the best pressure washer surface cleaners explains the sizing.
- Paver cleaner or degreaser — $20–$50 a gallon concentrate, enough for a typical patio.
- Efflorescence cleaner — $25–$50 a gallon, only if white mineral bloom is present.
- Pump sprayer and roller — $30–$80. A dedicated sealer sprayer with solvent-resistant seals for solvent products; a standard garden sprayer is fine for most water-based ones.
- Leaf blower, push broom, plate compactor — compactor rental is $60–$100 a day and is used to settle new sand into the joints.
What Re-Sanding Costs
Re-sanding is the part of the job people leave out of their budget, and on any paver area more than a few years old it is usually needed. Pressure washing removes the top of the joint sand by design, and sealing over half-empty joints locks in a problem: pavers can shift, edges chip, and weeds and ants move straight back in.
Polymeric sand — sand blended with binders that harden when wetted — is the standard joint fill under sealed pavers. In 2026 a 50 lb bag runs roughly $25–$50, with premium and wide-joint formulas at the top of that range. How far a bag goes depends almost entirely on joint width and depth:
| Situation | Coverage per 50 lb bag | Bags for 300 sq ft | Sand cost / sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top-up after cleaning (narrow joints, 1/8"–1/4") | 75 – 150 sq ft | 2 – 4 | $0.20 – $0.65 |
| Full-depth refill, standard pavers | 40 – 75 sq ft | 4 – 8 | $0.35 – $1.25 |
| Wide joints (3/8"–1") or tumbled pavers | 25 – 50 sq ft | 6 – 12 | $0.50 – $2.00 |
| Flagstone or natural stone, wide irregular joints | 10 – 30 sq ft | 10 – 30 | $0.85 – $5.00 |
Large-format pavers have fewer joints per square foot and need markedly less sand; small cobble-style pavers and tumbled edges need more. Buy one bag more than the calculation suggests. Running short means a second trip while the sand already swept in is at risk from an unexpected shower, and partially wetted polymeric sand that has not been compacted and finished properly sets rough and hazy.
Product choice matters more than price here. Our polymeric sand comparison covers which formulas suit narrow versus wide joints, and the polymeric sand installation guide walks through the sweep, compact, blow-off and wetting sequence where most DIY haze problems start. One timing point that affects your budget: polymeric sand needs to cure — typically 24–48 hours of dry weather, longer in cool or humid conditions — before sealer goes on. Rain in that window can mean redoing the sand.
Stripping Old Sealer
Stripping is the expense that turns a routine reseal into an expensive one, and it is needed less often than some contractors suggest. If the existing sealer is the same type you are applying and it is simply worn, a good cleaning and a fresh coat bond to it. Stripping becomes necessary when the old coat has failed: it is peeling, flaking, has turned white or milky in large areas, has built up into a thick glossy skin from too many coats, or is a different chemistry that the new product will not stick to.
Professional stripping adds $1.00–$3.00 per square foot on top of the cleaning and sealing price, sometimes more on textured or tumbled pavers where stripper has to be worked into every surface. On a 600 sq ft driveway, that is $600–$1,800 extra — sometimes more than the sealing itself.
DIY stripping uses a solvent- or alkaline-based sealer stripper at roughly $40–$90 a gallon covering 100–200 sq ft, plus stiff brushes, a pressure washer and a lot of rinsing. Budget $150–$450 in materials for a patio-sized area and a full, unpleasant day. Stripped material and rinse water should be kept out of planting beds and storm drains.
The cheaper fix for blushed sealer
White, cloudy patches on a solvent-based acrylic — called blushing — are usually trapped moisture rather than failure. They can often be fixed by re-wetting the film with xylene or a manufacturer's recommended re-emulsifier, at $30–$60 a gallon, which lets moisture escape as it re-dries. It is far cheaper than stripping, though it only works on solvent acrylics and must be done with good ventilation and no ignition sources. Ask any contractor quoting a strip whether this has been considered first.
What Drives a Quote
1. Total area and the minimum charge. Per-square-foot rates fall as area rises; crews price to cover mobilisation, setup and cleanup, which cost the same for 200 sq ft as for 800. Bundling the patio, walks and driveway into one visit is the most reliable way to lower the rate.
2. Condition of the pavers. Heavy algae, mildew, rust marks, oil stains and efflorescence each add treatment time and chemicals. A contractor who looks at the surface before quoting will price this in; one quoting over the phone is guessing, and the price often rises on the day.
3. Joint condition. Whether the joints need a top-up or a full-depth clean-out and refill can swing the sand line by a factor of three. Weeds growing in joints usually mean full depth.
4. Sealer chemistry and coats. A single coat of solvent acrylic is the cheapest quote you will get. Two coats of a urethane-modified water-based product, or a two-part system, costs more in material and labour — and lasts longer.
5. Paver material. Concrete pavers are the baseline. Clay brick is denser and takes less sealer. Travertine, sandstone and other natural stone are more porous and more sensitive to the wrong chemistry, and are priced higher.
6. Masking and access. Paver areas bordered by house siding, painted surfaces, glass doors, pool coping, outdoor kitchens or planting beds need protection from overspray. Steps, retaining wall caps and borders add hand-work. A narrow side yard that will not take a surface cleaner slows everything.
7. Old sealer. Whether a strip is needed is the largest single swing factor, as above.
8. Season and region. Sealing is weather-dependent work concentrated in spring and early autumn. Booking at the shoulder of the season can be cheaper; peak-season urgency rarely is. Labour rates vary widely across the country, and they make up most of the price.
Reading two quotes side by side
Ask each contractor the same questions: how will the pavers be cleaned and will efflorescence be treated; will joints be cleaned out and refilled, to what depth, and with what sand; which sealer, water- or solvent-based, and how many coats; how long will the sand cure before sealing; and whether there is any warranty on the sealer — against peeling, blushing or sand wash-out. A $0.90 quote that answers "one coat, no re-sanding" and a $2.20 quote that answers "full clean, full-depth polymeric sand, two coats of a water-based urethane" are not competing for the same job.
Reseal Interval and Cost Per Year
A sealer that costs less per coat is not necessarily cheaper to own. The useful number is cost per year of protection, which depends on the reseal interval for that sealer on your surface. Driveways and full-sun pool decks sit at the short end of each range; shaded patios at the long end. We cover the signs that it is time in detail in how often to seal pavers.
| Approach (600 sq ft driveway) | Cost per cycle | Interval | Approx. cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY water-based, clean + top-up sand + 2 coats | $300 – $750 | 3 – 4 years | $75 – $250 |
| DIY solvent acrylic, 1–2 coats | $250 – $600 | 2 – 3 years | $85 – $300 |
| DIY penetrating silane/siloxane | $250 – $600 | 4 – 6 years | $40 – $150 |
| Pro full service, water-based | $900 – $1,800 | 3 – 4 years | $225 – $600 |
| Pro full service, solvent acrylic | $900 – $1,600 | 2 – 3 years | $300 – $800 |
| Pro maintenance coat only | $450 – $900 | every other cycle | lowers the above by 20–35% |
Two things stand out. First, the cheap wet-look solvent acrylic often costs the most per year once you account for the shorter interval, particularly in strong sun. Second, the real saving over time comes from not letting the sealer fail completely. Resealing while the old coat is merely worn means a light clean and one coat; waiting until it has peeled or the joints have emptied means a strip, a full re-sand, or both.
It is also worth being honest about the alternative of not sealing at all. Unsealed concrete pavers are not ruined — they fade and stain more, grow more algae in shade, and lose joint sand faster. Many homeowners skip sealing and just re-sand and clean every few years for $0.50–$1.50 per square foot. Sealing earns its cost mainly when you value colour and stain resistance, have a driveway exposed to oil, or have joints that keep washing out.
DIY or Professional?
DIY makes sense for patios and walkways under about 500 sq ft, where professional minimums make the per-square-foot price poor value; for pavers in decent condition that need a clean, a sand top-up and a maintenance coat; and when you are using a water-based sealer, which is forgiving of application technique. The saving is typically around half of a professional quote, and more on small jobs where minimum charges apply. The cost is a weekend — cleaning on day one, sanding after the pavers dry, then waiting for the sand to cure before sealing — and the dependence on a dry forecast across all of it. Our step-by-step guide on how to seal pavers covers the sequence.
Professional makes sense when an old sealer needs stripping, when the joints need full-depth clean-out across a large area, for pool decks where overspray into the water and slip resistance both matter, for natural stone that can be damaged by the wrong cleaner or sealer, and for solvent-based products if you do not want to handle the fumes. It also makes sense if the weather window is tight: a crew can clean, sand and seal over two visits in a week where a DIYer might lose a fortnight to a rainy spell.
The honest middle path is to clean and re-sand yourself, then decide. Pressure washing and sanding are the most labour-intensive parts and the least technically demanding. If the result looks good and the forecast holds, applying a water-based sealer is the easiest step of the three.
What DIY really costs for a 300 sq ft patio
- Water-based sealer, two coats: $100–$300
- Polymeric sand, top-up: $50–$150
- Paver cleaner: $20–$50
- Pressure washer and surface cleaner rental (if needed): $80–$160
- Sprayer, roller, tape and plastic sheeting: $30–$80
Total: roughly $250–$600 if you rent, or $180–$450 if you own a pressure washer, against $450–$900 for a professional full service on the same patio. The low end assumes a single pail of sealer and a two-bag sand top-up; the high end, premium sealer, a fuller re-sand and both rentals.
Where Budgets Go Wrong
Buying sealer by label coverage. A label claiming 300 sq ft per gallon assumes dense pavers and a thin coat. On average concrete pavers a first coat takes considerably more. Calculate from the lower end of the realistic range and buy the larger pail.
Forgetting the sand. Many DIY budgets include sealer and a rented pressure washer and nothing else. The wash takes sand out of the joints; replacing it is part of the job.
Sealing too soon. Sealer over damp pavers or uncured polymeric sand clouds and can fail to bond, and the fix is often stripping — turning a $300 DIY job into an $800 one. Most products want 24–48 hours of dry pavers and a dry forecast for a day after application.
Ignoring efflorescence. Sealing over white mineral bloom locks it under the film. Treat it first, and on pavers under a year old consider waiting for it to finish working out, which is why many installers recommend letting new pavers weather for some months before the first seal.
Switching chemistry without checking. Putting a water-based sealer over an existing solvent acrylic — or the reverse — can fail to bond. Check what was used before, or test a small area, before committing to a large purchase.
Choosing wet look for the wrong place. A high-gloss finish on a pool deck or a shaded, sloped walkway can be slippery when wet. Adding grit costs little; a fall costs a lot. If you want deep colour, our guide to wet-look paver sealers covers the options that hold up best.
The Short Version
Budget $1.50–$3.00 per square foot for a professional clean, re-sand and seal — around $450–$900 for a patio, $900–$1,800 for a two-car driveway and $1,500–$3,000 for a pool deck. Sealing only, over pavers already in good shape, is about half that.
Budget $0.50–$1.25 per square foot to do it yourself with a water-based sealer and polymeric sand top-up, plus equipment rental if you need it. On patios and walks, that is the best value in the category.
Add $1–$3 per square foot if an old sealer has failed and has to be stripped — and avoid ever needing that by resealing every three to five years, while the existing coat is worn rather than gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Professionally, about $0.75–$1.50 per square foot for sealing alone and $1.50–$3.00 for the full service of cleaning, re-sanding the joints with polymeric sand and applying two coats. Most contractors also have a minimum charge of $300–$600, which dominates on small jobs. Doing it yourself, materials run roughly $0.50–$1.25 per square foot including sealer and polymeric sand, plus $80–$160 if you need to rent a pressure washer and surface cleaner. Stripping an old, failed sealer adds $1–$3 per square foot to any of these figures.
A typical two-car paver driveway of 500–700 sq ft costs $900–$2,000 for a professional clean, re-sand and seal, or $450–$1,000 for a sealing-only maintenance coat. Driveways run higher per square foot than patios because oil and tyre stains need degreasing, joints lose more sand under turning tyres, and the sealer has to resist hot-tyre pickup. DIY materials for the same driveway cost roughly $275–$850. Stripping a peeling or heavily built-up old sealer can add $600–$1,800 on top.
For a typical 800–1,200 sq ft pool deck, expect $1,500–$3,500 for full-service professional cleaning, re-sanding and sealing, or $700–$1,700 for a sealing-only coat. Pool decks cost more per square foot because the coping and water must be protected from overspray, the sealer must resist chlorine or salt, and a slip-resistant grit additive is usually mixed into the final coat for an extra $0.10–$0.30 per square foot. Travertine and natural stone decks sit at the top of the range because they are more porous and take more product.
Yes, usually by around half. A 300 sq ft patio costs roughly $250–$600 in DIY materials and rentals, against $450–$900 for a professional full service. The saving is largest on small areas, where professional minimum charges push up the per-square-foot price. The trade-offs are a weekend of work, the need for a multi-day dry forecast, and the risk of mistakes like sealing over damp pavers or uncured sand. Jobs that need old sealer stripped, large pool decks and natural stone are where professional work usually earns its price.
It depends on joint width and how much sand has washed out. For a top-up on standard pavers with narrow 1/8"–1/4" joints, a 50 lb bag covers roughly 75–150 sq ft, so a 300 sq ft patio needs two to four bags. A full-depth refill on the same pavers takes four to eight. Wide joints or tumbled pavers drop coverage to 25–50 sq ft per bag, and flagstone with wide irregular joints can need a bag per 10–30 sq ft. At $25–$50 a bag, always buy one more than the calculation suggests.
Professional stripping adds $1–$3 per square foot on top of cleaning and sealing, more on textured or tumbled pavers. DIY stripping uses a sealer stripper at roughly $40–$90 a gallon covering 100–200 sq ft, so $150–$450 in materials for a patio. Stripping is only necessary when the old sealer is peeling, has built up into a thick skin, has widespread whitening, or is an incompatible chemistry. White blushing on a solvent-based acrylic can often be fixed by re-wetting it with xylene for a fraction of the cost.
Every two to three years for solvent-based acrylic wet-look sealers, three to five for water-based acrylic and urethane-acrylic sealers, and four to seven for penetrating silane and siloxane sealers. Driveways and full-sun pool decks sit at the short end of each range; shaded patios at the long end. The cheapest pattern over time is resealing while the old coat is worn but intact, because that needs only a light clean and a single coat rather than stripping and full re-sanding.
It is worth it when you value colour and stain resistance, have a driveway exposed to oil and tyre marks, or have joints that keep washing out, since a film-forming sealer helps stabilise the joint sand. It is less essential on a shaded patio you are happy to let weather naturally. Unsealed concrete pavers are not damaged by being left bare; they fade, stain and lose sand faster. Over a decade, sealing a 600 sq ft driveway yourself typically costs $75–$250 a year with a water-based product, against $225–$600 a year professionally.