“How much should I charge?” is the most common pricing question on PressureWashingResource, and the honest answer is: it depends on your costs and your market. But you still need a number before the phone rings. This guide gives you typical ranges, the three ways owners build a price, and the upcharges that keep a “ballpark” from turning into a loss.
Three ways owners price
- Flat by story and size. A set price for a 1-story and a 2-story house, stepped by size. One owner on PWR describes it simply: “Make a standard price for a 1 story and 2 story house wash” (PWR, 2023). Easy to quote on the phone, easy for a homeowner to understand.
- Per square foot. Precise for concrete and roofs you’ve measured, but homeowners don’t know their square footage. If you think in square feet, convert it into size buckets before you show it to customers. Another owner’s rule: “a basic wash for anything up to 2,600sf will be $325” (PWR, 2022).
- Per hour. Rare as a quote, useful as a check. Know what an hour of your rig costs, then make sure each flat price clears it on a normal day.
Typical prices by job
US-average starting points from our template. Your metro moves these by up to ±10%.
| Job | Typical range | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| House wash, 1-story, ~3 bedrooms | $300 – $365 | House wash pricing |
| House wash, 2-story, ~3 bedrooms | $380 – $470 | House wash pricing |
| Roof soft wash, 1-story, ~3 bedrooms | $450 – $600 | Roof soft wash pricing |
| Driveway, 2 cars | $150 – $200 | Driveway pricing |
| Patio & walkways | $100 – $175 | — |
| Deck or fence | $175 – $300 | — |
| Gutter brightening, 1-story | $125 – $200 | — |
The full grid by stories and size is on the pressure washing price calculator, for 21 sunbelt metros.
Your minimum charge
A minimum protects you from the $90 patio 40 minutes away. Add up the round trip, setup and pack-up, and chemicals, and price that as your floor. Every range you quote, on the phone or online, should respect it. At the US average, our template uses $200.
Upcharges that protect you
Owners get burned by the job that looked normal on the phone. “I could walk one street away from a jobsite and have a huge technical 2 story when i just came from a crappy 2 story vinyl” (PWR, 2023). Keep a short list of add-ons and say them out loud:
- 3 stories or steep grades: more ladder, more time, more risk.
- Heavy mildew or algae: a second application and more chemical.
- Hardie / fiber-cement siding, if it takes you longer than vinyl.
- Oil and rust stains on concrete: priced per stain or per area.
Three or four add-ons is plenty. Every extra question costs you a customer who gives up halfway.
Prices change by city
Rent, fuel, wages and what homeowners are used to paying all move with the local cost of living. The price calculator uses the US Bureau of Economic Analysis’s regional price parities (2024) to adjust for that: Miami and Dallas sit above the US average, Knoxville and Augusta below it. It’s a rough guide to your market, not a replacement for knowing what your competitors quote.
When to go see the job anyway
A range from stories and bedrooms covers most houses. Go look (or check satellite and street view) when the job is far outside the usual: commercial buildings, 3-story homes on slopes, heavy rust, delicate surfaces, or anything the homeowner describes as “it’s been 10 years”. One owner: “I use Google earth for anything more that 30-45 min away” (PWR, 2017).
Show a range, not a promise
Homeowners on a phone want a number before they call. A range with “final price confirmed on site” gives them one without locking you in, and it filters out the people who were never going to pay $380. You can print it as “from” prices on a price list, or let homeowners get their own range with an instant quote widget on your site.