Pressure Washing Your House – Cost and Frequency

If you cringe every time you pull up in front of your home because of the way your siding looks, you might be asking yourself the two questions we hear most often:

“How often should I power wash my house, and how much does it cost?”

Power washing your house is a great way to improve your curb appeal by making your home look its best. It’s also a great way to extend the life of your siding and maintain the value of your home. Because of these two factors alone, pressure washing your house is worth the investment.

Before you pressure wash your house, though, you should obviously take the cost of it into consideration. You should also figure out how often you need to do it and consider the best methods for power washing your home.

Here are the answers to some of the most common questions that you’ll encounter when you’re thinking about power washing your house.

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As you can see, today the average cost of power washing a home in the U.S. is somewhere between $100 and over $600, according to Angi’s List. A fair price for pressure washing for the average homeowner is about $280. Of course, power washing a larger home will fall more on the high end of the scale, and the average price for power washing a driveway would be a bit lower. Learn more about the average cost of pressure washing your driveway here.

Pressure Washing Costs By Type

Professional pressure washing services don’t have to clean the entire property. Home and business owners can choose to have one specific area cleaned. Here’s an average price estimate for how much power washing costs for various parts of the home or commercial building:

It’s also important to note that the cost to power wash a home will obviously depend on a number of different factors. Here are some of the things that will ultimately decide how much you pay for power washing services:

• The location of your home
• The size of your home
• The type of siding on your home
• The condition of your home
• The power washing method you prefer for cleaning your home
• The experience level of the company you hire to clean your home
• The time of year you decide to power wash your home

Generally speaking, it costs homeowners somewhere between $130 and $650 to power wash a home with the average cost sitting at just over $350. But the exact price that you pay will depend on several different factors. For example, a one-story home usually costs about $1 per linear foot to pressure wash. On the other hand, a two-story home could cost double at about $2 per linear foot. Additionally, as mentioned, the type of siding you have will impact the cost of pressure washing — brick homes can typically be pressure washed for $0.15 to $.40 per square foot, while vinyl-sided homes must be cleaned more gently, which takes more time. This will increase the price per square foot.

How Often Should You Power Wash Your House?

Right after people wrap their heads around the price associated with power washing a house, their next question is usually about how often it should be done. Since they’re going to be shelling out at least a few hundred dollars in most cases, they don’t want to pay more than they have to for power washing services.

Our experts recommend that most homeowners should wash their homes at least once a year to protect against damage caused by dirt and grime, regardless of what type of exterior you have. Homeowners living in wetter, more polluted, or more humid areas should have their homes washed every 6 to 8 months to ensure proper protection. Several factors will determine how often you need to clean your home.

For instance, when considering how often you should power wash your house, location is a big factor. If you live in a coastal area where harsh rain, wind, and salty air hit your siding, you’ll likely need to get your home professionally washed twice a year. Similarly, if you live on a main road or in a heavily populated urban area, your house collects dust and debris much faster and will need to be pressure washed at least twice a year to keep up with appearances. On the other hand, homes in suburban areas that experience mild weather patterns and pleasant temperatures will likely only need pressure washed once a year.

Here are a few factors that will determine how often your home needs to be power washed:

• Where your home is located
• How much dirt, dust, grime, mildew, etc. builds up on it over time
• What type of siding you have on your home
• How much money you can afford to pay for power washing services every year

Additionally, there may be other circumstances that impact how often you should power wash your home. We recommend scheduling a cleaning particularly after a bout of bad weather, when you’re preparing for a new coat of paint, or when you’re getting ready to sell your home. There isn’t one hard and fast rule as far as how often you should power wash your property.

What Is the Best Method for Cleaning a House?

Some homeowners don’t realize this, but there are actually a few different methods for cleaning a home.

You can power wash a home, pressure wash a home, or use a method called soft washing to get the job done. It’s important to understand the differences between the three.

Here is a quick explanation for each method:

Power Washing

This method involves using a heavy-duty power washing machine to blast away dirt, debris, and more from surfaces with highly pressurized hot water. It’s usually best for cleaning heavily soiled concrete, stone walls, driveways, and other hard surfaces.

Pressure Washing

This method involves using a pressure washing machine to blast away dirt, debris, and more from surfaces with highly pressurized cold water. It’s usually best for cleaning decks, patios, outdoor furniture, and more.

Soft washing

This method involves using a modified pressure washing machine to apply soap on dirt, debris, and more from surfaces with little to no pressure. It relies on the soap solution to do the cleaning, which makes it ideal for cleaning vinyl siding, painted wood, brick, stucco, and more.

You can utilize any of these methods to power wash the outside of a home. But soft washing has turned into the preferred method for many homeowners because it can be used to deep clean a home without doing any damage to it.

How to Choose a Pressure Washing Method

If you’re doing it yourself, the most important decision you have to make is choosing what type of pressure washer to use — and it definitely depends on the task. Read our full guide on comparing wash methods to determine which one works best for your needs.

The Three Biggest Reasons You Should Hire Professionals

In an effort to save a little bit of money, there are many homeowners who will purchase a power or pressure washer and attempt to clean their homes on their own. You’re obviously free to take this approach if you’d like, but there are some advantages to simply preparing your home and then hiring professionals instead of taking on the chore yourself.

1. You won’t make a big financial investment.

Pressure washing equipment isn’t cheap and for something that you’ll only use once or twice a year, it’s often more than what most homeowners want to pay.

2. You won’t have to worry about damaging your home.

Not all materials withstand the higher PSI of pressure washing. Some exteriors require soft washing or power washing in order to get clean without being damaged.

3. You won’t be injured in the process.

Pressure washers are powerful machines. The higher the PSI, the more force is being exerted on a surface. Higher PSIs can actually cut skin, and it’s best to leave that kind of power in the hands of trained professionals.

And maybe most importantly, professionals have the experience and expertise that it takes to get your home as clean as it can be through power washing, pressure washing, or soft washing. You won’t need to wash your home as often when you trust the pros to do the job.

Wash Your Home Today With Help From the Professionals

Now that you know how much it costs to power wash a house as well as the answers to other common power washing questions, let’s talk about professional pressure washing services. If you aren’t happy with the way your home looks at the moment, call on a professional exterior cleaning service to wash it right away. You’ll be amazed by how great your home looks in a matter of just a few hours.
Contact us today to schedule soft touch house washing for your home in Charlotte or one of the surrounding areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Read the questions we get asked most about how much it costs to pressure wash a property.

How do you charge for pressure washing?

Generally, pressure washing costs anywhere from 0.10 to 0.50 USD per square foot, but it really depends on the size of the project and its complexity.

Is power washing good for your house?

When done correctly, absolutely. It raises property value, removes stains, and prevents the build-up of allergens, along with numerous other things that can take away from the health of your family and the appeal of your home.

What is the best time of year to power wash your house?

We recommend having your home exterior professionally cleaned at least once a year during warmer months. Anytime from the beginning of spring to the end of fall before temperatures drop below freezing and bad weather starts is ideal.

Is it okay to power wash brick?

It really depends on the age of the brick. Older bricks especially cannot sustain higher pressures the way concrete can, but generally speaking brick isn’t as durable. So, while brick technically can hold up to the force of power or pressure washing, it’s best to leave cleaning a brick exterior up to the experts.