What should you charge for pressure washing?

There is no single "right" price for pressure washing — there is a right price for your truck, your market, and the surface in front of you. The ranges above are a starting frame. What follows is how a working operator actually arrives at a number that wins the job and still makes money.

The three ways pros price a wash

Most established companies use one of three models, and the best ones blend all three:

• Per square foot. The estimator's backbone. You measure (or scale off the address) and multiply by your rate for that surface. It keeps you consistent across a 1,400 sq ft ranch and a 3,200 sq ft two-story.
• Per job (flat quote). What the customer actually sees. You do the per-sq-ft math in your head or on a sheet, then hand them one number. Flat quotes close faster and stop the "but it was only 30 more feet" argument.
• Job minimum. The floor under everything. Whether it is a single porch or a small patio, you don't roll a truck for less than $150–$350 depending on your market. The minimum is not greed — it is the cost of showing up.

The mistake new operators make is quoting per square foot and forgetting the minimum, then driving 25 minutes for a $60 job that nets nothing after gas, mix, and wear. Set the minimum first; everything else stacks on top.

What to charge, surface by surface

House washing (soft wash)

Almost all siding — vinyl, fiber cement, stucco, brick — gets soft washed, not blasted. You apply a sodium-hypochlorite-based mix at low pressure, let it dwell, and rinse. High pressure on siding drives water behind it and etches surfaces; it is a callback waiting to happen. Price house washing at roughly $0.15–$0.30 per square foot of wall area, or estimate off the home's footprint and story count. A typical single-story home runs $250–$450; a larger two-story with steep gables and a lot of access work can run $500–$800+. Charge more for heavy north-side algae, three-story reach, or detached structures.

Concrete: driveways, sidewalks, patios

Flat concrete is where a surface cleaner earns its keep — that spinning-bar attachment is far faster and leaves no zebra striping. Price concrete around $0.20–$0.40 per square foot. A standard two-car driveway (400–600 sq ft) usually lands $100–$200, which means small drives often just hit your minimum. Add cost for oil stains (degreaser + agitation), rust (oxalic/specialty treatment), or post-treatment to slow algae regrowth. Tell the customer up front that old stains may lighten but not fully vanish — managing that expectation prevents a fight at the end.

Wood and composite decks

Decks are slow, careful work — wrong pressure furs the wood grain or gouges composite — so they price higher per foot, around $0.30–$0.60 per square foot, landing most decks at $150–$350 to clean. Sealing or staining is a separate line item and a separate trip after the wood dries; don't bundle it into the wash price or you will eat the labor.

Roofs (soft wash only)

Roof cleaning is the highest-skill, highest-risk service on this list, and it pays accordingly: roughly $0.30–$0.60 per square foot, with most roofs $400–$700+. It is always soft wash — high pressure strips granules off asphalt shingles and voids warranties. You are pricing for the chemical, the ladder and harness time, the risk of working at height, and the liability. If you are not set up to do it safely, refer it out rather than underbid it.

Add-ons that should carry their own price

• Gutter brightening (removing tiger striping) — often $1–$2 per linear foot.
• Rust and battery-acid stain removal — specialty chemical, priced per stain or as an upcharge.
• Window rinse after a house wash — fine to include as a courtesy, but spot-free glass is a separate trade.
• Sealing concrete or sand-and-seal pavers — a real second service, not a freebie.

What moves your price up or down

Two driveways the same size can be priced $80 apart for good reasons. The honest cost drivers:

• Condition. A lightly dusty surface and one with five years of black algae are not the same job. Heavier soiling means more dwell time, more passes, more chemical.
• Surface type. Delicate or detailed surfaces (older wood, painted brick, stamped concrete) slow you down and raise risk.
• Access and height. Two- and three-story reach, steep terrain, tight side yards, and no nearby water spigot all add time.
• Water source. If the home has no usable spigot, you are running a buffer tank — factor it in.
• Chemical cost. Sodium hypochlorite ("SH") and surfactants are a real per-job cost that rises with surface area and soiling.
• Local market. A wash that books for $300 in one metro books for $200 in a rural county. Know what your area bears before you anchor low.
• Drive time. The job 40 minutes out costs you more than the one next door, even at the same square footage.

Building a bid you can stand behind

A clean estimate protects your margin and your reputation. The repeatable process:

• Measure or scale the area. Walk it, or pull square footage from the address. Note surface type and condition while you are at it.
• Apply your per-sq-ft rate for that surface, then add for stains, height, access, and any add-ons.
• Check it against your minimum. If the math comes in under, the minimum is the price.
• Quote one flat number, in writing, with the scope spelled out: which surfaces, what's included, what's extra. Photos of problem stains in the quote save arguments later.
• Know your floor. Add up mix, gas, wear, and your hourly target. If a "competitive" price drops you below that floor, it is not a job worth winning.

Once your pricing is dialed in, the bottleneck stops being the wash and becomes the back office: getting the quote out the same day, scheduling the route tight, invoicing before you leave the driveway, and actually getting paid. That is the part Claver handles — quote, schedule, invoice, and collect payment from your phone — so you can keep the wand moving instead of chasing paperwork at night.