Patio prices vary far more than most people expect, and the reason is usually what is included rather than the size of the slabs. A rinse-off and a proper clean with pre-treatment, joint work and a biocide finish are two different jobs at two different prices.
Here is how patio cleaning is priced across Maidstone and the rest of Kent in 2026, and what should be in the figure you are quoted.
Typical patio cleaning prices
Our minimum charge for a patio clean is £150. As a working guide, and always subject to seeing the area:
- Small patio or seating area, roughly 15–25 m²: from £150.
- Standard rear patio, roughly 30–50 m²: around £180–£300.
- Large patio, or patio with steps and paths, 60 m² and up: around £300–£400+.
- Sealing, where the surface suits it, is quoted separately on top.
What moves the price
Area is only the starting point. In practice, condition and access change the time on site more than square metres do.
- Surface: Indian sandstone, porcelain and natural stone need gentler, slower methods than concrete slabs.
- Black spot lichen: it bonds into the stone and needs treatment rather than pressure alone, which adds a visit or a longer day.
- Jointing: pointed joints that need protecting, or block paving joints that need kiln-dried sand afterwards.
- Access: distance from a water and power supply, narrow side gates, steps and levels.
- Extras: weed and moss treatment, oil or barbecue stain work, and sealing are separate line items.
What a fair quote should include
A proper patio clean includes pre-treatment, the clean itself, joint work where the surface needs it, a biocide finish to slow regrowth, and clearing the slurry away instead of flushing it into your borders or the drain.
If one quote is dramatically cheaper than the rest, it is normally missing the treatment and the finish — which is why that patio greens up again by the next spring.
Patio or driveway — cheaper done together
If the patio and the drive both need doing, having them cleaned on the same visit is almost always cheaper than two separate jobs, because the set-up, water supply and travel are shared. The same applies to paths, steps and a gutter clear at the same time.
Getting an accurate figure
Quotes are free, fixed and in writing, with no call-out fee. Send a couple of photographs and rough dimensions and you will get a firm price back rather than a range, along with exactly what is included.
Prices in Maidstone, Tonbridge, Medway and the surrounding towns are broadly consistent; the outliers are almost always access-driven rather than postcode-driven.
The short version
- Patio cleaning starts from £150, with most domestic patios between roughly £150 and £400.
- Surface type, black spot lichen and access affect the price more than area alone.
- Pre-treatment and a biocide finish should be included, not charged as an upgrade.
- Combining the patio with the driveway on one visit works out cheaper than two jobs.
