How much does paver sealing cost?
Sealing pavers costs $1.50 to $3.25 per square foot, including pressure washing and new joint sand, per HomeGuide.
Angi reads the same job at about $2 per square foot, in a $1 to $3 band, and says most paver cleaning-and-sealing projects land at $300 to $550 with $400 typical for a 200-square-foot patio. The two guides overlap almost entirely. What both include matters as much as the rate: the pressure wash first, sand swept back into the joints, and then the sealer — because a sealer over dirt or efflorescence bonds to the dirt.
This page is general information, not professional advice. Prices move with your yard's grade and access, the paver you choose, the pattern and your region, and the only number that counts is a written quote from a contractor who has measured the site.
Paver cleaning and sealing cost by job size
| Job size | Per square foot |
|---|---|
| Small (under 500 sq ft) | $2.20 – $3.25 |
| Medium (501 – 2,000 sq ft) | $1.75 – $2.95 |
| Large (over 2,000 sq ft) | $1.50 – $2.20 |
Source: HomeGuide
| Patio size | Square feet | Published range |
|---|---|---|
| 10 x 12 | 120 | $120 – $360 |
| 12 x 12 | 144 | $144 – $432 |
| 15 x 15 | 225 | $225 – $675 |
| 20 x 20 | 400 | $400 – $1,200 |
Source: Angi
Solvent-based or water-based sealer
Angi prices the two kinds: solvent-based sealer at $32 to $55 a gallon plus $1.50 to $2 per square foot applied, and water-based at $40 to $90 a gallon plus $2.25 to $3.75 applied. HomeGuide's comparison is the useful one. Solvent-based gives the high shine, lasts 4 to 5 years and costs less, but can be slippery, is not breathable, traps condensation as a white haze and needs the pavers bone dry — 1 to 2 days after the wash. Water-based penetrates, stabilizes the joint sand, breathes, and can go on a damp surface, at a higher price and with less shine.
Shine costs breathability. In a humid climate the matte, breathable sealer is usually the one that does not turn white.
What sealing costs to do yourself
Angi prices a DIY clean-and-reseal at about $220 — 1-gallon jugs of sealer at around $40 each covering about 200 square feet, plus a $50-a-day pressure washer rental — and a 5-gallon bucket covering roughly 1,000 square feet at about $200. HomeGuide's rate for having the pavers pressure-washed ahead of time is $0.35 to $0.80 per square foot, if the cleaning and the sealing are split between two visits.
How often the bill comes back
HomeGuide says a sealing lasts 3 to 5 years depending on the sealer, traffic, climate, tree cover and whether the area is under an enclosure. Angi's pros-and-cons guide says every three to five years, sooner with de-icing salt, flooding or constant sun, and notes a water-based sealer may need refreshing at around two. Belgard, a paver manufacturer, publishes the same 3-to-5-year rule of thumb.
Whether to seal at all — the trade association's and the manufacturers' case, both sides: is there a downside to sealing pavers.
Questions people ask next
- How much should I pay to have my pavers sealed?
- For a typical patio, HomeGuide's $2.20 to $3.25 per square foot for jobs under 500 square feet, or Angi's $300 to $550 for a clean-and-seal. A quote far above that is buying repairs or stain removal the guides price separately; one far below is skipping the wash.
- Does the price include cleaning?
- On both HomeGuide's and Angi's figures, yes — pressure washing, joint sand and sealer. HomeGuide says repairs, releveling, drainage fixes and heavy stain or calcium removal cost extra, and that moving furniture and a grill off the patio adds labor.
- How long before I can walk on sealed pavers?
- HomeGuide says water-based sealers cure 24 to 48 hours before light foot traffic and solvent-based ones up to 72. Techniseal, a sealer manufacturer, says its products reach saturation in minutes during application but the pavers should be dry and cleaned 24 hours before.
- Is paver sealing worth the money?
- The trade association's answer is that sealers reduce water, stain, oil and dirt intrusion and intensify color without adding strength; Angi's is that it is added cost and a recurring one. The page on this site about the downside of sealing prints both cases in full.
Written for homeowners by Most Recommended Pavers, which measures which paver contractors AI assistants actually recommend. Nobody can pay to be on those lists. How we measure.