Pressure washing
Brick Pressure Washing Cost Calculator
Prices brick cleaning, where the mortar fails before the brick does.
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, by area. Brick looks durable and the mortar between it frequently is not, particularly on older buildings where lime mortar is deliberately softer than the brick. That makes brick a low pressure job with appropriate chemistry rather than a high pressure one, and the cleaning comes from a masonry-safe detergent or a hypochlorite solution for organic growth, applied, dwelled and rinsed.
What moves the number
- Mortar condition and type, since old lime mortar is soft and easily eroded.
- Whether the brick is painted or sealed, which changes the approach entirely.
- Organic growth against general soiling, which need different chemistry.
- Whether efflorescence is present, which is not dirt.
Where this one goes wrong
High pressure on brickwork erodes the mortar joints, and on an older building with lime mortar it can wash the joints out visibly in one pass, which then needs repointing. That is a far larger bill than the cleaning. Keep pressure low and let the chemistry work. Acidic cleaners are the other hazard: they are sometimes used on masonry and they can damage brick, etch the mortar, stain through metallic reaction and harm surrounding materials, so they are a specialist choice rather than a default. Efflorescence needs identifying rather than cleaning repeatedly, since the moisture driving it will keep producing more.
Before you quote
- Assess mortar condition and type before setting any pressure.
- Keep pressure low and let the chemistry do the cleaning.
- Treat acidic cleaners as specialist, not routine.
- Identify efflorescence rather than washing it repeatedly.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Can brick be pressure washed?
Only at low pressure. The brick may be hard but the mortar between it is softer, deliberately so on older buildings with lime mortar, and high pressure washes the joints out. Repointing eroded joints costs far more than the cleaning did, which makes this the wrong surface for force.
Should acid be used on brickwork?
It is a specialist choice rather than a routine one. Acidic cleaners can etch mortar, damage brick, cause staining through metallic reaction and harm surrounding materials. Where they are appropriate they need the right dilution, pre-wetting and neutralising, which is not a general-purpose approach.
What is the white bloom on my brickwork?
Usually efflorescence, salt brought to the surface by moisture moving through the masonry. Washing removes the visible deposit and the moisture brings more, so it recurs. The useful response is identifying where the water is coming from rather than repeated cleaning.
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.