Pressure Washing Pricing Guide: How to Price Jobs for Profit

Knowing how much to charge for pressure washing jobs is the difference between running a profitable business or struggling to stay afloat.

Your pressure washing prices should cover your labor, materials, equipment, overhead, and desired margin. To set a profitable rate, calculate what each job costs your business, account for the time and difficulty involved, and compare your price with local market rates.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to price residential and commercial pressure washing jobs, calculate your costs, set profit margins, and create accurate customer estimates.

You can also watch this video to learn how expert business owners price their pressure washing services:

Pressure washing cost per square foot

The average rate with this pricing model is $0.10–$0.50 per square foot. Charging by square foot works well for surfaces with measurable dimensions and predictable cleaning needs. This can include driveways, sidewalks, and some building exteriors.

Start by measuring the length and width of the area using a tape measure or laser measure. Then use this formula to calculate the square footage of the property:

Square footage = Property length x property width

For example, a driveway measuring 30 feet long and 20 feet wide has an area of 600 square feet. If your standard rate is $0.20 per square foot, the initial price would be $120.

Follow these steps to calculate a square footage price using this formula:

1. Measure the length and width of the surface.
2. Multiply the measurements to find the total area.
3. Apply your rate per square foot.
4. Adjust for the surface condition, cleaning method, access, and other job-specific costs.

If the job requires you to pressure wash multiple surfaces (like driveway, patio, and fence), find the square footage of each area and then add them all together.

Square footage pricing works best when you’ve tracked enough completed jobs to estimate how long each type of surface takes to clean. It gives you a consistent starting point for estimates and makes it easier to price similar jobs.

Pro Tip: Don’t apply the same rate to every surface. Concrete may be quick to clean with the right equipment, while a heavily stained wooden surface may take longer. You may also need a higher rate for small areas where setup takes more time than the actual cleaning.

Pressure washing hourly rate

The average hourly customer rate for pressure washing is $50–$100, depending on your location, the size of the job, and the equipment you’ll need to complete it.

Hourly pricing can work well for jobs with uncertain cleaning times, unusual surface conditions like gasoline or oil spills, or extensive manual work such as scrubbing stubborn stains.

It can also help when you’re cleaning several different surfaces and you can’t confidently estimate the total area or time in advance.

Calculate your hourly customer rate by considering:

• The hourly labor cost for each person working on the job*
• Equipment, fuel, and cleaning materials
• Overhead and operating expenses
• The profit percentage you want to earn

*Note: Your hourly labor cost isn’t the same as your hourly customer rate. Your labor cost should include any payroll contributions, workers’ compensation, benefits, and other employment expenses.

For example, say your labor costs are $35/hour. You consume $10 worth of fuel and cleaning materials per hour, with another $10 of hourly equipment costs. Overhead and operating expenses are $20/hour, bringing your total costs to $75/hour.

To ensure you’re making money from every job, you also need to factor in your target profit margin. If you want a 25% margin, you’ll need to charge another $25 on top of expenses. That means your hourly customer rate should be $100/hour.

You can use an internal hourly rate to create an estimate, even if the customer sees your final quote as a flat rate. This approach makes the price easier for them to understand while giving you a consistent way to evaluate whether your business is staying profitable.

Flat rate pricing and service packages

The average cost of pressure washing services is $213–$449, depending on the job. Flat rate pricing means quoting one total price for a clearly defined job. It works well for repeatable services, like washing a standard driveway or cleaning a house exterior with vinyl siding.

Once you know how long a job takes and what it costs, you can use a standard rate to quickly estimate similar work. That said, make sure to adjust the price if a property has heavy buildup or other conditions that increase the time or expense.

You can also offer pressure washing packages to combine related services into one price. For example, you could offer house washing and driveway cleaning together. You’re already on-site, so bundling services reduces travel and setup costs while increasing revenue per job.

Before offering discounts on pressure washing service packages, calculate the combined job cost. A package should give customers a clear benefit without reducing your profit below the level your business needs.

Pressure washing pricing example

Say you’re quoting a house wash for a property with approximately 2,400 square feet of cleanable exterior siding. (Remember, this isn’t the same as the home’s interior floor area.) You expect the job to take four hours in total, including travel, setup, washing, and cleanup.

Here’s how you could calculate the price:

Using the formula above, that breaks down like so:

$334 = 250 ÷ (1 – 0.25)

The example assumes the job goes as planned and the cost estimates are accurate. If you discover difficult access, additional buildup, or other requirements that increase costs, update the estimate before starting the extra work.

Price house washing and siding

House washing prices depend on the amount of exterior surface you’re cleaning, not the home’s advertised square footage. A 2,000-square-foot home can have a different cleanable exterior area from another home of the same size.

When you’re preparing an estimate, consider:

• The measured area of siding and other included exterior surfaces
• Whether the home has one, two, or more stories
• The type and condition of the siding
• Whether soft washing or another specialized method is the right approach
• The time needed to protect landscaping, outdoor furniture, and nearby fixtures
• Access restrictions, water availability, and setup requirements

For example, say your measured siding area is 2,400 square feet and your rate is $0.15 per square foot. The initial area-based price is $360. However, you would still need to confirm this price covers your costs, any minimum charge, and your target profit margin.

Price driveways, decks, patios, fences, gutters, and roofs

Each surface has different requirements. Build your rate around the work involved instead of applying one price to every service. For example, considerations for each area could include the following:

• Driveways: Consider the total area, oil or rust stains, surface condition, slope, and the efficiency of your equipment.
• Decks and patios: Account for materials, railings, stairs, furniture, and any extra preparation or treatment. Use soft washing equipment to avoid damaging wood or delicate finishes with too much pressure.
• Fences: Measure the cleanable area and clarify whether the estimate covers one side or both. Height, vegetation, and access can increase labor time.
• Gutters: State whether the service includes removing debris from inside the gutters, washing the exterior, or both. Height and safe access affect pricing.
• Roofs: Price roof cleaning separately from standard pressure washing. Use a method that’s right for the roofing material, and account for roof pitch, access, safety measures, and any required treatment.

Minimum charges are particularly important for smaller jobs. A short walkway may need almost as much travel and setup as a much larger surface. Your price has to cover those costs, even when the cleanable area is small.

Several pressure washing pros weighed in on the conversation, each with a different opinion about the quote. That’s a good thing—it shows that every business prices differently, and you need to evaluate a property’s scope and costs with your company’s operating costs in mind.

What to include in every estimate

Your pressure washing estimate should include:

• Your pressure washing company name and logo
• Your contact information (phone number and email address)
• The customer’s name, contact information, and service address
• An estimate number
• The scope of work, including provided services, included surfaces, cleaning methods, and any special treatments
• Measurements and assumptions (square footage, surface condition, water access, other pricing factors)
• Exclusions that aren’t part of the quoted price, like repairs or stain removal
• Required prep work, such as moving vehicles or furniture
• How long the estimate is valid for
• Total costs for your services, including tax
• Payment terms like deposits, deadlines, payment methods, and cancellation terms
• A clear way for the customer to approve and sign off on the estimate

Be specific about the results the customer can expect, too. For example, explain that standard cleaning may improve the appearance of concrete but can’t guarantee oil stain removal.

Send quotes and track jobs with Jobber

Quoting software like Jobber helps you create professional estimates, send them to customers, and manage work after it’s approved. Keeping customer and job details organized can reduce manual follow-ups and make it easier to move from a quote to scheduled work.

If you’re a solo operator or you run a small crew, organizing quotes and job details in one place can make it easier to manage multiple customers without relying on scattered notes, messages, and spreadsheets.

Review pricing with job costing data

After every job, compare your estimate with your actual costs to see how accurate your pricing was. Record the labor hours, materials used, travel fee, equipment expenses, and any unexpected work. Look at the numbers and figure out whether:

• The recorded labor hours matched your estimate
• Materials and fuel cost what you expected
• You accounted for travel, setup, and overhead
• The final price achieved your target profit margin
• Anything needs to change in your next estimate for a similar job

If a particular service regularly misses its target margin, update your standard rate, estimated labor time, or minimum charge. If the job duration is different every time, improve your estimating process before changing the rate across the board.

Use job costing software like Jobber to see the costs for every job at a glance. Keep your numbers up to date, and Jobber will tell you when your margin is at risk so you can make adjustments.

Use packages and recurring service strategically

Packages and recurring agreements can help you increase revenue per customer and fill your schedule. For example, you can bundle pricing for house washing with driveway cleaning for residential customers, or offer a recurring schedule for commercial building exteriors.

Bundling services can cut down on travel, setup, and cleanup time while making your schedule and income more predictable. It also makes it easier for customers to get more jobs done in one visit.

Calculate the cost of every service in a package before you start offering a discount. For pressure washing contracts with recurring visits, consider the time between visits, seasonal changes, price increases for supplies, and any additional requirements in the contract.

Use Jobber’s quoting software to send multiple pricing options to clients and let them choose the service that’s right for them:

Price confidently and run every job in one place

Profitable pressure washing pricing starts with understanding what each job costs. Set the scope, measure the surface, choose the right pricing method, calculate labor and materials, allocate overhead, and apply a profit margin.

Review completed jobs regularly so you can improve your estimates and identify services that need a price adjustment. A consistent process helps you estimate confidently, cover your expenses, and build a business that can support your income and future growth.

Jobber’s pressure washing business software connects quoting, scheduling, invoicing, and payments, helping you manage the work from the first customer request through final payment.

Originally published in November 2020. Last updated on October 30, 2026.