# Pressure washing prices: per square foot by surface, minimums and a worked quote

> Pressure washing prices for a typical home run $241 to $418 according to Thumbtack, with small jobs near $166 and large ones above $641. Per square foot, Fixr reports $0.30 to $0.40 for driveways and $0.30 to $0.80 for house siding, with power washing (hot water) higher on driveways. Most companies set a minimum of $100 to $350 per visit and price roofs separately.

Published 2026-11-06 by Broombook · Pricing and money · 11 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/pressure-washing-prices

## Key takeaways

- Thumbtack’s national averages: house wash $241 to $418, driveway $241 to $439, patio $252 to $447, hourly work $75 to $90.
- Fixr per square foot: concrete $0.30 to $0.33, vinyl $0.30 to $0.40, wood $0.30 to $0.50, stone $0.35 to $0.75, composite up to $2.00.
- Set a minimum job charge ($100 to $350 is common per Fixr) so a 200 sq ft patio still pays for the drive and setup.
- Oil stains, a third story, slopes, tight landscaping and pavers with joint sand are the five things that should raise a quote.
- Bundle surfaces in one visit: one setup, one drive, and the client sees a discount you can afford.

## What are typical pressure washing prices in 2026?

Homeowners pay $241 to $418 on average to have a home pressure washed, according to [Thumbtack’s pressure washing price data](https://www.thumbtack.com/p/power-washing-prices) (updated January 2026). The low end is about $166 and the high end about $641. When pros charge by the hour instead of by the job, Thumbtack puts the national average at $75 to $90 an hour.

[Fixr’s house washing cost guide](https://www.fixr.com/costs/pressure-wash-house) reports a higher range for full exterior house washing: $500 to $900, with a national average of $700 for a 2,000 sq ft vinyl-sided home, a $300 low end and a $2,000 high end for specialty work on brick with heavy grime. The two sources measure different jobs (Thumbtack’s averages include a lot of small flatwork; Fixr’s is a whole-house wash), which is why you should compare your price to the matching row, not the headline number.

### House wash by home size (Thumbtack national averages)

| Home size | Average price | Per sq ft at the middle of the band |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1,000 sq ft or less | $190 to $291 | $0.19 to $0.29 (at 1,000 sq ft) |
| 1,000 to 2,000 sq ft | $273 to $408 | $0.18 to $0.27 |
| 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft | $331 to $488 | $0.13 to $0.20 |
| 3,000 to 4,000 sq ft | $414 to $599 | $0.12 to $0.17 |
| 4,000 to 5,000 sq ft | $550 to $834 | $0.12 to $0.19 |

The per-square-foot column is our division of Thumbtack’s ranges by the middle of each size band, and it shows the pattern every price sheet should copy: the bigger the job, the lower the rate, because the drive, setup and breakdown are paid once. Equipment, insurance and how to set up the company are covered in [how to start a pressure washing business](https://broombook.com/guides/pressure-washing-business); this page is the price sheet.

## What should you charge per square foot for each surface?

Charge per square foot for flatwork and as a flat price per house for siding, and set the rate by surface: concrete is fast and cheap per foot, wood and composite are slow and priced higher. Fixr’s per-square-foot figures by material, labor included, are a good starting grid.

| Surface | Suggested PSI (Fixr) | Price per sq ft (Fixr) | Owner note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Concrete driveway, sidewalk, patio | 3,000 to 3,500 | $0.30 to $0.33 | Surface cleaner work; your fastest production |
| Vinyl siding | 2,500 to 3,000 | $0.30 to $0.40 | Most companies soft wash it instead (see below) |
| Wood deck or fence | 1,000 to 1,500 | $0.30 to $0.50 | Low pressure, risk of furring the wood; brightener is extra |
| Brick and masonry | 500 to 1,500 | $0.31 to $0.37 | Mortar joints can wash out at high pressure |
| Stucco | 1,200 to 1,500 | $0.33 to $0.45 | Soft wash; check for cracks before you start |
| Stone | 2,500 to 3,000 | $0.35 to $0.75 | Test a corner; some stone etches |
| Asphalt | 1,000 to 1,500 | $0.50 to $1.00 | Low pressure; loose aggregate comes up |
| Composite decking | 2,500 to 3,000 | $0.50 to $2.00 | Read the decking maker’s cleaning rules first |

For driveways specifically, [Fixr’s driveway guide](https://www.fixr.com/costs/pressure-wash-driveway) puts pressure washing at $0.30 to $0.40 per sq ft and power washing (heated water) at $0.40 to $0.55, with a 600 sq ft driveway at $180 to $240 and an average of $225. Driveway plus sidewalk in one visit runs $275 to $300, meaning the sidewalk adds only $50 to $75. That is the bundle effect in one line.

### Flat prices by area

Fixr also lists flat prices per area, which is how many homeowners shop:

| Area | Fixr range (labor included) | Thumbtack average |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Patio (about 50 sq ft) | $50 to $75 | $252 to $447 (typical patio job) |
| Porch (about 300 sq ft) | $100 to $150 | Not listed |
| Deck | $100 to $200 | Not listed |
| Garage floor (about 300 sq ft) | $100 to $200 | Not listed |
| Fence | $125 to $235 | Not listed |
| Driveway | $180 to $240 | $241 to $439 |
| Sidewalk | Added to a driveway: $50 to $75 | $272 to $486 |

The gap between columns is mostly minimums: a 50 sq ft patio at $1 a foot is $50 of work, but nobody drives a trailer across town for $50. Thumbtack’s numbers are what people actually got quoted, minimums included. Use Fixr’s rates to price square footage and your minimum to set the floor.

## How much should a house wash or soft wash cost?

Price a house wash as a flat amount by size and number of stories. Thumbtack’s national averages are $218 to $363 for one story, $279 to $472 for two and $286 to $509 for three. Soft washing (low pressure plus a cleaning solution) usually costs more than straight pressure washing because of the dedicated pump and chemicals.

One pro quoted by Thumbtack says residential siding is often priced at a fixed “per wall” rate, and flatwork (driveway, porch, sidewalk, roof) at a fixed price per surface. Per-wall pricing is a good tool for partial jobs: the north wall with the mildew, not the whole house.

### A house wash price card (starting points)

| Home | Soft wash, light to normal growth | Heavy mildew, oxidation or third-story access |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One story, up to 1,500 sq ft | $225 to $350 | Add 20% to 30% |
| Two story, 1,500 to 2,500 sq ft | $300 to $475 | Add 20% to 30% |
| Two to three story, 2,500 to 4,000 sq ft | $425 to $650 | Add 25% to 40% |
| Single wall or section | 25% to 35% of the full-house price | Minimum charge applies |

These starting points sit at or a little above Thumbtack’s story averages and mostly below Fixr’s whole-house range, so they work for a new company that wants volume. Raise them once your calendar is full two weeks out.

### What stays off the house wash line

- **Roofs.** Thumbtack’s roof average is $419 to $686, and roofs are soft washed, priced by roof area and pitch, and need fall protection. Use the [roof cleaning price guide](https://broombook.com/guides/roof-cleaning-prices) for that line.
- **Gutters.** Cleaning out the inside of gutters is a different job with a ladder and a bag, priced per linear foot; see [gutter cleaning prices](https://broombook.com/guides/gutter-cleaning-prices). Brightening the outside face (removing “tiger stripes”) is an add-on to the house wash.
- **Windows.** A house wash leaves windows rinsed, not clean. Say so in the quote, or sell a window cleaning add-on.

## What minimum job charge should a pressure washing company set?

Set a minimum that covers one visit with no work: the drive, loading, setup, breakdown and a short job, plus overhead. Fixr says minimums of $100 to $350 are very common, and gives the example of a 200 sq ft driveway: $60 to $80 by the foot, but about $100 with a minimum.

### Work out your own minimum (hypothetical numbers)

- Round trip of 20 miles at the IRS standard rate of [76 cents a mile (July to December 2026)](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates): $15.
- One technician for 1.25 hours (30 minutes driving, 25 minutes setup and breakdown, 20 minutes washing) at $24 an hour: $30.
- Fuel for the machine, surfactant and a degreaser touch-up: $12.
- Direct cost: $57. With 25% overhead and 20% profit, direct cost must be 55% of price: $57 ÷ 0.55 = $104.

So a lean one-person company in this example should not leave the shop for less than about $105, and a crew with a trailer and a hot-water unit will land well above that, toward Fixr’s $350 upper figure. Publish the minimum on your price sheet (“Minimum service charge: $125”) and the small patio calls sort themselves out: some book anyway, many add the walkway and the steps to reach the minimum, which is what you want.

## What raises or lowers a pressure washing quote?

Size sets the base price; condition, height, access and the surface decide whether you add 10% or 50%. Write each adder as a named line so the client sees why the number moved.

| Factor | Why it costs more | How to price it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Oil, grease and rust stains | Degreaser dwell time, often hot water; a Thumbtack pro says oil removal “will always be more expensive” | $15 to $50 per stain, or quote hot-water power washing at Fixr’s $0.40 to $0.55 per sq ft |
| Height and stories | Extension wands, ladders, more chemical, slower rinse | Story tiers on the house wash; separate line for third-story peaks |
| Slope and landscaping | Thumbtack’s pros cite plants and inclines as time adders; plants need pre-wetting and rinsing | 10% to 20% on heavily planted or sloped lots |
| Pavers with joint sand | Low pressure, sand washes out; re-sanding and sealing are separate trades | Higher per-foot rate; sealing quoted on its own (Fixr: $0.88 to $2.10 per sq ft) |
| Water access | Most companies use the client’s spigot (Thumbtack); no spigot means a tank and refill trips | Flat “water supply” fee when you must bring all of it |
| Heavy growth or neglect | Extra chemical passes and dwell time | Condition tier after photos: light, normal, heavy |
| Wash water recovery | Commercial sites and some cities require you to block and collect runoff | Line item for berms, vacuum recovery and disposal |

Two things should lower a quote: a bundle (several surfaces in one visit) and a recurring plan. A Thumbtack-quoted pro recommends washing a house at least every two years, more in humid climates, which is the reminder schedule to put in your system. Ask for photos before quoting anything over your minimum; it takes the guesswork out of condition tiers.

## A worked quote: house wash, driveway and walkway

Here is how to price pressure washing jobs from your own costs, using hypothetical numbers: time each surface, cost the crew and chemicals, add overhead and profit, then compare the total to the market rows above.

### The job

- Two-story vinyl house, about 2,200 sq ft, normal mildew on the north side. Soft wash.
- Concrete driveway, 700 sq ft, one oil stain where the car parks.
- Front walkway, 150 sq ft.
- 12 miles each way. Client’s spigot available.

### The cost

| Line | How it is worked out | Amount |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Crew labor | 2 people × 4.5 hours on site and driving × $22 average wage | $198 |
| Chemicals | Soft wash mix and surfactant $30, degreaser $10, post-treatment $8 | $48 |
| Machine fuel | Gas unit for about 3 hours | $15 |
| Vehicle | 24 miles × $0.76 | $18 |
| Direct cost |  | $279 |
| Price floor with 25% overhead and 20% profit | $279 ÷ 0.55 | $507 |

### The quote the client sees

- House soft wash, two story: $349 (inside Thumbtack’s $279 to $472 two-story average).
- Driveway, 700 sq ft at $0.27: $189, plus oil stain treatment $35 (Fixr’s $0.30 to $0.40 range would be $210 to $280 before the stain).
- Walkway, 150 sq ft: $45.
- Bundle discount, three surfaces in one visit: minus $40.
- **Total: $578**, about 14% above the $507 floor.

The bundle discount is real money to the client and costs you nothing, because the drive and setup were already in the house wash. If the client only wants the driveway, it is $189 plus $35, well over your minimum. Run your own monthly numbers in the [profit calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-business-profit-calculator) once you have a few timed jobs.

## How does commercial pressure washing pricing work?

Commercial work is priced per square foot and sold on a schedule: storefront sidewalks monthly, drive-thru lanes and dumpster pads monthly or quarterly, parking garages once or twice a year. A Texas pro quoted by Thumbtack says pros typically charge per square foot for commercial pressure washing.

Build the commercial rate from your production, not from the residential grid. A hypothetical example: a 20-inch surface cleaner on clean, open concrete might cover 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft an hour for a two-person crew once set up; gum spots, curbs and edges cut that sharply. At $60 an hour of crew labor plus fuel and chemicals, a 1,200 sq ft hour costs you about $75, or $0.06 a foot, before overhead and profit. That is why big flat areas sell for a fraction of the residential driveway rate, and why you must time your own first jobs before you bid a parking garage.

### What to put in a commercial bid

- Square footage per area, frequency, and the price per visit and per year.
- Work hours (night work is normal for restaurants and retail) and any after-hours premium.
- Gum removal priced per area or per hour, not included by default.
- How you handle wash water: berms, recovery and where it goes. Many cities treat commercial runoff more strictly than a homeowner’s driveway, so check yours.
- Certificate of insurance, W-9 and invoice terms (net 30 is common).

The [commercial cleaning calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/commercial-cleaning-calculator) turns square footage and production rates into a per-visit price.

## How should you present pressure washing pricing to clients?

Publish a short price sheet with starting prices, the minimum and the add-ons, quote from photos within a day, and send every quote in writing with the square footage and what is not included.

1. **Starting prices, not exact ones.** “Driveways from $149. Two-story house wash from $299.” Then confirm from photos.
2. **Three packages.** House only; house plus driveway and walks; the full exterior (house, flatwork, gutter faces, deck). Most clients take the middle.
3. **What is not guaranteed.** Old rust, deep oil, efflorescence and paint failure. Say it before you wash.
4. **Deposit or card on file** for big jobs, and a rain policy: you reschedule, nobody pays a fee.
5. **Annual or every-other-year reminders.** Thumbtack points to mild spring and fall days as the best season, so send reminders in late winter and late summer.

The [cleaning estimate template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-estimate-template) works for exterior quotes. If you want clients to pick surfaces and book online, [quoting software](https://broombook.com/software/cleaning-quote-software) such as Broombook lets you list each service with its price, take the booking and send the reminder; see [pricing](https://broombook.com/pricing) for the plans.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much do pressure washing companies charge per square foot?

Fixr reports $0.30 to $0.40 per sq ft for driveways and $0.30 to $0.80 for house siding, depending on grime. Wood runs $0.30 to $0.50, stone $0.35 to $0.75 and composite up to $2.00 per sq ft.

### Is power washing more expensive than pressure washing?

Usually, yes. Power washing uses heated water, and Fixr puts driveway power washing at $0.40 to $0.55 per sq ft versus $0.30 to $0.40 for cold-water pressure washing. Hot water is worth it for grease and oil, not for siding.

### How much does it cost to pressure wash a driveway?

Thumbtack’s national average is $241 to $439 per driveway job. Fixr reports $180 to $240 for a 600 sq ft concrete driveway, or about $225 on average.

### What is a good minimum charge for pressure washing?

Fixr says minimums of $100 to $350 are common. Work out your own from the cost of one visit (drive, setup, a short job, fuel) divided by 0.55 to cover overhead and profit.

### Do pressure washing companies charge by the hour?

Some do, mainly for small or uncertain jobs. Thumbtack puts the national average at $75 to $90 an hour, and Fixr reports $50 to $150. Most residential work is quoted as a flat price per surface.

### Should roof cleaning be on the same price sheet?

List it, but price it separately. Roofs are soft washed, priced by area and pitch, and need fall protection; Thumbtack’s roof average is $419 to $686.

## Sources

- [Thumbtack: how much does pressure washing cost? (national data, updated January 2026)](https://www.thumbtack.com/p/power-washing-prices)
- [Fixr: cost to pressure wash a house (per sq ft by material, minimums, area prices)](https://www.fixr.com/costs/pressure-wash-house)
- [Fixr: driveway pressure washing cost (per sq ft, power vs pressure washing)](https://www.fixr.com/costs/pressure-wash-driveway)
- [IRS: standard mileage rates (76 cents per business mile, July to December 2026)](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates)

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