Sealing is the most oversold service in hardscaping and also one of the most genuinely useful, depending entirely on timing. Sealed at the right moment with the right product it protects a real investment. Sealed at the wrong moment it traps moisture, turns milky and costs more to strip off than it did to apply. Here is the pricing, and the part most quotes skip.
Quick price summary
| Service | Per sqft | 500 sqft patio | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean only (pressure wash, no sand or seal) | $0.50 – $1.10 | $250 – $550 | Annually if you like |
| Polymeric sand only (joints re-sanded) | $0.60 – $1.30 | $300 – $650 | Every 4 to 8 years |
| Full service: clean, re-sand, seal | $1.20 – $2.50 | $600 – $1,250 | Every 3 to 5 years |
| Efflorescence treatment, added | $0.35 – $0.80 | $175 – $400 | Once, usually on new work |
| Rust or oil stain removal, spot | $60 – $220 per spot | n/a | As needed |
| Strip failed or clouded sealer | $1.80 – $3.60 | $900 – $1,800 | Only to fix a bad job |
| Weed and moss removal in joints, heavy | $0.30 – $0.70 | $150 – $350 | With the clean |
| Full restoration: lift, re-base, relay, sand, seal | $6.00 – $14.00 | $3,000 – $7,000 | Once in 15 to 25 years |
Most companies carry a minimum call-out of $350 to $600, so a small 150 sqft walkway will not be priced purely per square foot.
What a proper job actually includes
This is where quotes diverge most. Two contractors can both say “clean and seal” and be selling very different work.
- Weed and moss kill, then removal. Cutting weeds off at the surface and sealing over the roots is the most common corner cut there is.
- Deep clean. Surface cleaner attachment, not a pencil-jet wand. A narrow jet at close range carves the paver face and blasts the joints out.
- Old joint sand removal where it has failed. New sand over degraded sand does not bond.
- Dry time. 24 to 48 hours. This is the step cheap jobs skip, and sealing damp pavers is what produces a milky white haze that then costs $900 to $1,800 to strip.
- Polymeric sand, swept in and compacted in lifts, to within about 3 mm of the chamfer, then watered per the manufacturer’s activation instructions.
- Sealer, two coats, applied in the right temperature window.
If a quote has the crew arriving and leaving the same day on a 500 sqft patio, the dry time did not happen. Ask directly how many visits the job takes. The honest answer is two.
Sealer types, and which suits Ontario
| Type | Look | Lasts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penetrating / impregnating | Natural, no sheen | 4 – 6 years | Breathable, lowest risk of haze, no slip change |
| Film-forming, matte | Slight colour lift | 3 – 5 years | Good balance for most patios |
| Film-forming, wet look or gloss | Strong colour, shiny | 2 – 4 years | Highest haze risk, most slippery, needs stripping |
| Joint stabilising | Varies | 3 – 5 years | Binds joint sand as well as coating pavers |
| Water-based | Any of the above | Similar | Low odour, more forgiving, now the default |
| Solvent-based | Richer colour | Similar | Strong fumes, less tolerant of damp, being phased down |
For most Ontario patios a water-based, film-forming matte or a penetrating sealer is the right call. Wet-look gloss photographs beautifully and is the product most likely to disappoint by year three: it shows wear patterns, it gets slippery, and when it fails you cannot simply recoat, you have to strip it.
When you should not seal
- Pavers less than 60 to 90 days old. New concrete pavers push out efflorescence as they cure. Seal over it and you lock a white bloom in permanently.
- When the base has failed. If the patio is sinking or rutted, sealing is money spent on a surface that has to come up anyway. Fix the base first.
- When the forecast is wet. Sealer needs a dry surface going on and typically 24 to 48 hours of dry weather after.
- Below about 10 C or above about 30 C. Too cold and it will not cure, too hot and it flashes off before it penetrates.
- Late in the season. Sealing in cold November weather is the most common cause of a finish that never properly cures.
- If you never want to reseal. Sealing is a commitment. An unsealed patio ages gracefully. A once-sealed, never-resealed patio looks patchy.
Is sealing worth it at all?
Genuine benefits: it slows staining from barbecue grease, leaf tannin and rust; it holds joint sand in place, which slows weed growth and ant activity; it deepens colour; and it makes the surface noticeably easier to clean.
What it does not do: it does not stop the pavers moving, it does not prevent settling, it does not stop weeds seeding on top of the joints, and it does not extend the structural life of the patio. Anyone selling sealing as a way to make a patio last longer is overstating it. The base does that.
The practical verdict for this region: worth it on a patio you entertain on, near a barbecue or a pool, or anywhere with a light-coloured paver where staining shows. Less compelling on a utilitarian driveway in a mid-grey paver, where the honest answer is to keep the joint sand topped up and skip the sealer.
DIY versus hiring
Materials for DIY on 500 sqft: sealer at roughly $0.45 to $0.90 per square foot, polymeric sand at about $35 to $55 per bag covering 75 to 100 sqft of joints, and a pressure washer with a surface cleaner attachment to rent at $70 to $130 a day. Call it $500 to $800 in materials and rental against $600 to $1,250 to have it done.
The money saved is small and the failure modes are expensive. The two mistakes that cost the most are sealing before the surface is dry, which hazes, and over-applying, which leaves a plastic-looking sheen that has to be stripped. If you do it yourself, the discipline that matters is patience on dry time and two thin coats rather than one thick one.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to seal a paver patio in Ontario?
A full clean, re-sand and seal costs $1.20 to $2.50 per square foot in 2026, so about $600 to $1,250 on a 500 sqft patio. Most companies also carry a $350 to $600 minimum call-out.
How often should pavers be sealed?
Every 3 to 5 years for a film-forming sealer, 4 to 6 for a penetrating one. Driveways and south-facing patios wear faster than shaded areas.
When can I seal brand new pavers?
Wait 60 to 90 days. New concrete pavers release efflorescence as they cure, and sealing over it traps a white haze in the surface permanently.
Why did my sealed patio turn white or cloudy?
Almost always moisture trapped under a film-forming sealer, from sealing a damp surface, sealing before rain, or applying too thick a coat. Fixing it means stripping and resealing at $1.80 to $3.60 per square foot.
Does sealing stop weeds?
It reduces them substantially by stabilising the joint sand, but it does not eliminate them. Weeds also germinate in windblown debris sitting on top of the joints, which no sealer prevents.
Is polymeric sand necessary with sealing?
Not strictly, but doing them together is where the value is. Sealing over degraded joint sand locks in a joint that is already failing, and you lose the main benefit.
Can sealing fix a sinking patio?
No. Settling is a base problem and sealing is a surface treatment. A sinking area needs lifting, the base corrected and the pavers reset, which runs $6 to $14 per square foot for the affected area.