What Is the Average Cost of Power Washing?

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Commercial and residential power washing are excellent choices for keeping a home or business clean and pristine and looking its best. Professional pressure washing removes layers of thick dirt and grime as well as chewing gum, oil stains, mold, and so much more!

The average cost of power washing ranges from $300 to $1,000 for residential homes. This cost varies according to the area needing washing and if you require specialty services such as graffiti or paint removal.

No matter pressure washing costs, it’s important to schedule this work regularly and to avoid trying to manage it yourself. Pressure washing a house or business offers more benefits than you might realize, but is often more complicated and downright dangerous than property owners expect!

If you’ve been putting off needed power washing services, check out some advantages of this service for your house or commercial structure. It’s also helpful to know why this job is best left to professionals, and how to find the right pressure washing company near you.

Is the Cost of Power Washing Worth It?

When looking at quotes from pressure washing companies near you, it’s not uncommon to wonder if the cost of power washing is worth it. Consider some reasons it’s vital to schedule regular power washing for a house or business, and how this work protects a structure while making it look its best.

• Mud and dirt might hold moisture against exterior walls and other surfaces. Moisture breaks down brick and wood especially, leading to cracks, chips, and holes. Power washing removes those residues, protecting walls, decks, foundations, and other materials from damage.
• Layers of sand, silt, and grit as well as acid rain residues etch and scratch exterior window glass. Dirt and dust then settle into those nooks and crannies, making them worse over time! Window cleaning removes those residues, protecting glass and leaving behind a streak-free shine.
• Storm debris and soot damage roofing shingles, tiles, flashing, and other materials. Debris also works its way between tiles and shingles, loosening them and increasing the risk of losing them in a storm! Roof washing removes all that debris, protecting a roof from damage.
• Clogged gutters let rainwater wash over their sides and down exterior walls, where it then pools around a home’s foundation. That rainwater softens brick and concrete and leaves behind unsightly water marks and streaks. Regular gutter cleaning removes thick dirt, leaves, and other debris, reducing the risk of water damage to your home.
• Power washing services kill and remove mold, improving outdoor air quality in an instant!
• If you cook outdoors, you might also notice unsightly black stains on exterior walls and other surfaces, near the area of your grill. The longer you ignore these stains, the harder they are to remove. Power washing removes that soot and residual smoke, also improving your home’s appearance and air quality around your patio or deck.
• Algae eats away at roofing shingles while also growing between them, loosening those tiles. Professional pressure washing kills algae, protecting a home’s roof and improving its overall appearance.
• Before you schedule fence or deck painting, schedule a through pressure washing! Those wood surfaces might not be old and faded but simply covered with layers of dirt and dust. A good fence and deck pressure washing removes that unsightly debris and brings back the look of wood surfaces and materials.

Can You DIY Power Washing at Home?

Before you drag out your garden hose or hit the local hardware stores looking for pressure washing equipment rental, it’s good to consider some reasons you might avoid DIY power washing. Knowing the risks of pressure washing a house yourself and the benefits of hiring a power washing contractor ensures your home or business is always clean and pristine and in good condition.

• Garden hoses are often underpowered and don’t provide the pressure needed to dislodge chewing gum, thick layers of dirt, bird droppings, and other residues. Even with a pressure nozzle, DIY power washing is often insufficient and leaves behind lots of dirt and grime a professional removes with ease.
• The low pressure and small spray area of a garden hose means taking hours to clean large surfaces, such as exterior walls, fences, and decks! A pressure washing contractor might only need a few hours to clean your entire property, saving you time and hassle.
• A power washing contractor knows all the nooks and crannies of a property’s exterior where dirt and grime tend to build up, and which homeowners might overlook. For example, you might miss cleaning underneath roof eaves or wood decking, or forget to clean downspouts when you wash a home’s gutters.
• Rented pressure washing equipment is often cumbersome and difficult to manage; the wand has a reverse pressure that might even knock you off your feet, and especially if you’re on a ladder! Trying to control pressure washing equipment can mean putting yourself at risk for a fall or other such injury.
• Even when used at low pressure, power washing equipment risks shattering glass, chipping brick and wood surfaces, or denting exterior siding. It’s also easy to dislodge patio pavers, gravel, and other materials around your property.
• Using electric-powered pressure washers around standing water risks shock and even electrocution! Worn and frayed cords might expose electrical wiring to puddles and wet surfaces, creating the risk of shock for anyone holding the sprayer wand or using the pressure washing equipment.

It’s also good to realize that pressure washing contractors know how to clean surfaces around your property thoroughly and completely, without overlooking any details. They know how to rinse detergents and surfactants quickly before they dry on surfaces, and how to avoid excess splattering and splashing on surfaces.

A pressure washing contractor also takes all needed precautions to protect your property from damage during the power washing process. Many pressure washing companies cover hedges or landscaping features with tarps or otherwise reduce the risk of damage and flooding around your landscaping features. They also know to direct rinse water away from your lawn and landscaping, either to a collection basin or to the street.

What Can Be Power Washed Around a Home?

Power washing is not necessarily a good solution for every single surface material or item on your property, but you might be surprised at what can be power washed at home! Pressure washing makes quick work of gutter cleaning, dislodging mud, dirt, and other debris from gutters and downspouts. Patio and driveway pressure cleaning also removed dirt and debris from all those pits and pores in concrete and patio pavers.

Wood fence and deck pressure washing cleans away dried dust, muddy footprints, and mold and mildew growing in cracks of wood, restoring the appearance of these materials and creating cleaner air outside your house! Power washing is also an excellent choice for exterior window and patio door glass, as well as for cleaning cobwebs and dirt from screens and frames. Pool deck cleaning removes residual chlorine and other chemicals from concrete and stone as well.

Never overlook the need for exterior house and roof washing! Dirt and grime around your home’s entryway makes the entire property look rundown and dingy, while storm residues and dried soot dry roofing shingles, causing them to crack and split. Power washing also removes moss and mildew as well as dirt and mud from hardscaping features, such as garden edging, retaining walls, and decorative fencing.

What is the Difference Between Power Washing and Pressure Washing?

The terms power washing and pressure washing are often used interchangeably and might refer to any service using pressurized water for washing. However, technically speaking, power washing refers to using hot water during cleaning, while pressure washing refers to any cleaning with pressurized water no matter its temperature.

Power washing is often used for greasy, oily stains and residues, as hot water melts grease and oil. Many power washing companies also use specialty detergents or surfactants, designed to melt grease, oil, and other such debris, so they might not need to use hot water during the cleaning process! As hot water is dangerous for the pressure washing contractor and might leave behind streaks and marks, soft wash cleaning with special detergents is often the preferred cleaning method over traditional power washing.

Related Questions

Do you always need to use cleansers with power washing?

Not all power washing services need cleansers; very often, pressurized water itself easily dislodges dirt and mud from walls, decks, and other surfaces. However, some detergents are better options for killing mold, dissolving thick dirt, and seeping into nooks and crannies such as on roofs and concrete surfaces.

Can you use power washing for rubber and plastic materials?

Not all rubber and plastic materials are alike, which is why there’s no easy answer as to what you can clean with power washing! Very low pressure washing might be useful for cleaning out rubber trash bins or plastic swing set frames; however, if you’re not sure if something can be power washed, call a pressure washing company for advice on their services.