How to Price Pressure Washing Jobs: A Handy Power Washing Estimate Guide

Whether you’re starting your first pressure washing business or aim to revamp your current pricing model to bring in more sales, determining the best way to price your pressure washing jobs is a must. The key is finding the right pricing model that works for your business. 

Pressure washing vs. power washing

Before diving into what it takes to price pressure washing jobs, let’s explore the similarities and differences between pressure washing and power washing. These terms are often used interchangeably, but the services aren’t quite the same. 

What is pressure washing?

Pressure washing involves using a high-pressure stream of water to remove dirt and particles from surfaces. The water used for pressure washing is typically a cold or moderate temperature, which is ideal for washing dirt and debris from sidewalks, decks, pathways, driveways, fences and siding.

What is power washing?

Power washing involves using the same high-pressure stream as pressure washing. The difference is the water is very hot, making it easier to remove more dirt and debris in less time. Power washing is also great for removing mold and mildew from decks and patios, chewing gum from sidewalks and salt and grease stains from driveways and garages. A power washer service might also be tapped to remove tough stains from concrete and even kill weeds.
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In this article, we’ll cover both types of businesses.

What to consider when pricing power and pressure washing services

It’s not always easy to determine the price to charge for your services. Let’s look at some considerations to make when pricing your jobs.

Pressure/Power wash service business costs

Operating a successful pressure or power washing service means staying on top of your operational costs and overhead. Here are just a few costs to consider when pricing your jobs.

• Cleaning products
• Equipment maintenance and fuel
• Vehicle costs (loan, gas, insurance, maintenance)
• Payroll
• Office (rent, phone, internet, utilities, supplies)
• Advertising
• Accounting/legal fees
• Business insurance/licensing fees/taxes

Keeping up with these costs plays a major role in the success of your business, so be sure to account for them when tallying the final bill for each pressure washing job.

Pressure/power wash service offerings

Your pricing should align with the types of power washing and pressure washing services you offer. Do you serve residential clients, commercial clients or both? The clients you serve could also play a role in the amount you charge since you might be called for different services.

Residential service examples:

• Roof cleaning
• Fence washing
• Low-pressure house washing
• Deck and patio washing
• Porch and walkway cleaning
• Exterior window cleaning
• Driveway cleaning
• Specialized power washing (concrete, sidewalk, hardscapes, etc.)

Commercial service examples:

• Building washing
• Window cleaning
• Parking garage cleaning
• Concrete washing
• Dumpster sanitization
• Equipment washing

Keep in mind that if your primary client base is residential, you might have fewer staffing and equipment needs. Servicing commercial clients, on the other hand, could require additional manpower (in-house workers or subcontractors) and more equipment. Consider all of these factors when deciding your pressure washer and power washer rates.

Pressure/Power washing space measurements

Whether you’re pressure washing or power washing a home, large concrete slab, parking lot or multi-level parking garage, the size of the space you’re washing impacts your labor, material and equipment needs as well as your expected time commitment.

Here’s how to determine the size of the space you plan to wash:

Conduct a job site inspection

To make sure you’re clear about the space you'll be washing, it’s best to inspect the job site ahead of time. This will give you the opportunity to measure the area and set realistic cost expectations for your pressure washing or power washing job. 

Space measurements

There are typically two ways to measure the spaces you plan to wash: square footage and linear footage.

• Square footage: Calculating a space by square footage means you’re measuring its length and width in feet. A square foot equals the length of the space by its width (ex. A one-car garage that is 12 feet wide and 22 feet deep would be 264 square feet). Fences, driveways, garages, parking lots, decks and sidewalks are normally measured by the square foot. 
• Linear footage: Calculating a space by linear footage means measuring the length of the space without considering other dimensions. You might use linear footage for washing jobs that involve a house, boat or another space that doesn’t form a perfect square. To find the linear footage of a space, measure the length in inches and divide by 12, which converts it to feet. 

When setting your price, keep in mind that pressure and power washing businesses typically charge lower prices for cleaning jobs measured per square foot than by linear footage. 

Picking the right price for your pressure/power washing business

Once you decide how you’d like to measure the space and you’ve factored other business costs, you’ll want to come up with the right pricing strategy for your business.

Pressure washing vs. Power washing: Average costs

If your business offers both pressure washing and power washing services, you should know that they are typically billed at different price points. Since pressure washing doesn’t require hot water and is often used for easier-to-clean surfaces, prices are usually cheaper.

Here are the average costs for pressure washing and power washing, according to HomeGuide:

Pressure washing average costs

Flat rate per visit: $170 to $310

Per square foot: $0.08 to $0.20

Power washing average costs

Flat rate per visit: $170 to $360

Per square foot: $0.35 to $0.77

These are national ranges. Your location may mean prices tend to run at the higher or lower end of these averages.

Since power washing and pressure washing are billed differently, you always want to make sure you’re transparent with your clients about cost differences so they’re able to choose services that align with the price they're willing to pay.

Choosing your pressure/power washer pricing strategy

Most pressure and power washing businesses price their services using a specific pricing strategy. Most opt to bill per-foot, per-hour, or as a flat rate. There is no right or wrong answer here. It all depends on what works best for your business.

Per hour

Using the per-hour pricing strategy means billing your clients for each hour your team works on a job. In other words, you’re paid for the time it takes to complete the job. If you use this strategy, be sure to estimate for your customers the time it will take to complete a job (with flexibility for arrival, meet and greet, setting up, etc.).

Per-square foot or per-linear foot 

Another option is to bill your clients per-square foot or per-linear foot. Of course, if you choose this method, you’ll need to gather measurements before delivering your cost estimate. To calculate the price for per-square foot, consider researching the current market value of the services you’re providing and then dividing by the total square footage of the space you’re washing.

Flat rate

If you commonly wash spaces that fall into a similar range of sizes, you might consider a flat-rate pricing strategy. For example, you might charge $100 for a medium-sized garage or $150 to pressure wash a long driveway. Before choosing this pricing strategy, be sure you’ve factored in everything that contributes to the final cost (business costs, time commitment, labor and equipment needs) so you don’t overprice the client or undervalue your pressure/power washing services and miss a profit.

Per project

Charging per project means billing based on the size of the project as well as its scope. When adopting this pricing strategy, you want to make sure you’re clear about the time, effort and labor needs for each project. If you would normally bill $60 per hour for a job that takes three hours and would have earned $180, your per-project fee should somewhat reflect this rate to avoid missing out on deserved pay for your effort.

Accounting for your profit margin

Of course, your business won’t survive if you only break even – or take losses – each time you and your team of pressure washers complete a job. You need to enjoy profit growth if your service is to thrive. The best way to experience growth is by adding your profit margin when pricing your pressure and power wash jobs.

Your profit margin is the amount by which your sales revenue exceeds your business costs. This is typically the final consideration you’ll make when pricing jobs.

How does it work?

Let’s say you’d like to apply a 35% profit margin to your pressure wash services. You’ll add the cost of your service, overhead cost and material/supplies cost then multiply by 0.35 (your profit margin) to get your profit.

For instance, if you’ve been tapped to pressure wash a residential deck, your fee for two hours of deck washing might be $120 along with $50 for overhead and $30 for materials and supplies. Add these prices for a total of $200 and then multiply by your profit margin of 0.35. 

With a profit margin of $70, the final price for your client is $270.

Other pricing factors

The specific pressure or power washing services you offer, size of the space you wash, business costs and profit margin are just a few factors that impact pricing. Special services and even off-season adjustments can also make a difference.

Special services and routine maintenance

If most of your jobs fall into a general category (i.e. similar-sized garages, decks, etc.), you might price based on square foot, per hour or flat fee and leave it at that. However, if you work with clients who occasionally ask you to pressure or power wash unique surfaces or materials, you’ll want to factor the costs for special cleaning solutions or techniques. 

For instance, you might charge different rates for pressure or power washing brick, wood, vinyl or metal. Just be sure you're clear on what makes one surface or material different from the other so you’re able to justify the cost difference when delivering estimates to your clients. 

Also, if you have regular clients who desire routine maintenance, you might charge a special rate for their continued service. 

Deals, discounts and seasons

The need for pressure washing often increases and decreases throughout the year. You might notice during the spring that residential and commercial clients seek pressure washing services to clear away salt and dirt from decks, porches, driveways and parking lots after a long winter. The fall might bring another wave of clients seeking to clean after a hot, gritty summer.

Other times of the year, your business might slow down. 

It’s a good idea to continuously reevaluate your pricing strategy to account for these changes. This is also a good time to take a second look at the services you’re offering. Depending on the season, you might cut back some services to avoid damaging your equipment. 

You could also consider reducing prices or offering special discounts during slower months to keep business flowing. Think about package deals or service bundles – or even add short-term services – to maintain a steady stream of income until business picks back up.

Labor

Your cost of labor could also come into play during your downtime. If you’re only bringing in smaller jobs, there’s no need to send multiple workers for projects only to increase your labor costs, which might force you to increase the price you’re charging your customers. 

Until you grow accustomed to the ups and downs of the pressure/power washing business – including how to balance slow and busy periods – you might have to frequently adjust your pricing strategy to ensure your business thrives no matter the season.

Deliver professional power and pressure washing job estimates with VIIZR

Coming up with the right pricing strategy for pressure washing jobs is just the beginning of the work you’ll have to do to ensure your business operates seamlessly. At VIIZR, our goal is to improve the efficiency of your operations so you’re able to get to pressure washing jobs on time, schedule your team with ease, manage invoices effortlessly and improve your customer relationship management.

VIIZR software gives your pressure washing service a major boost with cutting-edge technology that lets you manage all of your business needs in one convenient location. 

But that’s not all.

Our software for pressure and power washing businesses offers the latest features in estimating technology, enabling you to draft professional estimates in minutes. In the past, getting estimates out fast meant sacrificing quality. You might have handwritten all of your estimates or delivered generic quotes via email. VIIZR’s estimating software is packed with tools for high-quality, accurate robust estimates with only a few clicks. 

Whether your customer is looking for roof cleaning, weed killing or fence washing services, it’s easy to draft estimates with pertinent cost and service details as well as relevant photos. You’ll turn your pressure washer estimates into professional PDFs and email them in seconds. There’s no easier and faster way to get attractive, accurate estimates out to your clients and secure more jobs for your power and pressure washing service.

Take advantage of VIIZR’s 14 day free trial to see how much it can help you improve your business and offer you more time to focus on growing, or just catching a breather.