Guide
How pressure washing is actually priced
Every pressure washing quote you see comes down to the same handful of factors. Once you know what they are, the numbers stop feeling arbitrary — and you can spot when a quote is off.
The five factors that actually set the price
Every honest pressure-washing quote is a function of these five things. If someone is quoting outside the normal range, one of these is either being under-counted or over-counted:
- Size — square footage for flat surfaces (driveways, patios, decks), linear feet for fences, and a house tier for siding.
- Surface type — concrete is priced per sqft; wood is priced per sqft but at a much higher rate because it's slower and more technique-sensitive; siding is priced by house tier because sqft doesn't reflect elevation and detail work.
- Condition — light dirt, moderate algae, or heavy moss/tire marks change the multiplier by roughly 15–30%.
- Accessibility — hose reach, spigot location, plants and pets to work around, second-story elevations, steep grades. A hard-to-reach job takes longer without adding sqft.
- Add-ons — gutter face brightening, deck brightener rinse, sealer prep. Each is a small line item.
Typical price ranges for my service area
These are ranges — not final quotes. A specific quote depends on the mix of factors above.
- Driveways, walkways, and patios (concrete): $0.15–$0.25 per sqft. A typical 2-car driveway of 500 sqft runs $100–$150. A larger 3-car with heavy staining might hit $175–$250.
- Wood decks: $1.00–$2.00 per sqft. A 12x16 deck (192 sqft) is $200–$400. Composite is on the lower end.
- Fences: $1.00–$1.50 per linear foot for wood, $1.00–$1.25 for vinyl, $1.00 for chain link.
- House washes (siding): $150 (small 1-story) to $375 (large 2-story). Priced by house tier because sqft alone doesn't capture the elevation work.
- Add-ons: gutter face brightening +$40 (with a house wash), deck brightener rinse +$25.
- Minimum job: $75. Show-up, setup, and teardown are the same regardless of job size, and this covers those costs on the smallest jobs.
Why the same 500 sqft driveway can quote at $75 or $150
This is the question people ask most: 'How can one company say $75 and another say $150 for the same driveway?' Usually one of three things:
- Condition wasn't factored. A driveway with algae, red-clay staining, and old tire marks takes 2–3 passes and pre-treatment. Light dirt takes one pass. Same square footage, twice the labor.
- Chemistry is different. A $75 quote may be a pressure-only rinse. A $150 quote usually includes a sodium hypochlorite pre-treat that kills the algae at the root and lasts longer.
- Access changes the time. Steep driveways, no working spigot, or heavy landscaping to protect all add time without adding sqft.
How to save without cutting corners
A few realistic ways to bring the price down that don't compromise the result:
- Bundle jobs. Adding a walkway or gutter brightening to a driveway you're already booking is much cheaper than two separate visits — the show-up and setup cost gets shared.
- Refer a neighbor and book back-to-back. I offer a referral credit and same-street bookings save me a trip fee, which I pass on.
- Wash on schedule, not on emergency. A driveway washed every 12 months at light-condition rate costs less over 3 years than one washed every 3 years at heavy-condition rate — even though each individual wash is cheaper.
- Skip the add-ons you don't need. Deck brightener is only worth it if you're actually staining. Gutter brightening only makes sense if you have visible tiger stripes.
Accessibility, prep, and travel — the hidden line items
Two jobs with identical square footage can take very different amounts of time on site. Three factors do most of that work, and honest quotes account for them:
- Accessibility. How close I can get the truck and hose to the work, whether there's a working outdoor spigot, whether I need to run 200 feet of hose around a fenced yard, whether ladders are needed for second-story elevations, and whether the grade is steep enough to slow surface-cleaner work. Hard-to-reach jobs add time without adding square footage.
- Prep required. Fragile landscaping that needs extra tarping, garden lighting or low-voltage wiring to protect, pets that need to be moved between elevations, cars in the driveway I can't ask you to move — all of these add real time. Most of what I quote includes normal prep; unusual prep is called out before I start.
- Travel. For jobs inside Manchester and Tullahoma, travel is baked into the standard rate. For nearby towns (roughly 30+ minutes from Manchester), a small trip charge may apply — I try to bundle nearby jobs on the same day so the trip cost is shared.
- Staining and condition escalations. Red-clay staining, set-in oil, moss establishment, or 3+ years of neglected algae growth all change what 'a wash' actually involves — usually a pre-treatment step plus a second pass. Honest quotes flag this before starting.
Red flags in a quote
Not every quote is honest. A few things to watch for:
- No walk-through. A serious quote is usually confirmed on-site or based on photos. A number thrown out sight-unseen is often a bait price.
- Cash only, no written quote, no references. Ask for a written quote and at least one prior customer you can call before hiring anyone who will spray your house.
- Same price regardless of condition. Condition genuinely changes labor. A flat number that ignores it usually means the estimate is high on easy jobs to cover the hard ones.
- 'Whole-house wash' priced far below anyone else's number. Below cost. Either it's not a full wash or the chemistry is being skipped.
Common questions
Do you charge by the hour or by the job?+
By the job — always. You get a firm range up front, and the final number is confirmed before I start. Hourly pricing punishes you for jobs that turn out harder than expected; flat pricing puts that risk on me.
Why is there a $75 minimum?+
Show-up, setup, walk-through, and teardown take the same time whether the job is 100 sqft or 500. The minimum covers those fixed costs. Small jobs are almost always more cost-effective when bundled with something else.
Do you match competitor prices?+
Not automatically. If a competitor's quote is dramatically lower, there's almost always something they're leaving out — chemistry, pre-treatment, or a proper surface cleaner. I'd rather explain the difference than race to the bottom.
Can I get an exact price without a visit?+
Yes for most jobs — I quote off good photos and a size. The estimator on the home page will give you an accurate range in 30 seconds; the final number is confirmed by text before I show up.
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