How much to charge for pressure washing in 2026
Rates by surface, a worked example, and the method that keeps you from quoting below your costs. If you'd rather just get a number, use the calculator.
Rates by surface (US national, 2026)
These are operator rates, meaning what washing businesses charge, compiled from QuoteIQ, Housecall Pro, Moon Invoice and Bella FSM public guides and checked against what operators report in r/pressurewashing. Your market may sit at either end. High-cost metros and HOA neighborhoods are consistently at or above the top.
| Surface | Unit | Low | High | Typical job | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway / concrete flatwork | sq ft | $0.15 | $0.35 | $100–$300 | Surface cleaner. Pre/post-treat with SH is an add-on (+15%). |
| Sidewalk / walkway / patio | sq ft | $0.18 | $0.40 | $50–$150 | Slower than driveways: edges, furniture, planters. |
| House wash, single story (soft wash) | sq ft living area | $0.15 | $0.30 | $250–$500 | Vinyl/hardie. Brick and stucco +10–20%. |
| House wash, two story | sq ft living area | $0.19 | $0.38 | $400–$800 | Single-story rate × 1.25. Three stories × 1.5. |
| Roof soft wash | sq ft roof | $0.30 | $0.60 | $400–$1,200 | Asphalt shingle. Tile and steep pitch at the top of the range or above. |
| Deck, wood or composite (clean) | sq ft | $0.25 | $0.50 | $150–$500 | Sealing/staining is a separate line: $0.75–$1.50/sq ft. |
| Fence, per side | lin ft | $1.00 | $3.00 | $150–$400 | 6 ft privacy fence. Charge both sides if you wash both. |
| Gutter brightening (exterior face) | lin ft | $1.00 | $2.00 | $100–$300 | Not interior clean-out. Two-story × 1.25. |
| Commercial flatwork / parking lot | sq ft | $0.08 | $0.20 | $500–$2,500 | Volume pricing. After-hours +$150, hot water +$200. |
| Storefront / building face | per story | $250 | $600 | $250–$1,200 | Access and lift costs change this fast. |
| Graffiti removal | sq ft | $2.00 | $6.00 | $150+ | Porous surfaces at the top. |
Condition and access multipliers
- Light (maintenance wash, done within the year): × 0.9
- Normal: × 1.0
- Heavy (black algae, years of buildup, red clay, mildew on north side): × 1.25, and it takes 25% longer
- Two stories: × 1.25 on house, roof and gutters. Three: × 1.5
- Rush / same week: +25%
The cost-floor method
Per-square-foot rates are the market speaking. They don't know your costs. Before quoting any number, know the price below which the job loses money:
Cost floor = (wash hours + travel hours) × crew × labor rate
+ wash hours × (chemicals + fuel/equipment per hour)
+ overhead per job
Floor price = cost floor ÷ (1 − target margin)
Quote = the highest of: floor price, market midpoint, your minimum job.
Defaults that hold for most solo operators in 2026: labor $35/hr/person, chemicals $12 per wash hour, fuel and equipment wear $8 per wash hour, overhead $25 per job, margin 35%, minimum job $150.
Worked example: two-story house + driveway
2,000 sq ft two-story vinyl home, normal condition, 550 sq ft driveway, 30 minutes round-trip, solo.
- Market range. House: 2,000 × $0.15–$0.30 × 1.25 = $375–$750. Driveway: 550 × $0.15–$0.35 = $83–$193. Total $458–$943, midpoint $700.
- Time. House: 2,000 ÷ 1,400 sq ft/hr × 1.25 = 1.8 h. Driveway: 550 ÷ 700 = 0.8 h. Travel 0.5 h. Total 3.1 h.
- Cost floor. Labor 3.1 × $35 = $109. Chems and fuel 2.6 × $20 = $52. Overhead $25. Floor $184.
- Floor price at 35%. $184 ÷ 0.65 = $283.
- Quote. Highest of $283, $700, $150 → $700. Then the add-ons: pre-treat the driveway (+$25), gutters 160 lf at $1.50 × 1.25 (+$300). A veteran quotes this house at roughly $1,025. A beginner quotes $350 and calls it a good day.
At $700 for 3.1 hours, after $77 of consumables and overhead, you earn about $200 per hour. That's the number to watch. When it drops under $75, something is wrong with the job, the travel, or the price.
Mistakes that cost the most
- Quoting hourly to the customer. They compare it to a handyman at $60. Quote the job.
- No minimum. A $90 walkway 40 minutes away is a loss before you start. Set $150 and hold it.
- Bundling add-ons for free. Oil spots, rust, gutters and windows are separate lines with separate prices. Say so before you start, not after.
- Matching "the other guy." You don't know if he's insured, if he's still in business next year, or if he's losing money. Quote your floor or walk.
- Measuring by eye. Pace it or use the satellite measure. Being 30% low on square footage is 30% off your price.
Regional adjustment
Roughly: Northeast and West Coast metros +15–25% over national. Southeast and Texas suburbs at national. Rural Midwest and South −10–20%. UK/AU/CA operators: the method is identical. Swap the per-unit rates for your local ones in the kit spreadsheet.
Next step
Run your actual job through the calculator. If you want this in a spreadsheet you own, with the full rate card, add-on menu, quote template and objection scripts, that's the Pricing Kit ($29).