How Much Does Pressure Washing Cost?
Pressure washing costs $0.15 to $0.75 per square foot in 2026, which puts most residential jobs between $150 and $500 with a national average around $275. The surface you’re washing moves the price more than anything else: flat concrete is quick machine work, while house siding needs lower pressure, detergents, and ladder time — and a full house wash on a 2,000-square-foot home typically lands at $250 to $500.
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Find a house cleaner near you →One line item surprises most first-time buyers: nearly every company carries a $100 to $150 minimum to cover drive time and setup. That’s why a “quick driveway rinse” rarely prices below $100 no matter how small the slab is.
| Surface | Per square foot (2026) | Typical project total |
|---|---|---|
| House siding (soft wash) | $0.10 – $0.50 | $250 – $500 (2,000 sq ft home) |
| Driveway (concrete) | $0.20 – $0.40 | $100 – $250, average ~$175 |
| Deck or patio | $0.25 – $0.45 | $120 – $240, average ~$225 |
| Roof (soft wash) | $0.30 – $0.75 | $250 – $600 |
| Fence | $0.15 – $0.30 | $100 – $300 per side run |
Ranges reflect 2026 national project-cost surveys (most jobs $150–$500; national average ~$275) and published per-surface pricing guides.
Pressure Washing Cost by Surface
The machine is the same; the technique isn’t. Concrete takes high pressure and a surface cleaner attachment — fast, forgiving, cheap per foot. Siding, roofs, and painted wood take a soft wash: low pressure plus detergents that kill algae and mildew, which means more chemical cost, more dwell time, and more care. That’s why the per-foot rate roughly doubles between a driveway and a roof.
Stains change the math on any surface. Oil on a driveway, rust tracks, or years of embedded grime commonly add 25 to 50 percent to a quote, because they take degreasers, hot water, or a second pass. If your concrete has never been cleaned, expect the first wash to price at the top of the range and maintenance washes after that to come in cheaper.
House Pressure Washing Cost by Home Size
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Find a house cleaner near you →Vinyl and fiber-cement siding are the cheapest to wash. Brick and stucco absorb more water and detergent and often need gentler tips and longer rinses, pushing them toward the top of the band. Wood siding is the slowest and most technique-sensitive of all — aggressive pressure furs the grain and forces sanding, which is why pros soft-wash it.
Add-On Surfaces and the One-Visit Bundle
Because of the trip minimum, the cheapest square footage you’ll ever buy is whatever you add to a visit that’s already booked. Once the crew, machine, and hoses are on site, marginal surfaces price close to their bare per-foot rates:
- Gutter exteriors (“brightening”): often quoted at $1 – $2 per linear foot to strip the black tiger-striping off the outside faces. This is cosmetic work on the metal — clearing leaves out of the inside is a separate service; see gutter cleaning near you for that side.
- Walkways and steps: usually $25 – $75 tacked onto a driveway wash rather than billed as their own job.
- Garage floors: $75 – $200 depending on oil staining — worth doing before any coating project.
- Patio furniture and outdoor kitchens: commonly hourly; ask for it as a while-you’re-here line item.
Climate shapes both frequency and price. In the humid Southeast, algae and mildew repaint siding green within a year, so companies run maintenance routes and price competitively; in dry Western states a house wash is more often a once-before-selling event at one-off rates. Coastal homes fight salt film on top of grime, and shaded northern exposures grow moss that takes longer dwell times — all of which lands in the quote as condition, not zip-code padding.
Timing tip: crews book heaviest from late spring through early fall. Companies that run winter schedules in mild climates will often quote the same job lower in the off-season — worth asking if your project isn’t urgent.
The same seasonal logic applies to exterior painting — see the spring “sweet spot” myth.
DIY vs. Professional Pressure Washing
Renting a gas pressure washer runs $40 to $100 a day, and consumer electric units sell for $100 to $300 — so DIY genuinely wins on flat concrete you can reach standing up. It stops winning where technique and height enter. Siding dents, window seals leak, and soft mortar joints erode under a too-narrow tip in inexperienced hands; roofs and second stories add ladder risk to that list. Professionals also handle the part nobody thinks about: in many municipalities, wash water carrying detergents or paint chips can’t legally flow into storm drains, and the EPA’s stormwater rules are what those local ordinances hang off. Pros capture or divert runoff as part of the job.
A fair rule: DIY the driveway and patio if you enjoy the work; hire the house, the roof, and anything above your shoulders. Trade groups such as the Power Washers of North America certify contractors on exactly the soft-wash chemistry and runoff handling that separate a good house wash from a damaged one.
What Drives Pressure Washing Prices Up
- Surface and technique — soft-wash surfaces (siding, roofs) cost roughly double flat concrete per foot.
- Stories and access — second-story siding and steep roofs add ladder, pole, and safety time.
- Stains — oil, rust, and years of grime add 25–50% for degreasers and second passes.
- Water source — no outdoor spigot means the crew trucks water in, at a surcharge.
- Minimums — the $100–$150 visit floor makes small single-surface jobs price high per foot.
How to Save on Pressure Washing
- Bundle surfaces into one visit — driveway + house + walkway together beats three separate minimums; adding window cleaning to a house wash is the classic pairing.
- Wash before you seal or paint — a clean surface is prep, not vanity: it’s the first step in our driveway sealing and house painting cost math, so one wash can serve two projects.
- Maintain, don’t rescue — an annual wash prices at the bottom of the band; ten years of buildup prices at the top. If the driveway itself is past saving, compare against our asphalt driveway cost guide before paying for restoration-grade cleaning.
- Compare local bids — minimums and stain surcharges vary a lot between companies. Post the job on AllBetter’s pressure washing page and compare three verified local bids before you book.
More exterior-cleaning pricing and maintenance guides live on the cleaning blog.
How to Read a Pressure Washing Quote
Watch: why one pressure-washing quote says $150 and another $500 (32 seconds).
A trustworthy quote names the surfaces, the square footage (or linear footage for fences and gutters), the method per surface — pressure or soft wash — and whether detergents, stain treatment, and runoff handling are included. Vague “whole exterior: $X” quotes are where surprises live: roofs quietly excluded, oil stains billed as a change order, or high-pressure tips used on siding that needed a soft wash.
Three questions worth asking before you book: Which surfaces get soft wash versus pressure? (wood, siding, and roofs should never see a narrow high-pressure tip), Is stain treatment included or extra? (get the trigger price in writing), and Are you insured for water intrusion? (window seals and door thresholds are the common damage points). A pro with good answers to those three is usually a pro whose work matches the quote — and the spread between bids on identical scope is routinely $100+ even in the same zip code, which is exactly why comparing three is worth ten minutes.
Pressure Washing Cost FAQ
What’s the difference between pressure washing and soft washing?
Pressure washing uses high-pressure water on hard surfaces like concrete. Soft washing uses low pressure plus detergents to clean siding, roofs, and painted wood without damage — it costs more per square foot because of chemical cost and dwell time.
How long does pressure washing take?
A driveway takes 30–60 minutes; a full house wash takes 2–5 hours depending on size, stories, and buildup. Most residential visits fit in half a day.
Is it cheaper to rent a pressure washer and do it myself?
For flat concrete, usually yes: rentals run $40–$100 a day against a $100–$250 professional driveway wash. For siding and roofs, the damage and safety risk usually outweigh the savings — soft washing is technique work, not just equipment.
How often should a house be pressure washed?
Once a year for most homes, or every 6–9 months in humid, shaded, or coastal areas where algae and mildew return faster. Annual maintenance washes price lower than multi-year buildup rescues.
