Pressure washing looks simple to price — until you drive 25 minutes for a $60 driveway and realize the gas, water, and chemicals ate the job. The pros who make money quote by the surface, keep a minimum charge, and add markup on top of real costs. Here is the repeatable way to do it.
Step 1: Measure each surface separately
Different surfaces clean at different rates, so price them one at a time — house or siding soft wash, driveway, sidewalks, deck or patio, fence, and roof. Capture the square footage (or linear footage for fences and gutters) of each. A whole-house job is really four or five small jobs bundled together, and pricing them separately keeps a big driveway or a two-story wash from getting buried.
Step 2: Apply your per-surface rate
In 2026, residential flatwork commonly runs $0.15–$0.75 per square foot and house soft-washing $0.15–$0.40 per square foot. Roofs and heavy staining sit at the top of the range. Set your own rates from your production speed — a good rig cleans a driveway fast, so per-square pricing rewards your efficiency far better than an hourly clock.
| Surface | Unit | Typical 2026 rate |
|---|---|---|
| House / siding soft wash | sq ft | $0.15–$0.40 |
| Driveway / concrete flatwork | sq ft | $0.20–$0.55 |
| Deck / patio | sq ft | $0.30–$0.75 |
| Roof soft wash | sq ft | $0.20–$0.70 |
| Fence | linear ft | $1.50–$4.00 |
Step 3: Add chemicals, a minimum, and a trip fee
Soft-wash mix, degreaser, and any rust or oil treatment are real cost — add them as their own line. Then hold a minimum service charge of $100–$250 so a small job still covers your drive time and setup, and add a trip fee for anything far out. This is where washers who "just charge by the square foot" quietly lose money.
Step 4: Apply markup for overhead and profit
Your rates and chemicals are cost. On top of that you need to cover the truck, the equipment, insurance, and the hours you spend quoting — and leave profit. Build markup into the number so the price on the customer's estimate is what your business actually needs, not just what the job costs you.
Example: an 1,800 sq ft house wash at $0.28 ($504) plus a 600 sq ft driveway at $0.32 ($192) and $45 of chemicals is $741 of work. With a 15% markup, you would quote about $852 — and your minimum charge floors any job smaller than that.
Common pricing mistakes to avoid
- No minimum charge — the single fastest way to lose money on small jobs.
- One flat number — bundling every surface into a lump sum invites haggling and underbidding.
- Not naming the method — say "soft wash" for siding and roofs so expectations are set.
- Ignoring access — a missing spigot or locked gate changes the job; note that in your terms.
Price by the surface and your quotes stop leaking money. Build your next one in the pressure washing estimate tool.