Short answer
Charge break-even ÷ (1 − margin). Break-even = wash and seal hours × loaded wage + overhead + sealer, where gallons = area ÷ coverage × coats, rounded up to whole pails. Example: a 960 sq ft driveway, two acrylic coats over two visits, prices at $1,102.32, or $1.148 per sq ft.
- Sealer type changes the price: $0.820 per sq ft for one silane coat, $1.148 for two water-based acrylic coats (assumed inputs).
- Two acrylic coats on 960 sq ft need 7.68 gallons, so 2 pails; the 2.32 gallons left over are a job cost.
- The second visit adds $101.08 to the example price: one more drive, set-up and pack-up.
- Small jobs cost more per sq ft: $2.725 at 200 sq ft, $1.017 at 2,000.
- Sealing concrete and sealcoating asphalt are different jobs with different products.
On this page
- How much should you charge for concrete sealing? The formula
- Concrete sealing price per square foot calculator
- Price per square foot by sealer type
- How much concrete sealer for 1,000 square feet? Coats, coverage and whole pails
- Wash only, first seal or maintenance coat: three prices
- Surface prep lines: oil stains, cracks, old sealer and the second trip
- How much does it cost to seal a 1,000 or 2,000 sq ft driveway?
- Asphalt sealcoating, wash water and VOC rules
- Excel formulas, the markup mistake and which tool to use
- Step-by-step
- FAQ
How much should you charge for concrete sealing? The formula
Charge your break-even divided by one minus your margin. Break-even covers the wash pass, every seal coat, each trip to the site and the sealer you have to buy in whole pails. Price per square foot is the result, not the starting point.
- Hours = area ÷ wash rate + coats × area ÷ coat rate + visits × (set-up and pack-up + round-trip drive).
- Sealer = area ÷ coverage × coats gallons, rounded up to whole pails, × pail price.
- Break-even = hours × (loaded wage + overhead per hour) + sealer + cleaner.
- Price = break-even ÷ (1 − margin).
I build pricing maths; I do not seal concrete. Every rate, coverage and pail price on this page is an assumption for a one-person business. Take coverage and coats from your sealer's own label or technical data sheet, then correct them with what your last few jobs actually used.
Labour and overhead (assumed): a $24 wage plus 22% burden is $29.28 an hour. If you are self-employed, the IRS puts the self-employment tax rate at 15.3%, part of that burden. $21,000 of yearly overhead over 210 billable days × 8 hours (1,680 hours) is $12.50 an hour, so each hour breaks even at $41.78.
Concrete sealing price per square foot calculator
Enter area, an overall production rate, wage, materials, overhead and margin. It opens on the example driveway and shows $1,102.32, or $1.148 per sq ft.
The production rate is an overall rate for the whole job, not a spraying speed: 960 sq ft ÷ 8 hours = 120 sq ft an hour. The hours are 960 ÷ 480 = 2 washing, 2 coats × 960 ÷ 640 = 3 sealing, and two visits of 0.75 h set-up plus 0.75 h driving. Two visits here, on the assumption that the label wants the washed slab dry before sealing; follow your product's own drying time.
Worked example: First seal, 960 sq ft concrete driveway, two water-based acrylic coats over two visits: 2 h washing + 3 h sealing + 2 visits × 1.5 h set-up and drive = 8 h, so 120 sq ft an hour overall; materials = 2 pails at an assumed $165 + $0.02 a sq ft of cleaner (all inputs assumed)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Workers (input) | 1 |
| Hourly wage paid (input) | $24.00 |
| Labour burden % (input) | 22% |
| Materials (input) | $349.20 |
| Overhead for the year (input) | $21,000.00 |
| People in the field (input) | 1 |
| Billable days a year (input) | 210 |
| Target margin % (input) | 38% |
| Jobs a week (input) | 4 |
| Area (sq ft) (input) | 960 |
| Production rate (sq ft per hour) (input) | 120 |
| Loaded labour rate (per hour) | $29.28 |
| Crew-hours | 8 |
| Labour cost | $234.24 |
| Overhead per sellable hour | $12.50 |
| Overhead share | $100.00 |
| Break-even cost | $683.44 |
| Price to quote | $1,102.32 |
| Profit on the job | $418.88 |
| Price if you MARK UP instead | $943.15 |
| Margin you actually keep with markup | 27.54% |
| Lost per job by marking up | $159.18 |
| Lost per year by marking up | $33,108.48 |
| Hours on the job | 8 |
| Price per sq ft | $1.148 |
| Break-even per sq ft | $0.712 |
Computed with the same formulas as the free calculators on this site. Change any input in the calculator above to see your own numbers.
Check it: 8 hours × $29.28 = $234.24, plus $100.00 of overhead and $349.20 of materials, is $683.44. Divided by 0.62, the price is $1,102.32. The free concrete pricing calculator runs the same job maths; its hours field is labelled crew hours on the pour, so enter your wash and seal hours there.
Price per square foot by sealer type
Each sealer type brings its own coats, coverage, application speed and pail price, so each gets its own row. Same driveway, same two visits, same wash; every number in the table is an assumption fed through the same maths.
| Sealer type | Coats | Coverage (sq ft/gal) | Pails | Hours | Materials | Price | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penetrating water repellent (silane / siloxane) | 1 | 200 | 1 | 6.2 | $229.20 | $787.48 | $0.820 |
| Penetrating pore blocker (silicate) | 1 | 175 | 2 | 6.2 | $299.20 | $900.38 | $0.938 |
| Acrylic, solvent-based | 2 | 300 | 2 | 8 | $379.20 | $1,150.71 | $1.199 |
| Acrylic, water-based | 2 | 250 | 2 | 8 | $349.20 | $1,102.32 | $1.148 |
What the types are. An Iowa State University report for the Iowa Highway Research Board (Evaluation of Penetrating Sealers for Concrete, listed in the sources below) sorts sealers into water repellents that coat the pore walls, pore blockers that seal the pores while leaving little or no coating on the surface, and barrier coatings that form a thick layer on top. It lists acrylics as pore blocking if solvent based and a barrier coating if water based, and notes that barrier coatings easily wear off under traffic. An FHWA report on bridge deck sealers says silane molecules are smaller than siloxane molecules, so they penetrate deeper, and that film formers may reduce skid resistance.
A two-part epoxy or polyurethane floor coating is a different job: surface grinding, mixing and several days. Price it from its own hours rather than as a row here.
How much concrete sealer for 1,000 square feet? Coats, coverage and whole pails
Gallons = area ÷ coverage × coats. Then round up: you buy whole pails, and an opened pail that is not used up on the next job is a cost of this one.
For 1,000 sq ft: one penetrating coat at an assumed 200 sq ft a gallon is 5 gallons (1 pail); two water-based acrylic coats at 250 sq ft a gallon are 8 gallons (2 pails). Use the coverage on your product's label, not these.
| Area (sq ft) | Gallons needed | Pails bought | Gallons left | Cost of the leftover | Price | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | 3.2 | 1 | 1.8 | $59.40 | $621.58 | $1.554 |
| 800 | 6.4 | 2 | 3.6 | $118.80 | $1,041.01 | $1.301 |
| 1,200 | 9.6 | 2 | 0.4 | $13.20 | $1,194.30 | $0.995 |
At 1,200 sq ft the second pail is nearly used up; at 400 sq ft, 36% of the only pail is left. Either carry the leftover into your next job's materials or charge it to this one, but decide before you quote.
Wash only, first seal or maintenance coat: three prices
Price the three jobs a sealing customer asks for from their own hours and materials. A wash only is one visit; a first seal and a maintenance coat are two.
| Job | Visits | Hours | Materials | Break-even | Price | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wash only | 1 | 3.5 | $19.20 | $165.43 | $266.82 | $0.278 |
| First seal, 2 acrylic coats | 2 | 8 | $349.20 | $683.44 | $1,102.32 | $1.148 |
| Maintenance coat, 1 acrylic coat | 2 | 6.5 | $184.20 | $455.77 | $735.11 | $0.766 |
Worked example: Maintenance coat on the same driveway: wash, then one acrylic coat on a second visit, 6.5 hours, 1 pail + cleaner (assumed inputs)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Workers (input) | 1 |
| Hourly wage paid (input) | $24.00 |
| Labour burden % (input) | 22% |
| Materials (input) | $184.20 |
| Overhead for the year (input) | $21,000.00 |
| People in the field (input) | 1 |
| Billable days a year (input) | 210 |
| Target margin % (input) | 38% |
| Jobs a week (input) | 4 |
| Hours on the job (input) | 6.5 |
| Loaded labour rate (per hour) | $29.28 |
| Crew-hours | 6.5 |
| Labour cost | $190.32 |
| Overhead per sellable hour | $12.50 |
| Overhead share | $81.25 |
| Break-even cost | $455.77 |
| Price to quote | $735.11 |
| Profit on the job | $279.34 |
| Price if you MARK UP instead | $628.96 |
| Margin you actually keep with markup | 27.54% |
| Lost per job by marking up | $106.15 |
| Lost per year by marking up | $22,079.26 |
Computed with the same formulas as the free calculators on this site. Change any input in the calculator above to see your own numbers.
Recurring customers. If the label or your own records say a maintenance coat every 3 years (an assumption here), the customer pays $735.11 per cycle, or $245.04 a year. Put the interval on the quote. For the washing pass on its own, the pressure washing pricing guide has the flatwork method; pavers with joint sand are a different job, covered in how much to charge for paver sealing.
Pressure Washing Pricing Calculator
A pressure washing estimate sheet for Excel & Google Sheets. Put the cleaning and sealing passes in the on-site hours and the sealer in the other-consumables line; it adds drive time, miles, overhead and your margin, shows break-even and never quotes below your minimum job price. It has no sealer-coverage or coats cells: work out the gallons first. One-time $39, no subscription, instant download.
See the pressure washing estimate template →Buy now — $39Instant access by email after checkout via Payhip. Want to try the maths first? Use the free concrete pricing calculator — no signup.
Surface prep lines: oil stains, cracks, old sealer and the second trip
Prep is where a flat per-square-foot price loses money. Price each item as minutes plus product, done during the wash visit so there is no extra drive.
| Line | Assumed | Break-even | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degrease oil stains | 4 stains × 12 min, $3 of degreaser each | $45.42 | $73.26 |
| Fill cracks | 40 linear ft × 1.5 min, $0.45 of filler a foot | $59.78 | $96.42 ($2.41 a linear ft) |
| Strip an old acrylic | 3.5 hours, $140 of stripper | $286.23 | $461.66 |
| A second trip | 0.75 h set-up + 0.75 h drive | $62.67 | $101.08 |
The last row is why two visits matter: the example priced as one visit would be $1,001.24, $101.08 less. Weather and temperature limits for applying a sealer are on its label; a rained-off day is another trip, so say on the quote who pays for it.
How much does it cost to seal a 1,000 or 2,000 sq ft driveway?
Run the same first-seal job at each size. Set-up, drive and the first pail do not shrink, so the per-square-foot price falls as the area grows.
| Area (sq ft) | Hours | Pails | Materials | Price | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 4.04 | 1 | $169 | $544.94 | $2.725 |
| 400 | 5.08 | 1 | $173 | $621.58 | $1.554 |
| 1,000 | 8.21 | 2 | $350 | $1,117.65 | $1.118 |
| 1,500 | 10.81 | 3 | $525 | $1,575.40 | $1.050 |
| 2,000 | 13.42 | 4 | $700 | $2,033.14 | $1.017 |
On these inputs 1,000 sq ft prices at $1,117.65 and 2,000 sq ft at $2,033.14. The 200 sq ft row is the minimum charge:
Worked example: The minimum job: a 200 sq ft patio, wash + two acrylic coats over two visits, 4.04 hours, 1 pail + cleaner (assumed inputs)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Workers (input) | 1 |
| Hourly wage paid (input) | $24.00 |
| Labour burden % (input) | 22% |
| Materials (input) | $169.00 |
| Overhead for the year (input) | $21,000.00 |
| People in the field (input) | 1 |
| Billable days a year (input) | 210 |
| Target margin % (input) | 38% |
| Jobs a week (input) | 4 |
| Hours on the job (input) | 4.04 |
| Loaded labour rate (per hour) | $29.28 |
| Crew-hours | 4.04 |
| Labour cost | $118.34 |
| Overhead per sellable hour | $12.50 |
| Overhead share | $50.52 |
| Break-even cost | $337.86 |
| Price to quote | $544.94 |
| Profit on the job | $207.08 |
| Price if you MARK UP instead | $466.25 |
| Margin you actually keep with markup | 27.54% |
| Lost per job by marking up | $78.69 |
| Lost per year by marking up | $16,367.35 |
Computed with the same formulas as the free calculators on this site. Change any input in the calculator above to see your own numbers.
Quote the driveway's $1.148 on that patio and you bill $229.60, $108.26 below its break-even.
Asphalt sealcoating, wash water and VOC rules
Asphalt is a different job. Sealcoating an asphalt driveway uses different products and is not priced on this page. The USGS describes coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat as a potent source of PAH contamination and notes states, counties and municipalities where its use is prohibited. Check your local rules before you offer it.
Wash water. Rules are local. In Portland, Oregon, the city's pressure washing rules say wash water is prohibited from flowing to the city's stormwater system, and list barriers around storm drains and collecting wash water with a wet/dry vacuum. Containment is hours and equipment: price it. Ask your own city's stormwater office.
VOC limits. The EPA's national VOC standard for architectural coatings (40 CFR part 59, subpart D) works by requiring manufacturers and importers to limit the VOC content of architectural coatings. States and air districts may set their own limits on solvent-based products; ask the local air agency. This is arithmetic, not legal advice.
Excel formulas, the markup mistake and which tool to use
Layout: B2 = area, B3 = wash rate, B4 = coats, B5 = coat rate, B6 = visits, B7 = set-up + drive hours a visit, B8 = coverage per gallon, B9 = pail price, B10 = cleaner per sq ft, B11 = wage, B12 = burden %, B13 = yearly overhead, B14 = sellable hours a year, B15 = margin %.
Hours
=B2/B3+B4*B2/B5+B6*B7Wash + coats + visits. Put in B16.
Pails
=ROUNDUP(B2/B8*B4/5,0)Whole 5-gallon pails. Put in B17.
Materials
=B17*B9+B2*B10Sealer + cleaner. Put in B18.
Price
=ROUND((B16*(B11*(1+B12)+B13/B14)+B18)/(1-B15),2)Margin divides. Put in B19.
Price per sq ft
=ROUND(B19/B2,3)The output to show the customer.
The mistake: adding 38% to break-even bills $943.15 and keeps 27.54%, not 38%: $159.18 short per job, $33,108.48 a year at 4 jobs a week. See the markup vs margin calculator guide.
Tools. The calculator above prices one job. The pressure washing estimate spreadsheet ($39) takes area and surface type, crew, on-site and drive hours, miles, SH and surfactant gallons, an other-consumables line and five add-on lines, then shows overhead, break-even, the price at your margin and never quotes below your minimum job price. It has no sealer-coverage, coats or pail-rounding cells: work the pails out first, put the sealer in other consumables and the sealing pass in the on-site hours. See what the pressure washing estimate spreadsheet includes. If you also pour slabs, how to bid concrete jobs covers yards, pump and finishing.
Put on your price sheet: wash rate, coat rate per sealer type, coverage and coats from each label, pail price, set-up and drive per visit, prep lines, the minimum charge and the maintenance interval.
Step-by-step: How Much to Charge for Concrete Sealing: Price It by Sealer Type
- Measure and pick the sealer. Measure the slab in square feet and choose the sealer type; read its coverage, coats and weather limits from the label.
- Work out pails. Gallons = area ÷ coverage × coats, rounded up to whole pails, times your pail price. Add cleaner.
- Add up the hours. Wash pass + each coat + every visit's set-up, pack-up and drive, plus any prep lines.
- Find break-even. Hours × (wage × (1 + burden %) + yearly overhead ÷ sellable hours) + materials.
- Divide by one minus margin. Break-even ÷ (1 − margin); for 38%, divide by 0.62.
- Check the minimum. Quote the higher of the computed price and your minimum job, priced the same way on your smallest slab.
Pressure Washing Pricing Calculator
A pressure washing estimate sheet for Excel & Google Sheets. Put the cleaning and sealing passes in the on-site hours and the sealer in the other-consumables line; it adds drive time, miles, overhead and your margin, shows break-even and never quotes below your minimum job price. It has no sealer-coverage or coats cells: work out the gallons first. One-time $39, no subscription, instant download.
See the Pressure Washing Pricing Calculator →Buy now — $39Instant access by email after checkout via Payhip. Want to try the maths first? Use the free calculator — no signup.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you charge to seal concrete per square foot?
Work it out from your costs: break-even ÷ (1 − margin) ÷ area. On this page's assumed inputs, two water-based acrylic coats on 960 sq ft price at $1.148 per sq ft and one silane / siloxane coat at $0.820. Replace every input with your own.
How much does it cost to seal a 2,000 square foot driveway?
On the assumed inputs, a first seal with two acrylic coats over two visits on 2,000 sq ft prices at $2,033.14, or $1.017 per sq ft. Your own wage, overhead, coverage and pail price will give a different number.
How much to seal a 1,000 sq ft driveway?
The same assumptions give $1,117.65 for 1,000 sq ft, or $1.118 per sq ft: 8.21 hours over two visits and 2 pails of sealer. Price the prep lines such as oil stains or cracks on top.
How much concrete sealer do I need for 1,000 square feet?
Divide 1,000 by the coverage on your sealer's label and multiply by the coats. At an assumed 250 sq ft a gallon and two coats that is 8 gallons, which means 2 five-gallon pails; at 200 sq ft a gallon and one coat it is 5 gallons.
What is the average cost to seal a concrete driveway?
This page does not quote an average, because a going rate hides the sealer type, visits, coats and job size. Compute your own price per sealer type first; then any local figure you hear can be compared with a number you can check.
Is concrete sealing the same as asphalt sealcoating?
No. Concrete sealers are penetrating or film-forming products for concrete; asphalt sealcoat is a different product for asphalt pavement. The USGS notes that coal-tar-based sealcoat is prohibited in some states, counties and municipalities, so check local rules before offering it.
How do I price a reseal for a repeat customer?
Price it as its own job: a wash, one coat and two visits. On the assumed inputs that maintenance coat is $735.11. At a 3-year interval (your label's or your own figure) it works out at $245.04 a year for the customer.
Sources
- IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes) — The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%
- Iowa State University / InTrans for the Iowa Highway Research Board: Evaluation of Penetrating Sealers for Concrete (June 2022) — Water repellents, pore blockers and barrier coatings; acrylics pore blocking if solvent based, barrier coating if water based; barrier coatings easily wear off under traffic
- FHWA: LTBP Summary - Current Information on the Use of Overlays and Sealers (FHWA-HRT-16-079) — Penetrating vs film-forming sealers; silane molecules smaller than siloxane so penetrate deeper; film formers may reduce skid resistance
- USGS: Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health — Coal-tar-based sealcoat is a potent source of PAH contamination; its use is prohibited in some states, counties and municipalities
- City of Portland, Environmental Services: Pressure washing rules — Wash water is prohibited from flowing to the city's stormwater system; barriers around storm drains; collect wash water with a wet/dry vacuum
- US EPA: Architectural Coatings, National Volatile Organic Compounds Emission Standards (40 CFR Part 59 Subpart D) — The rule requires manufacturers and importers to limit the VOC content of architectural coatings
I'm not a contractor, landlord or accountant. I build the pricing maths, and every number on this page shows its working so you can check it instead of trusting it. Guides are drafted with AI assistance; every worked figure is computed by the same code as the free calculators. How these guides are made → · Watch the breakdowns on YouTube →