Pressure washing cost
Pressure washing a house costs $0.15 to $0.75 a square foot, putting a 2,000 square foot house at $300 to $900. The distinction that matters is between pressure washing and soft washing.
National average
$0.35
per sq ft
Pressure washing a house costs $0.15 to $0.75 a square foot, typically around $0.35, which puts a 2,000 square foot house at $300 to $900. A driveway is $100 to $400 and a deck $150 to $500.
The important distinction on this page is between pressure washing and soft washing, because using the first where the second belongs is how people destroy siding, force water behind cladding and strip paint they wanted to keep.
What it costs
| Surface | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| House exterior, single storey | $200 to $500 |
| House exterior, two storey | $350 to $900 |
| Per square foot of wall | $0.15 to $0.75 |
| Concrete driveway | $100 to $400 |
| Sidewalk or path | $50 to $200 |
| Patio or paver area | $150 to $500 |
| Wood deck, wash only | $150 to $400 |
| Wood deck, wash, sand and reseal | $600 to $2,500 |
| Fence, per linear foot | $2 to $6 |
| Roof, soft wash only | $400 to $1,200 |
| Gutters, exterior faces | $75 to $250 |
| Garage floor | $100 to $300 |
| Adding a mildewcide treatment | $50 to $200 |
Half-day minimums are common, so combining the house, the drive and the deck into one visit costs much less than three separate ones.
Soft wash, not pressure wash
A pressure washer at 3,000 psi will strip paint, carve grooves in wood, force water behind vinyl siding, blast mortar out of joints and drive water under shingles.
Soft washing uses low pressure, typically under 500 psi, with a detergent and a sodium hypochlorite solution that kills the algae, mould and mildew rather than blasting it off. The colour comes back because the organism is dead, not because it was scoured away, and it stays away for longer.
| Surface | Correct approach |
|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | Soft wash |
| Wood siding | Soft wash, low pressure |
| Fiber cement | Soft wash |
| Stucco | Soft wash only |
| Brick | Low pressure, no sand |
| Painted surfaces | Soft wash |
| Roof shingles | Soft wash only, never pressure |
| Concrete driveway | Pressure washing is fine |
| Composite decking | Low pressure, follow the maker |
| Wood decking | Low pressure, with the grain |
If a contractor proposes to pressure wash your stucco or your roof, get someone else.
What it is worth doing before
Before painting. Non-negotiable. Paint does not adhere to chalk, dirt or mildew, and a wash is part of every legitimate exterior paint quote. If a painting quote does not include surface preparation, that is what is missing.
Before selling. It is the cheapest possible improvement to how a house photographs, and for $400 it changes the first impression more than most $4,000 projects.
Before sealing a deck or a driveway. Sealant over dirt fails.
Annually in humid climates, on north-facing walls where algae grows. The green film on siding is Gloeocapsa magma and it holds moisture against the surface.
Doing it yourself
An electric pressure washer is $150 to $350, a petrol one $350 to $800. Renting is $40 to $100 a day.
What that gets you: a genuinely good result on a driveway, a patio and a fence. What it does not get you: the ability to soft wash safely, because the chemical side needs the right dilution and rinsing, and the ability to reach a second storey without working from a ladder with a running hose in your hands, which is how people fall.
The realistic split is doing the flat horizontal surfaces yourself and paying someone for the house and anything above head height.
Frequently asked questions
Will it damage my siding?
Pressure washing can, particularly on vinyl, where water driven upward under the laps ends up behind the wall. Soft washing does not. Ask which one they are doing and what pressure they use.
How often should a house be washed?
Every one to three years in most climates, annually where humidity keeps north walls green. There is no benefit to doing it more often than the growth returns.
Does it remove oil stains from a driveway?
Not on its own. Oil needs a degreaser and dwell time, and old stains often never come out entirely. A contractor who promises complete removal of a five-year-old oil stain is overpromising.
Is the bleach solution safe for plants?
It is harmful to plants at working strength, which is why the process includes wetting the landscaping before, protecting what is close, and rinsing thoroughly after. A crew that does not do that is cutting the step that costs them time.
Can I pressure wash my roof?
No. It strips granules off asphalt shingles and takes years off the roof, and it drives water under the shingles. Roofs are soft washed only, and even that should follow the shingle manufacturer's guidance.
Read next
Exterior house painting cost$200 to $500per sq ftPainting a house exterior costs $2.00 to $5.00 per square foot of wall. A two-storey house costs up to 50% more per foot, and the reason is staging rather than paint.
Curb appeal improvements cost$700 to $12,000per projectThe changes that most affect what a house looks like from the street cost between $50 and $4,000, and the ones at the bottom of that range do more than the ones at the top.
Gutter guard cost$5 to $30per linear ftGutter guards cost $5 to $30 a linear foot installed. No guard eliminates cleaning; the good ones turn a twice-yearly job into a once-every-few-years one.
How long does siding last$500 to $1,000per squareVinyl lasts 30 to 40 years, fiber cement 40 to 60, brick a century. Siding rarely fails all at once: it goes at the details first, at the trim, the caulk and the missing flashing.
Siding repair cost$300 to $2,500per projectRepairing siding costs $300 to $2,500, typically $800. Replacing a few vinyl panels is a two-hour job. Opening a wall because the panels were hiding rot is a different project.