Overview: Pressure & Power Washing
Pressure washing is sold as one service and is really two. High pressure strips hard surfaces such as concrete, brick and stone. Soft washing cleans everything else at garden hose pressure with a detergent that is left to dwell and then rinsed off. Confusing the two is how siding, decks and roofs get wrecked.
So the useful question is not how powerful the machine is. It is which surfaces a company refuses to put a wand near. Cedar and soft wood, painted siding, asphalt shingles, old mortar joints and window seals all belong to the soft wash side. Black streaks on a roof are algae living in the shingle, and blasting them takes the granules off with the stain.
On flatwork the damage looks different. Concrete and pavers take pressure well, but a rushed operator leaves overlapping wand stripes that never blend out. Ask whether a surface cleaner is used instead of a bare wand, ask what the plan is for oil, and accept that shade means the green comes back.
Listings show what each company states on its own website: the surfaces it names, whether estimates are free, its hours, and what customers report in public reviews. The state and city lists below point at your area.
Cost of Pressure Washing
Ask for a total for the measured surface, including the minimum visit charge. Driveways, siding, wood and roofs need different cleaning methods; stain removal, stripping and sealing are separate scopes.
| Service or scope | Planning range | What this covers |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway cleaning | $100–$300per 400–600-sq.-ft. concrete driveway | Clean an ordinary two-car concrete driveway of about 400–600 sq. ft. with accessible water and normal dirt or organic growth.Use the quoted job total; a minimum visit charge can exceed area multiplied by a per-square-foot rate.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Surface cleaning; Routine detergent; Rinse Outside this estimate: Oil or rust restoration; Sealing; Water-supply surcharge |
| House siding soft wash | $250–$750per assessed one- or two-story home | Soft-wash suitable siding on a small-to-midsize one- or two-story home; price follows washable area, height and condition.Confirm whether soffits, gutter faces and window rinsing are included. Detailed glass cleaning is separate.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Siding cleaning; Routine detergent; Protection of nearby plants Outside this estimate: Roof washing; Window detailing; Paint oxidation restoration |
| Wood deck cleaning | $150–$400per small-to-medium deck cleaning | Clean a compact residential wood deck with routine buildup using a wood-appropriate method; measure decking, steps and railings separately.Stripping old stain, sanding, brightening and sealing must be named separately if needed.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Deck-surface cleaning; Routine rinsing Outside this estimate: Stripping; Sanding; Staining or sealing |
| Roof soft washing | $300–$1,200per assessed residential roof | Clean an assessed residential roof with a method approved for its roofing material; measured area, pitch and growth determine the quote.Ask about plant protection, runoff control and heavy moss. Cleaning does not repair a leaking or worn roof.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Specified roof treatment; Runoff and landscape protection Outside this estimate: Roof repair; Gutter repairs; Unsupported stain-removal guarantees |
What changes the price
- Actual cleaned surface area and access height
- Surface-compatible method and stain type
- Water access, runoff handling and protective measures
Ask before you book
- What surface area and minimum job charge does the quote use?Floor area and washed exterior area are different measurements.
- Which stains are included, and which results are uncertain?Rust, oil and oxidation may require separate treatment.
- Does the price include plant protection, runoff handling and any needed re-sanding?Associated tasks can change the final scope.
Check the scope
A low per-square-foot price may exclude the job minimum, specialty stains or re-sanding. Roof and wood cleaning require appropriate methods.
Compare quotes wisely
Request a bundled quote for accessible surfaces cleaned in the same visit, with specialty stain treatment priced separately.
How to read these estimates
These ranges combine published U.S. prices and cost guidance for the stated work. They are budgeting estimates, not offers from listed companies or a statistical national average. Confirm the total, included work and additional charges in writing.
U.S. planning estimates. Local quotes vary by location and the scope of work.
Frequently asked questions
What is soft washing, and when is it used?
Low pressure, a cleaning solution that sits on the surface long enough to kill what is growing, then a gentle rinse. It is the correct method for siding, painted surfaces, roofs, fences and anything that could be driven apart by force. The chemistry does the work, so the crew should be talking about dwell time and rinsing, not about how many horses the pump has.
Which surfaces should never take high pressure?
Cedar and other soft woods, painted siding, asphalt shingles, old mortar and lime joints, stucco, window and door seals, screens, and anything with a gap water can be driven behind. Pressure on a shingle roof strips the granules that protect it. Pressure on a deck raises the grain and leaves fuzz that soaks up water. If a company will not name its exclusions, keep calling.
Will washing take an oil stain off concrete?
Not on its own. Oil sits in the pores, so pressure alone spreads it and drives it deeper. The method is a degreaser or a poultice left to draw the oil up, agitation, then a rinse, sometimes repeated. Old stains often lighten rather than vanish, and honest crews say so before they start. Fresh spills are worth treating quickly for that reason.
Why does the green growth come back so quickly?
Because it is alive and the conditions that grew it have not changed. Shade, damp and poor airflow bring algae, moss and lichen straight back on a north facing wall or under trees. A solution left to dwell kills the growth and buys longer than a rinse that only knocks it off. Trimming back branches and clearing gutters buys more time than any wash.
What goes wrong on a driveway or patio?
Three things. Stripes, where a bare wand was walked across concrete instead of a surface cleaner, which leaves overlapping arcs you will see for years. Etching, where too much pressure cut into soft masonry or old pavers. And loose joints, because the sand between pavers washes out and has to be replaced. Ask which of these the quote accounts for.
