Average Sandblasting Costs: Hourly Rates & Prices Per Square Foot
Last Updated: December 08, 2023
Fact Checked By: Ryan Maguire
On This Page
Sandblasting, in specific terms, is using small particles propelled at high speeds using an air pump to clean or strip away an area.
Contrary to its name, sandblasting no longer involves the use of sand. This is due to health concerns.
Steel grit, aluminum oxide particles, and crushed shell from walnuts or coconuts are typically used as the abrasion materials. According to the CDC, these materials still pose a fair share of health risks.
Summary: Sandblasting Prices #
On average expect to pay between $40 and $65 per hour for a sandblasting project.
Speciality sandblasting services can cost up to $75 per hour.
Some companies will charge $2 to $4 per square foot for light sandblasting, $4 to $8 for deeper sandblasting and a super heavy duty sandblasting job can run up to $16 per square foot.
Sandblasting Cost Per Square Foot #
- Very Light Sandblasting (1/32 inch deep): $1 to $3 Per Sq Foot
- Light Sandblasting (1/16 inch deep): $2 to $5 Per Sq Foot
- Medium Sandblasting (1/4 inch deep): $4 to $8 Per Sq Foot
- Heavy Sandblasting (3/8 inch deep): $7 to $16 Per Sq Foot
Sandblasting Cost By Method #
| Method | Description | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Sandblasting | Uses water + abrasives. Reduces dust. | $45 to $75 per hour |
| Soda Blasting | Uses sodium bicarbonate. Low abrasion for delicate surfaces. | $60 to $100 per hour |
| Glass Bead Blasting | Removes corrosion, leaves smooth finish. | $70 to $120 per hour |
| Dry Sandblasting | Most common method. Very versatile. | $35 to $65 per hour |
| Robotic Sandblasting | Automated for large flat surfaces. | $3 to $7 per square foot |
Real-World Sandblasting Project Costs #
Here are 7 examples of how much actual customers paid for sandblasting services:
"I had the sandblasting crew come remove the old paint from my two-car garage floor and part of the driveway. With the material and labor for the 650 square feet it was $495 total."
"Paid a company $250 to sandblast a large 12x16 brick patio in my backyard to get it back to a smooth finish. Took them about 6 hours."
"Had to get the rusted paint removed from my metal shop building. The crew charged $65 per hour and worked there for 3 full days to completely sandblast the 4,000 square foot building, inside and out. Total cost was $1,560."
"I had sandblasting pros strip the paint from some old, solid wood doors. Each door was around 20 square feet. With 2 doors it cost $140 total and took a few hours."
"Needed to get lead paint removed from the garage exterior at a house I bought. Extra safety precautions added cost but they sandblasted the 400 sq ft garage for $720."
"Had an ornate cast iron railing on my historic home restored via delicate sandblasting. The railing was 6 feet x 3 feet in size. Labor and materials cost me $315."
"I hired a company to sandblast and repaint an old galvanized steel horse trough. The trough holds about 50 gallons and they charged $200 for the prep work and new paint."
As you can see costs range widely but are mostly influenced by job size, difficulty, materials being removed and preparation work needed before and after sandblasting.
What is Sandblasting Used For? #
This very effective way of cleaning or preparing surfaces has many uses. Sandblasting is useful to clean metal parts such as car or truck frames, airplane bodies, or large mechanical equipment.
It can also be used to strip old varnish off of items like old wooden cabinets.
If used on a large area, it is cost effective to be used in residential or commercial painting applications, as opposed to sanding or scraping to prepare a house or building for painting.
In some instances, sandblasting is used to prepare certain surfaces for final coats, such as certain elastometric paint coatings, hard metal surfaces, and clear slick coating materials that cannot be easily sanded.