Pressure washing
House Washing Cost Calculator
Prices a house wash, which should be a soft wash rather than a pressure wash.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus chemicals and the call-out, priced against the wall area rather than the floor plan. A house wash is a soft wash: low pressure applied with a detergent and, where there is organic growth, a hypochlorite solution that is allowed to dwell and then rinsed. The cleaning comes from the chemistry and the dwell time, not from force, and the labour is application, dwell and thorough rinsing rather than scrubbing with a wand.
What moves the number
- Wall area and number of storeys, since height needs ladders or extension equipment.
- How much organic growth there is, which determines dwell time and solution strength.
- Siding material, as vinyl, painted timber, stucco and brick each respond differently.
- Protection needed for plants, which have to be wetted and rinsed.
Where this one goes wrong
High pressure on siding drives water behind it, and that is the damage that does not show until later: water in the wall cavity rots sheathing and framing and causes mould, and on vinyl it gets behind the laps where it cannot dry. Keep pressure low and direct the spray downward with the laps rather than up under them. Oxidised vinyl is the other thing to warn about: on older siding, washing can reveal or unevenly remove a chalky oxidised layer, leaving a patchy result that is the siding's condition rather than a cleaning failure. Say so before starting. Plants need pre-wetting and rinsing where hypochlorite is used.
Before you quote
- Use low pressure and spray downward with the laps, never upward under them.
- Warn about oxidation on older vinyl before starting.
- Pre-wet and rinse plants where a hypochlorite solution is used.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Should a house be pressure washed?
Not at high pressure. House washing should be a soft wash: low pressure with detergent and, where there is organic growth, a hypochlorite solution left to dwell then rinsed. High pressure drives water behind siding where it rots sheathing and framing, and that damage appears months later.
Why does my vinyl siding look patchy after washing?
Usually oxidation. Older vinyl develops a chalky surface layer, and washing can remove it unevenly, revealing the siding's actual condition rather than causing a new problem. It is worth raising before the job, because it looks like a poor clean and it is not.
Will washing harm my plants?
Hypochlorite solutions can, which is why plants are pre-wetted before application and rinsed thoroughly afterwards. Dilution and rinsing are what protect them. A contractor who takes no precautions around planting is likely to leave damage that shows up over the following weeks.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 3 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $35.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 3 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $95 |
| Parts and materials | $35 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $415 |
| Labour | $285 |
| Before tax | $415 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $415: $285 of labour, $35 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $48 | $274 |
| $71 | $343 |
| $95 example above | $415 |
| $143 | $559 |
| $190 | $700 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 3 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $35.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.