How Much Does It Cost to Pressure Wash a House?
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Using water to blast the mildew, pollen, and debris off a home can make it look like new—but how hard will it hit your wallet? Expect the cost to power wash a house to be around $296, with the typical range being $100 to $650.
- Typical Range: $100 to $650
- National Average: $296
Houses look so fresh and clean when their siding is new, windows are bright, and walkways are scrubbed. Over time, Mother Nature’s power takes its toll, pouring down rain filled with chemicals; blowing dirt, seeds, leaves, and pollen against the surface of siding; trapping bits and pieces in gutters and seams; and making the once-fresh siding look dingy and tired. At one time, the only way to clean siding was with a bucket, brush, and tons of elbow grease, but luckily, technology has provided houses with a better option: pressurized water focused into a stream or fan to remove the debris from almost any hard surface. Pressure washers are so powerful that they can clean far better than friction or chemical cleansers.
It may seem odd to pay the national average cost to pressure wash a house—$296—to pressure wash house siding. After all, most homes have a spigot and a garden hose, so why is the expense necessary? First, the only real similarity between a garden hose and a pressure washer is that water flows through a tube in both tools. Garden hoses are dependent on the local water pressure and a nozzle to increase the force with which the water leaves the hose. Pressure washers use a gasoline or electric engine to fire a compressor. As water enters the hose on the washer, the compressor forces the water into a thin metal tube or wand and then further compresses it as it blasts through a small nozzle at the end. This compression causes the water to travel at 100 to 200 times the pressure of the air, or between 1,500 and 3,000 pounds per square inch. A pressure washer will clean the siding, roof, patio, deck, fence—pretty much anything it’s pointed toward—but it needs to be handled with great care because it’s a powerful and potentially dangerous tool. Ideally, homeowners should consider hiring a pressure washing service to handle the task. To determine the cost, homeowners can search for a pressure washing estimate calculator online or call a number of companies that do house pressure washing. But first, it’s important to understand what makes up the cost of hiring a pressure washing pro.
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Pressure Washing vs. Power Washing
These two terms are often used interchangeably, and the processes are similar, but when scheduling a cleaning it’s important to note the difference. Both pressure washing and power washing use compressed jets of water to blast surfaces clean. Pressure washing uses cold water, relying on the force of the stream (along with any cleaner or degreasing agents that are mixed in) to remove grease, dirt, pollen, and stains. Power washing uses hot water or hot steam and can include the same cleansers as pressure washing, depending on the application. There’s a clear benefit to warmer water: It will dissolve greasy stains and gently heat the surface, making it easier for debris to slide off. There is a cost difference between pressure and power washing, though, because heating the water requires an additional component in the power washer, and more protective equipment is required. How much to power wash a house? The cost is higher than pressure washing at about $0.15 to $0.75 per square foot.
Factors in Calculating the Cost to Pressure Wash a House
How much should it cost to pressure wash a house? The total cost is dependent on a number of factors, including basics such as the size of the project and the amount of time it will take, along with the materials to be washed and the complexity of the whole job. In order to request useful estimates, homeowners will need to consider the following aspects of their pressure washing job. Many contractors include a minimum charge to make sure the job covers the materials, travel, and labor—in other words, they’ll need to make sure the job is worth their time.
House Size
Most often, the cost basis for pressure washing a home begins with size. The size of the home affects everything about the cost of the job—the amount of labor, the volume of cleansing solution, the time it will take to complete—so many jobs are priced based on the square footage of the house. Generally the cost is approximately $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot. Rather than parceling the cost out foot by foot, many contractors have a pre-established base price for homes based on their approximate size, style, and number of stories.
House Materials
Not all types of house cladding hold up well to the strong force of pressurized water. Great care must be taken when pressure washing wood siding because it’s soft and can easily crack or splinter under the force. Aluminum siding can easily lose its finish or dent under the pressure. As a result, the cost of pressure washing wood or aluminum siding is a bit higher because it takes more time and care to do safely. Vinyl siding can be pressure washed more quickly and is therefore less expensive; however, it must still be done properly, because like wood, vinyl siding can be damaged by the pressure. If the house is covered with fiber cement siding, pressure washing isn’t recommended and may even invalidate the warranty. Roofs, decks, and patios will be a little more expensive than siding because it’s so easy to damage or etch them with the sprayer, while driveways cost less to wash because the material is so solid that the pressure of the water is less likely to cause damage.
Project Complexity
Simple jobs such as pressure washing a 1-story home that’s moderately dirty won’t be particularly taxing for technicians, so the cost will be toward the lower end of the range. Every layer of complexity adds to the time and the cost of the project, so complicated roof lines, landscaping, or grading that makes ladder placement challenging, or a mix of materials that requires repeated adjustment of the pressure and cleanser, will add to the cost. Adding other elements to the project, however, can make the project more cost-effective. If you’re planning to have the house washed, then add the driveway, gutters, and patio, the overall cost will be higher than washing the house alone, but the total may be far less than if you had each of those elements washed separately. It’s worth asking the contractor if they’ll reduce the costs if you bundle several projects together.
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Project Time Frame
Another factor in how much it costs to pressure wash a house is the project duration. In general, the longer it takes to pressure wash the house, the higher the expense. This is simply because a longer project takes more manpower and therefore increases the overall labor costs of the project.
Seasonality
In general, it’s preferable and less costly to pressure wash a house during the warmer months of the year. The colder months bring the complication of potential freezing to some areas, which hugely complicates the process of washing and can be disastrous from a safety standpoint, so very cold weather can equal a higher cost. From the homeowner’s standpoint, it’s not cost-effective to wash a house just before the winter comes; the combination of moisture, weaker sunlight, and longer nights can mean that mold or mildew will take hold before the yard is reopened the following spring, and the house will need to be washed again.
Labor
Labor costs will vary based on the local market where the house is located, ranging from $25 to $100 per hour. In addition, while some companies create their charges based on a flat rate for the type or size of home, others tack on labor as a separate charge, which means that projects that take longer because of the home’s condition or complexity will cost more in labor as well as materials.
Geographic Location
The average cost for pressure washing a home varies from state to state. In general, coastal states in the northeastern United States and California have some of the highest costs, including surprisingly high average costs of $472 in Rhode Island, $344 in New York, and $362 in Maryland, as well as an average of $369 in California. Hawaii and Alaska also ring up high costs at $463 and $371, respectively. When comparing these rates to lower averages in other areas, such as $255 in Arkansas, $245 in Georgia, and $286 in Oregon, residents of more expensive areas may be frustrated, but this disparity in cost likely has to do with the cost of water supply, the style and size of the home, the damage caused by colder winter weather or salt spray, and local taxes and ordinances.
Additional Costs and Considerations
Beyond these basic elements of cost calculation, there are other components that factor into the total cost of pressure washing a home. Each part of a home requires particular preparation and technique to clean effectively without risking damage to the structure. Water is surprisingly powerful when pressurized and can easily slice through more delicate materials, so pressure washing services may charge different fees based on what’s being cleaned.
Preparation
Is there a lot of landscaping around the home? The immediate perimeter of the building will be flooded with water as the house is cleaned, and that water may have diluted cleaner in it. Tender plantings will need to be covered, wetted down, and potentially pulled aside to allow ladder access to upper stories. If furniture needs to be moved off a patio or deck, that will cost extra in labor charges, or it may be an added line-item cost. Some of this cost can be abated by the homeowner. It’s worth asking the contractor what needs to be done ahead of time and whether or not it’s something the homeowner can do before the workers arrive at the home to save time and money.
Pressure Washing Siding
The cost of pressure washing siding will vary based on the material. Delicate materials such as wood, stucco, or aluminum siding must be washed at a lower pressure, which can take longer to remove built-up dirt and grease, and therefore will incur more labor cost. Vinyl siding and stone or brick material can be washed on a higher pressure setting and will therefore cost less.
Pressure Washing Windows and Doors
Windows and doors are particularly vulnerable areas when pressure washing a structure. Why? Because water likes to find its way inside even when it’s not pressurized. Add force behind it, and it can make its way through insulation, weatherstripping, and good, solid seals—ruining the seal, potentially the door or window, and the walls and floors beneath it. Great care must be taken to use a lower-pressure nozzle in a wider fan pattern to avoid direct hits on the margins of the windows and doors, and to avoid a direct shot of water on the center of the glass so as not to shatter it. This level of caution results in more time and effort and will add to the cost of the job.
Pressure Washing Gutters
Pressure washing gutters adds approximately $50 to $300 to the pressure washing bill, averaging out to about $0.50 to $1.50 per linear foot. This requires the use of an extension wand and a specific nozzle to target trouble spots inside the gutter. If the house is too tall for the extension wand, a technician may need to climb up onto the roof to clean the gutters manually, adding significantly to the safety risk and equipment needs, and therefore the cost. Should the gutters develop ice dams during colder weather, a power washer can use heated water to blast away ice for about twice the cost of a regular wash.
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Pressure Washing Roof
Cleaning a roof with a pressure washer requires skill, finesse, and most of all, risk. The technician has to haul tubing, wands, and nozzles and brushes up to the roof, balance carefully as the force of the pressurized water pushes them back, and negotiate on an angled, wet surface. Roof cleaning costs between $0.50 and $1 per square foot.
Additional Pressure Washing Services
Once you see the almost magical cleaning that a pressure washer can conjure, chances are you’ll start looking around to see what else could be cleaned with this method. Patios, decks, driveways, fences, lawn furniture, and children’s play structures can benefit from the forceful flow of water. Flat surfaces such as walkways and garage floors can be cleaned with a surface cleaner attachment that seems to melt away grime. It’s worth considering what else could be added to the job once the decision has been made to hire pressure washing services for the house—many companies will bundle the various surfaces to be cleaned and offer a discounted price, which will likely be much less expensive than hiring them to come back a second time.
Do I Need to Pressure Wash My House?
If pressure washing your house seems like an unnecessary expense, you may want to reconsider. Cleaning a home’s exterior isn’t just a cosmetic exercise: Over time, a buildup of dirt, pollen, grease, and minerals can weaken the siding, invite pests to burrow in, and reduce the lifespan of the home’s exterior. Pressure washing can be part of a maintenance schedule yearly or every other year (residents of areas where homes aren’t subjected to much debris may be able to do a simple wash with a garden hose on alternating years), but there are some signs that it’s time for a home to have a bath.
Regular Maintenance
Face it: A dirty home has less curb appeal than a clean one. Sometimes homeowners can get caught up in the idea that “in 4 years, we’ll have saved enough to replace the siding, so there’s no need to keep it up for now,” or think that because their siding is old it can’t be cleaned well so there’s no point. Pressure washing can render most types of siding clean, shining, and nearly new-looking, even if it’s old. Putting off maintenance in the hope of replacing siding can lead to a home that looks tired, invites criticism from the neighbors, and invites pests. As with any other surface in the house, the exterior needs regular scheduled maintenance to perform at its best.
Dirty or Discolored Siding
Siding collects debris. Whether it’s the faux wood grain in vinyl siding; the actual wood grain on shingle or wood clapboard; the seams on aluminum; or the textured face of brick, stucco, or stone, there are tons of crevices and snags for pollen, dirt, bark chips, seeds, pollen, and animal droppings to lodge in. Over time, this debris builds up and can cause staining or discoloration of the exterior. If the debris stays in place long enough, it can even cause uneven fading of the siding. Regular cleaning will keep the home’s exterior looking fresh and new and will actually prolong the life of the siding.
Visible Mold or Mildew
Sometimes it seems like mold and mildew can develop overnight. One day, the shady back of the house is clean and fresh, and just a couple of rainy days later it’s coated with a hazy green film of algae and mold, or the blackish gray staining of mildew. Every home has a side or face that doesn’t get any sun, so mold and mildew are likely something you’ll have to deal with at some point or another. Home improvement stores advertise bleach washes to kill the mold and mildew at the source, but undiluted harsh chemicals can damage the home’s finish and kill nearby plant life. Pressure washing blows the mold and mildew out of the texture of the siding, and if the contractor adds bleach solution to the wash mixture, it can safely reduce the likelihood of immediate regrowth. Solutions that promise to prevent growth do so by leaving a film of chemical on the siding, which isn’t healthy for the finish. Regular washing is a more sustainable option.
Clogged Gutters
Can gutters be cleaned manually? Sure. But pressure washing them removes water stains, blasts out clogs in the downspouts, and removes buildup in the seams and joints that collect other debris that can lead to clogs. Clogged gutters are no joke—they can lead to leaks and failures and cause leakage inside the house; they can also invite birds and pests to nest in the clogs.
Pest Infestations
Insects need food to survive and will be more than happy to find it in the siding on a house. Wood siding that holds years’ worth of tree and plant debris offers a haven for insects to nest, and once they’ve discovered a food source, they’ll be inclined to burrow deeper. Grimy foundations can conceal evidence of rodent intrusion until it’s much too late. Pressure washing the house regularly will ke