The short answer
A standard two-car concrete driveway in Southeast Michigan starts around $149 to clean professionally, with larger or heavily stained drives running $200–$350. Oil and rust treatment is priced per stain, and adding a penetrating sealer — the step that actually protects the slab — is a separate line starting around $299 including the cleaning.
The Numbers First
A standard two-car concrete driveway cleaned professionally in Macomb County starts around $149. Three-car drives, long approaches and aprons push toward $200–$350. Stain treatment — oil, rust, tannin — prices per stain on top, and cleaning-plus-sealing packages start around $299, which is where the real long-term value sits in this climate.
What You're Paying For (and What You're Not)
The visible work is a rotary surface cleaner riding the slab — twin spinning jets under a shroud at fixed height, which is what produces an even, stripe-free finish. The invisible work is judgment: pre-treating organic growth so it dies instead of returning, running heat and degreaser where petroleum is involved, and knowing which stains will lift fully and which will only lighten — set honestly in advance, not discovered at the end.
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Two-car drive, standard condition | From $149 | Surface-cleaner finish, edges detailed |
| Three-car / extended drive | $200–$350 | Scales with square footage |
| Oil / rust stain treatment | Per stain | Fresh oil usually lifts fully; old stains lighten 70–90% |
| Clean + penetrating sealer | From $299 | The freeze-thaw protection — 5–10 year product |
| Sidewalks, patios, aprons added on | Modest add-on | Cheapest done in the same visit |
Why the stripes matter: the $99 guy with a wand can absolutely make your driveway wet and briefly brighter — and leave permanent lighter "zebra stripes" where his arcs overlapped, which is differential surface erosion and does not wash out. The surface cleaner is not a luxury; it is the difference between cleaning the slab and autographing it.
The Sealing Question, Answered With Arithmetic
In Southeast Michigan, water in the pore structure freezing 30–40 times a winter is what kills driveways — spalling and scaling are irreversible once they start, and a replacement slab runs several thousand dollars. A penetrating sealer after cleaning blocks the mechanism for five to ten years at a fraction of one percent of replacement cost per year. Cleaning makes the driveway look right; sealing is what makes it last. If the budget covers only one upgrade this year, seal.
When to Book It
Any frost-free stretch works for cleaning. For cleaning-plus-sealing the slab needs to be dry and above roughly 50°F, which makes late May through early October the Michigan window and late September the sweet spot — summer's grime comes off and the protection is in place before the first freeze.
The Bottom Line
From $149 for a standard drive, honest per-stain pricing on the ugly spots, and the sealing upgrade as the smartest money on the whole property. Our concrete cleaning service quotes it fixed and in writing — and the estimate calculator on the pricing page gets you a range without talking to anyone.
Want This Handled Properly?
Macomb Power Washing Solutions holds a 4.9-star rating across 160+ verified reviews, and free estimates go out within 24 hours. We carry $2M general liability and full workers' comp on every technician.