Flatwork & Driveway Scope Guide

Concrete driveway washing, stain treatment and sealing.

A flatwork quote should say more than "pressure wash driveway." Which walkways, curbs, and porch steps are included, whether the contractor uses a rotary surface cleaner with post-treatment, and how oil or rust stains are priced make the difference between an even slab and zebra stripes.

Send your pressure washing quote No quote yet? Get a scoping document

Four details that separate flatwork quotes

Check each quote against these four items before hiring a crew.

1. Rotary surface cleaner + post-treatment

Even pass height and algae spore kill:

Cleaning a wide driveway with a handheld wand alone almost always leaves overlap lines.
A commercial rotary surface cleaner holds dual or quad spray tips at a fixed height and pressure across the slab.
Misting a light sodium hypochlorite post-treatment after rinsing dissolves faint circular swirl lines left by deep-rooted black algae.

2. Oil, rust, and tannin stains

Cold water alone will not lift motor oil or rust:

Motor oil and transmission fluid: Needs an alkaline degreaser, hot water (or poultice), and scrubbing; deep oil shadows in porous concrete usually lighten rather than vanish completely.
Rust and irrigation stains: Needs an oxalic-acid or specialized rust remover; bleach makes rust stains darker.
Acorn and leaf tannins: Responds to sodium hypochlorite dwell time.

3. Pavers and stamped concrete

Joint sand and decorative film sealers:

Washing brick or concrete pavers flushes out loose joint sand. The quote must specify whether polymeric sand is swept and misted back into the joints once dry.
Stamped concrete usually has a topical acrylic sealer; aggressive nozzle tips can peel that glossy film and turn it cloudy.

4. Penetrating concrete sealers

Silane/siloxane vs film-forming acrylic:

For standard brushed concrete driveways, a breathable penetrating silane-siloxane sealer repels water and winter de-icing salts without changing the look or making the slab slick.
Check whether sealing happens on a second trip after the slab has dried for 24 to 48 hours.

Related pressure washing scope guides

Send your job details for a scoping document

It goes to the same desk as finalist.cc. A person reads it and replies by email with a scoping document or questions. You send the scoping document to contractors yourself.

Already have a quote? Send it on finalist.cc for a benchmark note.

We do not send your request, your quote or your details to contractors.