A fair price for sealing interlock depends on the work your pavers need, not just their size. Here are the cost drivers that move a quote, the questions that make quotes comparable and the one case where the fair price is nothing.
In This Article
Why a single rate per square foot misleads on interlock
Picture two driveways of the same size. One was washed and re-sanded last year and is tight and level. The other has moss in the joints, empty gaps along the tyre lines and three sunken pavers near the garage. The sealer might be identical, yet the second job takes far more labour before any coating goes on.
That is why interlock quotes are best judged by scope. A price is fair when it matches the work your surface needs, described line by line. Southern Ontario winters make the gap wider: frost shifts pavers, and salt and meltwater flush sand out of joints.
Six things that move an interlock quote
| Cost driver | Pushes the quote up when | Pushes it down when |
|---|---|---|
| Size and layout | The area is large, curved, or full of borders, steps and inside corners | It is a simple rectangle with few edges |
| Cleaning | Moss, algae, oil, rust or white salt haze must come off first | The surface only needs a light wash |
| Joint sand | Joints are washed out and need refilling with polymeric sand | The joints are full and firm |
| Repairs | Sunken, heaved or loose pavers must be lifted and reset | The surface is level and tight |
| Sealer and finish | A film-forming, wet-look product or an extra coat is chosen | A simpler product and a natural finish are enough |
| Site access | Steps, slopes, or vehicles that cannot be moved slow the work | The area is open, level and empty |
Drying time matters as well. Pavers need to be dry through their depth before sealer goes on, and a wet spell can push the job to another day.
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Questions that make two quotes comparable
- Does the price include cleaning, and by what method? Blasting with high pressure can knock sand out of the joints. Read how to clean interlock paving for the trade-offs.
- Will the joints be refilled after cleaning, and with what product?
- Are repairs to sunken or loose pavers included, or listed separately?
- Which sealer, in what finish, and how many coats?
- When can people walk on it, and when can the car go back? The answer should follow the product label and the weather.
A quote that answers these five is one you can set beside another and compare honestly.
A three-step sanity check that needs no price list
- Turn each quote into a rate. Divide the total by the measured area. The result is only a comparison tool, and it means nothing unless both quotes cover the same scope.
- Find the missing line. When one quote is far lower, hold it against the table above. Usually a step is absent: no joint refill, one coat instead of two, no repairs, or a wash that only rinses the surface.
- Read the payment terms. Paying in stages that follow the work is common sense. Paying everything before a single paver has been cleaned is not.
Nothing here needs a market average, which is just as well. An average across different drivers says little about your own driveway, and interlock is prepared and coated differently from asphalt, so prices for the two are not interchangeable.
When the fair price for sealing is nothing
Sealing interlock is a choice, not a rule. If your pavers are new, ask the installer or the paver maker when sealing suits them, because fresh concrete pavers can show a white haze that a sealer would lock in. If the real trouble is settling, the money belongs in repairs first. If the joints are simply empty, new sand may do more good than any coating.
An honest contractor will say so, even when it means a smaller job. Be wary of anyone who proposes sealing without looking at the joints, the levels and the stains.
What D&D publishes and what depends on your driveway
D&D Home Services quotes interlock and paver sealing after looking at the area, the joints and any stains. The final figure depends on the size, the condition and the finish you choose, and it is confirmed in writing before work begins. Quotes are free.
When you ask for one, say that the surface is interlock and describe any moss, stains, empty joints or sunken stones. The pricing page lists every published starting price in one place.
Key Takeaways
- Interlock quotes should be judged by scope: cleaning, joint sand, repairs, sealer and coats, not by size alone.
- Moss, stains, washed-out joints and sunken pavers add labour before any sealer goes on.
- Ask what is included, which sealer and finish is planned, and when the surface can be used again.
- Sometimes new sand or a paver repair is worth more than sealer, and a fair contractor will say so.
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