HOW TO HIRE · CLEANING

How to hire a patio cleaner in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to patio cleaners. Check the pressure for the patio stone, the chemicals and where the run-off goes.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a patio cleaner in five steps

  1. Name the stoneSandstone, limestone or concrete.
  2. No acid on sandstoneIt can mark the stone.
  3. PointingPoint out loose joints.
  4. Clear the patioFurniture and pots.
  5. SealingDry day after.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nothing licenses patio cleaners in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so patio cleaning can be offered by anyone; trader status, insurance and references carry the weight.

Ask for a business name, an invoice for the patio cleaning and the name of the insurer.

Cleaning chemicals and COSHH

Strong products used for patio cleaning — degreasers, descalers, biocides — are hazardous substances, and HSE says its COSHH rules cover a self-employed cleaner who brings them into your home, except for monitoring and health surveillance.

Ask which products the patio cleaning uses, and whether they are safe on your surfaces. hse.gov.uk →

Public liability insurance

Nothing obliges a cleaner to be insured, but public liability cover is the difference between a claim paid and a dispute if patio cleaning goes wrong. Reasonable care and skill is the legal standard for patio cleaning under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Ask the patio cleaner who the insurer is before the patio cleaning.

Damage to the surface and your rights

Too much pressure can etch stone, strip joint sand or blow out pointing. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the patio cleaning must be done with reasonable care and skill, and damage from careless work is the patio cleaner's to put right at their cost.

Before the patio cleaning starts, photograph the patio stone and point out any loose pointing or cracked slabs.

VAT

Patio cleaning is standard-rated at 20%. A patio cleaning business taking more than £90,000 a year must register, charge the 20% on the cleaning, the algae treatment and any sealing, and set it out on its own line.

Ask for the VAT number before the patio is cleaned and check the 20% appears separately on the price. gov.uk →

“What pressure suits my patio stone?”

A good answer: Low for sandstone and limestone.

“Which patio cleaning products will you use?”

A good answer: Named, never acid on sandstone.

“Can you treat black spot on the patio?”

A good answer: A separate treatment, priced.

“What about loose patio pointing?”

A good answer: Avoided and pointed out; repointing priced.

“Where will the run-off go?”

A good answer: Kept out of drains, with a plan.

“Are you insured if slabs are damaged?”

A good answer: Public liability, insurer named.

Getting the quote right

  • Area and stone type
  • Algae and black spot treatment
  • Sealing priced
  • Who actually attends to clean and treat the patio, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with 20% VAT shown apart from the cleaning and sealing

Walk away if

  • High pressure on sandstone
  • Acid cleaner on sandstone
  • Blasts out loose pointing
  • No insurance
LOW
£75
TYPICAL
£150
HIGH
£400

What a patio cleaner costs: £75–£400 per job

Patio cleaning is priced per job by size and stone; black spot treatment and sealing are extras. Patio Cleaning price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Patio cleaners near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Clear jointsMoss and weeds scraped out.
  2. TreatAlgae solution applied.
  3. WashAt the right pressure.
  4. RinsePatio rinsed evenly.
  5. SealIf agreed, on a dry day.

Indian sandstone
A popular patio stone that marks easily.
Black spot
Lichen stains on sandstone.
Pointing
Mortar between slabs.
Algae
Green growth on damp stone.
Sealer
A protective coating.
Etching
Damage to the stone's surface.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the stoneEven colour, no etching.
Check the pointingIntact.
Keep the invoiceProducts noted.
Say how it wentYour rating of the patio cleaning sits on the patio cleaner's Locufy profile for others to read. Something wrong? Use make-it-right first and we follow it through.

STEP 1Tell the patio cleaner, in writingRaise it with the patio cleaner in writing while it is fresh. The patio cleaning came with a legal promise of reasonable care and skill under the 2015 Act; ask for the shortfall to be fixed at no cost, and if it cannot be, for an appropriate refund.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepA score under four stars opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the patio cleaner gets the chance to put the patio cleaning right first, and we chase it to an end before you publish.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesTrading Standards is reached through a helpline, not directly: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland can log a complaint about the patio cleaner and pass it on.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedIf money is still in dispute over the patio cleaning, the small claims routes need no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales on the small claims track, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland's small claims court.

Hiring a patio cleaner: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

HSE's COSHH rules apply to hazardous products a self-employed cleaner uses.

Ask about public liability insurance.

£75–£400 per job, about £150 for a medium patio. The detail sits in the patio cleaning price guide, and the search above lists cleaners working near your town.

Usually with a separate treatment.

Two to four hours for most patios.

MORE GUIDES

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Patio cleaners near you

Patio cleaners in LondonPatio cleaners in ManchesterPatio cleaners in BirminghamPatio cleaners in GlasgowPatio cleaners in BelfastAll patio cleaners on Locufy →Do it yourself: cleaning a patio →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — does COSHH apply to the self-employed?
  2. HSE — safe use of cleaning substances (CAIS22)
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  5. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  6. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register