Pressure cleaning in Melbourne typically costs $3 to $6 per square metre for concrete, or $150 to $400 for a standard driveway, in 2026. This guide breaks down real 2026 prices for driveways, house washes, roofs and commercial work, the PSI your surface can actually handle, what sealing costs (almost no guide prices it), and the Melbourne water rules most operators never mention.
Written by Metecan Kalkan, founder of OneDrop FM (ABN 74 499 285 939), a Melbourne cleaning company. We pressure wash across Bayswater, Dandenong, Reservoir, Taylors Lakes and more than 20 other suburbs. Last updated: 26 October 2026.
The Short Answer: Melbourne Prices
Per square metre:
- Concrete: $3 to $6 per sqm
- Pavers: $4 to $8 per sqm
- Minimum call-out: $150 to $250
Per job:
- Driveway, single (30 to 40 sqm): $150 to $400
- Driveway, double (50 to 70 sqm): $180 to $650, typically $260 to $350
- Driveway plus paths (about 100 sqm): $300 to $900
- House wash, single storey: $350 to $700
- House wash, double storey: $600 to $1,200
- Roof clean, single storey: $600 to $1,000
- Roof clean, double storey: $1,000 to $1,800
- Deck (20 to 40 sqm): $160 to $470
- Fence: $8 to $15 per lineal metre
- Pool surrounds: $160 to $500
Commercial:
- Car park: $8 to $15 per bay (100 bays: $1,200 to $2,500)
- Shopfront and footpath: $200 to $500
- Loading dock: $500 to $1,200
- Warehouse floor: $1.50 to $4 per sqm
- Building facade: $5 to $12 per sqm
- Strata common areas: $800 to $2,500
Bundles: combining a driveway, paths and patio in one visit saves 20 to 30 percent against booking each alone. Full property packages run $800 to $1,500.
A note on hourly rates: published Melbourne figures conflict badly, from $42 to $105 per hour GST-inclusive locally to $120 to $165 in national guides. Per-sqm and per-job quotes are the reliable way to compare. Always confirm the GST-inclusive total in writing, as several operators do not state it.
What Is Included in a Standard Clean?
A proper driveway job includes a pre-soak, a surface-cleaner pass (the flat rotary head that stops striping), hand-done edges, and a final rinse with an inspection.
The trap is oil and mould treatment. Some operators include an oil treatment in the driveway price; others charge it as an extra on the day. Ask before you book whether stain treatment and mould treatment are in the quote or on top of it.
What Costs Extra?
- Oil stain treatment: $60 to $150 extra at operators who do not include it.
- Mould inhibitor: $52 to $160 per job.
- Full mould treatment: $315 to $945, depending on area.
- Concrete sealing: $22 to $30 per sqm standard, $27 to $35 for colour seal, $30 to $45 for premium penetrating sealers. On a 50 sqm driveway that is $1,100 to $2,250 on top of the clean, which is why most guides quietly skip it.
- Gutter cleaning add-on: $150 to $250 single storey, $250 to $450 double storey.
A house wash is usually booked on its own, but it pairs with interior work too. See our house cleaning cost guide for whole-house pricing.
Pressure vs Soft Wash: Match the PSI to the Surface
Two methods, very different force:
- Pressure washing: 1,500 to 4,000 PSI. For hard surfaces.
- Soft washing: under 500 PSI, with a mould treatment doing the work instead of force. For anything a jet can damage.
Safe ranges by surface:
- Sound concrete: 3,000 to 4,000 PSI
- Exposed aggregate: 2,500 to 3,000 PSI
- Pavers: 1,500 to 2,500 PSI
- Brick: 1,000 to 2,000 PSI
- Sandstone and limestone: 500 to 1,200 PSI
- Timber decks: 500 to 1,200 PSI, worked along the grain
- Render, painted surfaces, weatherboard and cladding: soft wash only, under 500 PSI
Roofs are a special case. A biocide treatment with a low-pressure rinse gives results that last 6 to 18 months. Blasting a roof strips paint from Colorbond, cracks tiles and voids care warranties. Hot water machines (60 to 110 degrees) matter for commercial grease: heat melts the bond between oil and concrete, cold water just smears it.
Melbourne Water Rules: What Is Actually Allowed
This is the section almost every guide skips, and the rules surprise people.
Under Victoria’s permanent water saving rules, drinking water must not be used to clean hard surfaces such as driveways and paths. Three exceptions exist: an accident, fire, health, safety or emergency clean; removing staining once per season; or construction and renovation work. Where cleaning is allowed, a high-pressure device must be used if available, and it must use 9 litres per minute or less.
Penalties run over 10 penalty units for a first offence and over 20 for repeat offences. The rules cover drinking water only: tank, bore and recycled water are exempt, windows are unrestricted, and cars can be washed at any time. Note there is no blanket exemption for cleaning before painting or sealing. Prep work only fits these rules if it forms part of renovation work.
For commercial work, wastewater matters too. Only rain goes down the drain: wash water carrying dirt, oil or chemicals must be kept out of stormwater with bunding, drain covers or wet-vac recovery. In March 2025 a developer was fined nearly $4,000 after driveway wash water ran into stormwater near the Werribee River. Ask any commercial operator how they handle wash water before you hire them.
Prices Across Melbourne Suburbs
OneDrop FM is based in Taylors Lakes, near Watergardens. These are the areas our pressure work concentrates in:
- Pressure cleaning Bayswater: shaded blocks under tall trees. Damp driveways grow mould fast, and treatment matters more than force.
- Pressure cleaning Dandenong: commercial yards, car parks and loading areas alongside homes. Grease work needs hot water and proper wastewater control.
- Pressure cleaning Reservoir: family homes with big concrete driveways. Bundling the drive, paths and patio in one visit is the common saving.
We also cover more than 20 suburbs across Melbourne. Every quote is per job, in writing, with stain and mould treatment either included or named as an extra.
How Often Should You Pressure Clean?
- Driveways: every 12 to 18 months; yearly if shaded.
- Pavers, render and cladding: every 12 months.
- House wash: every 12 to 18 months.
- Roofs: every 1 to 2 years, treatment-based.
Red Flags: How to Spot a Bad Operator
The complaints customers report most:
- Etched, striped concrete. Lines from a wand held too close, sometimes only visible weeks later. A surface cleaner and the right distance prevent it.
- Furred, splintered decks and stripped stain. Full pressure on timber. Decks need 500 to 1,200 PSI along the grain, or a soft wash.
- Cracked roof tiles and stripped paint. Blasting instead of treating. The repair bill dwarfs the clean; in one documented sandstone case the repair quote was four times the cleaning cost.
- Water forced where it does not belong. Behind weatherboards, into cladding joints and brick cavities, hollowing out old lime mortar on period homes.
- Dead plants and brown lawns. Chemical treatments sprayed without wetting down or covering gardens first.
- Mould back within months. Blasting removes the colour, not the spores. Without treatment, mould returns in 3 to 6 months; a treated soft wash holds 12 to 18 months.
- Price creep from phone quotes. Condition alone can legitimately triple a job. Quotes given sight unseen are where the creep starts.
How to Choose an Operator
Before you book, check these:
- A written per-job quote from photos or a visit, GST-inclusive, with each surface listed.
- The PSI and method named per surface, in writing. Render and weatherboard should say soft wash.
- Mould treatment included, with dwell time, not just a blast.
- Insurance sighted, and a certificate for commercial work.
- Wastewater handling for commercial jobs: bunding, drain covers or recovery.
- Plant and garden protection: wetting down and covering before chemicals.
- Sealing priced separately and in writing if you want it, never bundled invisibly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does pressure cleaning cost in Melbourne?
$3 to $6 per square metre for concrete and $4 to $8 for pavers in 2026. A standard driveway runs $150 to $400, a double $180 to $650. House washes run $350 to $700 for a single storey. Minimum call-outs are $150 to $250.
Will it damage my concrete, render or deck?
At the right pressure, no. Sound concrete takes 3,000 to 4,000 PSI safely. Render, painted surfaces and weatherboard should never be pressure washed at all; they are soft washed under 500 PSI. Timber decks sit in between at 500 to 1,200 PSI along the grain. Damage happens when one pressure is used on everything.
Can I pressure clean at home under Melbourne water rules?
Only in limited cases. Drinking water cannot be used on hard surfaces except for an accident, health or safety clean, removing staining once per season, or construction and renovation work, and the device must use 9 litres per minute or less. Tank, bore and recycled water are exempt, and windows and cars are unrestricted.
How long does the job take?
A driveway takes 1 to 2 hours, a full house wash 3 to 5 hours, and a roof clean 2 to 6 hours depending on size and access. Sealing adds drying time before and curing time after, so a clean-and-seal driveway is usually a two-visit job.
Do I need to be home?
Not for exterior work, as long as an outside tap is available, gates are open and cars are moved off the driveway. For house washes, close all windows and tell the operator about any leaking seals or external power points to avoid.
Will the mould come back?
If it is only blasted off, yes, usually within 3 to 6 months, because the spores survive. A proper treatment kills the growth at the root and holds the result for 12 to 18 months. Shade and damp shorten that; Bayswater-style blocks under tall trees sit at the fast end.
Can oil stains be removed from my driveway?
Fresh oil usually lifts well with a degreaser and dwell time. Years-old oil soaks deep into concrete and typically fades to a shadow rather than disappearing completely. Any operator who promises an old stain will vanish entirely is overselling.
Is concrete sealing worth it after cleaning?
If the concrete is new, decorative or oil-prone (under cars, near a workshop), yes: sealing at $22 to $30 per sqm standard or $30 to $45 for premium penetrating sealers slows staining and makes the next clean cheaper. On plain old concrete in good condition, it is optional. Get it priced separately in writing.
Book Your Pressure Clean With OneDrop FM
Fixed per-job quotes with treatment inclusions stated in writing. Get in touch with OneDrop FM to get a fixed quote.
We are local. Based in Taylors Lakes, pressure washing across more than 20 Melbourne suburbs.
Call 0402 160 946 for a fixed quote.