Pressure washing is one of the simpler outdoor jobs to book, but a few things are worth knowing first: whether it suits your surface, what Melbourne’s water saving rules allow, how the price is worked out, and what it can and cannot be expected to do.
Does your surface suit pressure washing?
Our pressure washing is for hard outdoor surfaces:
- concrete driveways and paths
- pavers
- garage floors
- courtyards and patios
It is not for roofs, render or painted surfaces. If your surface is fragile, or you are not sure what it is made of, send photos and ask for a custom quote rather than booking through the calculator.
What Melbourne’s water saving rules allow
This section is general information, not legal advice. Check the current rules with your water corporation before booking; the Victorian Government’s water website has a link to find yours.
Victoria’s Permanent Water Saving Rules apply every day of the year across the state. Under them, water must not be used to clean hard surfaces such as driveways, paths, concrete, tiles and timber decking, except:
- where cleaning is needed as a result of an accident, fire, health hazard, safety hazard or other emergency
- where staining has developed on the surface, and then only once a season
- in the course of construction or renovation
When one of those applies, the cleaning must be done with a high-pressure water cleaning device or, if one is not available, a hand-held hose or a bucket. The rules describe a high-pressure water cleaner as an electric or petrol-powered device that connects to a hose, with a delivery rate of 9 litres per minute or less.
A few other points from the official pages:
- The rules apply to drinking water only, not to rainwater, recycled water, greywater or bore water.
- In limited circumstances you can apply for an exemption.
- Breaching the rules can result in fines.
What this means when you book: pressure washing a driveway is something to plan once staining has developed, not a routine rinse. Our guide on how often outdoor paving should be cleaned looks at timing in more detail. If the cleaning is needed because of building or renovation work, post-renovation cleaning explains how that kind of clean is planned. If you are unsure whether your situation fits the rules, ask your water corporation.
How the price is worked out
Pressure washing is priced by area: $2.70 per square metre plus GST. As an example, a 40 m² driveway comes to $109 + GST.
To estimate your area:
- Measure the length and width in metres and multiply them. A strip 3 metres wide and 12 metres long is 36 m².
- For an L-shaped or irregular area, split it into rectangles and add them together.
- Add any paths, the garage floor or a courtyard you want done in the same visit.
The instant quote calculator shows the total for the area you enter. Large or difficult jobs, such as commercial forecourts, fragile surfaces, heavy oil staining or awkward access, are quoted after we see photos or the site.
What is needed on the day
- An outside tap and a power point. Tell us when you book if either is not available.
- A clear surface. Cars, bins, pot plants and outdoor furniture left on the area cannot be cleaned under.
- A way in. Let us know how we reach the area, for example whether a side gate will be unlocked.
A rinse-down of the surrounding area is part of the job.
What it can and cannot do
Pressure washing is good at lifting the built-up dirt, moss and tyre marks that a broom will not shift. How the surface looks afterwards also depends on its age and condition: older concrete and weathered pavers will still look their age, only cleaner.
Do not book it expecting these to disappear:
- Old oil stains soaked deep into concrete. These are not part of the service.
- Rust marks and efflorescence, the white, powdery deposit that can appear on pavers and concrete. Pressure washing is not a treatment for either, and they may remain.
- Cracks, chips and wear, which are damage rather than dirt.
Sealing or re-sanding pavers is not part of the service either; that is a separate job for a paving specialist. If you have any of these issues, send photos with your request so they can be discussed before you book.
Questions worth asking any provider
- Is the price per square metre, and does it include GST?
- Which surfaces do you clean, and which do you not?
- Do you need my water and power?
- What is the delivery rate of your machine?
- How do you handle stains that may not come out?
Ready to book?
Enter your area in the instant quote calculator to see the price, or read more about our pressure washing service. Sending a request is not yet a confirmed booking: we confirm the date and time with you first.
Ready for a price?
See exactly what our pressure washing includes, or go straight to the next step.
Or call 0466 699 276 · WhatsApp us
Sources
- South East Water — Permanent Water Saving Rules
- Victorian Government (water.vic.gov.au) — Permanent water saving rules
Rules change. Check the official source for your situation; this guide is general information, not legal advice.