By car count vs per square foot
Inside your head, concrete is square feet. The parking pad of a 2-car driveway is roughly 20 × 20 feet, about 400 sq ft, but the job also includes the apron at the street and the walk to the door, so the prices above assume about 650 sq ft — 350 for a 1-car and 1000 for a 3-car. For the homeowner, “2-car driveway” is enough. Work out your per-square-foot rate once, convert it into 1-, 2- and 3-car prices, and quote those. Long rural driveways or shared drives are the exception: measure them.
Surface cleaner speed and your hourly target
Your price should come from time, not from what feels normal. Time yourself on a typical 2-car driveway, from unloading to packing up, including pre-treat and post-rinse. Multiply by your hourly target (truck, insurance, chemicals and your wage), and compare with the range above. If you’re well under the range, you have room; if you’re over, look at your setup time before you raise the price.
Oil, rust and sealing add-ons
- Oil stains: priced per stain or per area, with “lightened, not guaranteed removed” in writing.
- Rust (irrigation, fertilizer): a separate treatment, with the same caveat.
- Sealing: a different job with a different day; quote it separately.
- Sidewalks, walkways, pool decks: list what’s included so there’s no argument on site.
Minimums on small driveways
A 1-car driveway alone rarely pays for the trip. Set a minimum job and let small driveways round up to it, or offer them as an add-on to a house wash at the driveway price. On a price list, “Driveway, 2 cars: from $150” plus “Minimum job: $200” says both clearly.
More pricing: how much to charge for pressure washing, typical driveway prices by metro, and the free printable price list.