Short answer: a typical three-to-four-bay block-paved driveway takes around four to six hours including re-sanding, a standard two-car drive with minor block repairs is roughly a day, a 25–40 square metre garden patio is three to five hours, and a 15–25 square metre deck is about half a day. Those are working times on site for a single visit.
What stretches or shortens that window is rarely the size alone. It is how much growth has built up, whether joints need refilling, how easy it is to get water and a machine to the surface, and whether the weather lets the drying-dependent steps happen the same day. The rest of this guide breaks those factors down so you can plan the day around the work.
Typical time on site, surface by surface
- Block-paved driveway, three to four bays: about four to six hours, with kiln-dried sand brushed in at the end.
- Two-car block paving with a few sunken or lifted blocks: allow roughly a day, because re-setting blocks is careful hand work.
- Garden patio of 25–40 square metres: three to five hours from setting up to the final rinse.
- Timber or composite deck of 15–25 square metres: around half a day, including an anti-slip biocide treatment.
- Retail forecourt or walkway: normally one visit timed overnight or before opening so trading is not disrupted.
The stages that make up the day
A visit starts with protecting doors, planting, cars and drains, then clearing loose debris and weeds from the joints. The open surface is cleaned with a rotary flat-surface cleaner, which is quicker and far more even than a lance. Edges, steps and corners are detailed by hand afterwards.
After the clean, the silt is rinsed away and a biocide is applied where there is moss, algae or lichen. On block paving the joints are then refilled with kiln-dried sand, which needs the surface to be reasonably dry. That drying requirement is the single biggest reason a job runs into the late afternoon or moves part of the work to a second day.
What makes a clean take longer
- Years of thick moss or black spot lichen, which needs a dwell time and sometimes a second pass rather than more pressure.
- Oil, diesel or rust marks that are treated separately from the general clean.
- A long hose run or no outside tap, which slows every stage.
- Steps, walls, planters and narrow side returns that the rotary head cannot reach.
- Joints that have lost almost all their sand, or blocks that have sunk and need lifting and re-bedding.
- Damp, cool weather, which delays re-sanding and rules out sealing on the same day.
When you can use the surface again
You can usually walk on a cleaned drive or patio as soon as the team leaves. Keep pets and children off any area treated with biocide until it has dried. Once the joints have been re-sanded it is sensible to avoid heavy sweeping and power washing for a while so the sand can settle and lock.
Cars can normally go back on the drive the same evening unless it has been sealed. Sealing is almost always a separate, later visit because the surface must be genuinely dry first, and the sealer then needs its own curing period before it takes vehicle weight. We confirm the exact wait for the product used on your surface.
How to keep the visit on schedule
- Move cars, bins, pots and garden furniture off the area the night before.
- Make sure an outside tap works, or tell us in advance if there isn't one.
- Leave side gates unlocked if the patio or deck is at the back.
- Mention any drains, cellar lights or air bricks at ground level so they can be protected.
- Send a few photos when you ask for a quote, so the time estimate reflects the real condition.