Pressure washing price per square foot
There's no single right number. Here are rates you can trace to a named source and a date, why they disagree, and how to set your own.
Rates with a source
| Source | What | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Housecall Pro guide, updated Oct 2026 | Residential flatwork | $0.15–$0.75 / sq ft |
| Housecall Pro guide, updated Oct 2026 | Commercial flatwork | $0.08–$0.40 / sq ft |
| Pressure Washing Resource forum, 2020 | House washing, one owner | $0.15 / sq ft |
| Pressure Washing Resource forum, 2020 | House washing, one owner's mentor | $0.10–$0.14 / sq ft |
| Our estimator's example rates (one Minnesota company) | House wash, vinyl / brick | $0.22 / $0.30 / sq ft |
| Our estimator's example rates | Driveway and concrete | $0.27 / sq ft |
| Our estimator's example rates | Roof, asphalt shingle | $0.30 / sq ft |
Sources: Housecall Pro (its own commercial table also shows $0.10–$0.40, so read it as approximate) · PWR thread 1 · PWR thread 2. Forum figures are individual owners' opinions from 2020, not survey data.
Why the numbers disagree
- Which square feet? Some owners mean the home's floor area, others the wall area being washed. A two-story house has far more wall per square foot of floor. Pick one and stick to it. Our estimator uses the home's listed size, because homeowners know that number.
- Height. Second and third stories cost more in time and risk, so most owners add a multiplier or a flat amount.
- Surface. Brick and stucco hold dirt and soak up mix. Roofs carry more risk. Decks vary by material.
- Market. Labor, fuel, insurance and competition differ by town.
- Minimums. Many owners charge a minimum or price residential jobs by the hour instead, and use per-square-foot rates only on large or commercial jobs, as owners said in the 2020 forum thread.
Setting your own rate
- Work out what an hour costs you: labor, chemical, fuel, insurance, equipment wear.
- Add your margin. Housecall Pro's formula is cost ÷ (1 − margin). At a 30% margin, $400 of cost becomes about $571.
- Time a few typical jobs and turn that price into a rate per square foot for each surface.
- Test it on past jobs and adjust.
Show your rates to homeowners instantly. The Instant Wash Estimator puts your per-square-foot rates, minimums and multipliers on your website. Homeowners get a price range in under a minute, and you get the lead. $49 once, no monthly fee.
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