Driveway Cleaning Hillcrest, San Diego

Last updated: 2026-09-07

Driveway Cleaning in Hillcrest

Most of the driveways we clean in Hillcrest sit on lots built between 1910 and 1935, tucked along University Avenue, Robinson, and the narrower cross streets running toward Balboa Park. Original concrete pours from that era have an open pore structure. A rotary tip at 4000 PSI held too long will etch a stripe into it. We run a 20 inch surface cleaner at 3000 PSI and 4 GPM instead, which spreads the pressure evenly across the slab.

Driveway cleaning in Hillcrest runs $150 to $300 for a standard 400 to 700 sq ft concrete slab, and $250 to $450 for pavers that need joint sand replaced. Most jobs take 45 to 90 minutes with a surface cleaner at 3000 PSI and 4 GPM. Oil staining under carports and jacaranda litter are the two most common problems we treat.

What actually stains a Hillcrest driveway

Oil drips are constant on the narrower lots near 5th and 6th Avenue where cars park close to the garage. And the jacarandas along Robinson and Front Street drop blossoms from late May into July that leave a purple-brown stain once the marine layer keeps the concrete damp overnight.

Pavers get handled separately from concrete. We drop to 1200 to 1500 PSI, pull the loose joint sand with the rinse, then re-sand with polymeric sand. Skip that step and the joints start shifting within a season.

A recent Hillcrest job

A duplex off University had a driveway that had not been touched in six years, with a transmission leak stain that had baked into the concrete. The driveway itself was a 40 minute pass. The stain took another 35 minutes with a degreaser and hot water at 180 degrees.

Some HOAs in the Uptown District require pre-approval for exterior work visible from the street. We handle that paperwork before we show up with equipment. A standard Hillcrest driveway, 400 to 600 square feet of concrete off Front Street or University Avenue, runs $150 to $300 and takes under an hour once we're set up. Pavers near the older bungalows run higher, $250 to $400, because of the joint sand re-pack.

Bundling the driveway with a front walkway or back patio on the same visit usually runs 15 to 20 percent under booking them separately, since staging the rig eats more time than the cleaning itself. See our Hillcrest pressure washing page or the full service list for pricing on other surfaces.