How to price pressure washing jobs

The five parts of a pressure washing price

1. Labor hours Area of each surface divided by your production rate for that surface, plus setup and pack-up time, times the number of techs.
2. Loaded labor cost What an hour of each tech costs you, including payroll taxes and workers compensation, not just the wage.
3. Chemicals and consumables Mix, surfactant, post-treatment, and wear parts like nozzles and surface cleaner tips.
4. Travel and overhead Drive time and fuel to this job, plus a share of insurance, equipment depreciation, marketing and admin.
5. Margin The profit you add on top. Decide it on purpose rather than leaving whatever is left over.

From cost to a per-square-foot price

Customers ask "what do you charge per square foot?" Your costs do not come per square foot.

Once you have costed a handful of real jobs this way, divide each job price by the area cleaned. The results give you working per-square-foot prices for siding, flat concrete and wood that already include your overhead and margin. Use those for fast quotes, and fall back to the full method for unusual jobs: three storeys, heavy oxidation, limited water or long carries.

Keep the surfaces separate on the quote you send. A customer who sees siding, driveway and deck priced on their own lines understands the total and can drop a surface instead of asking for a discount.

What should move the price up or down

• Height and access Second and third storeys, steep roofs and tight side yards slow the crew.
• Condition Heavy mildew, oxidized siding or years of oil on a driveway take longer and more chemical.
• Water supply A weak tap or none at all may mean hauling water.
• Season Spring demand fills calendars; some companies price off-season work to keep crews busy.

Pricing mistakes that keep pressure washers busy and broke

• Copying a competitor's flyer Their costs, crew speed and insurance are not yours.
• Pricing only the time on the wand Setup, drive and pack-up are paid hours too.
• Forgetting equipment wear Pumps, hoses and surface cleaners wear out; their cost belongs in overhead.
• Never revisiting prices Chemical and fuel costs move every year. Re-cost a few jobs each season.

Putting the price on a quote

In Scopie you save each surface as an item with your working price, add the ones a job needs, and mark extras like gutter brightening as optional. The quote is emailed to the customer as a link; they tick the extras they want and sign. Your plant, paint and weather clauses come from your saved terms.

Pressure washing pricing questions

Should I charge pressure washing by the hour or by the square foot?

Customers prefer a fixed price per job, and most companies quote by area: square feet of siding and flatwork. Behind the scenes, though, the price should come from the hours the job will take. Square-foot prices are a shortcut that works once you know your own production rates.

How do I work out my production rate?

Time a few jobs from setup to pack-up and divide the area cleaned by the hours. Do it separately for siding, flat concrete and wood, because each goes at a different speed. Update the numbers each season as your crew and equipment change.

Do I need a minimum charge?

Most pressure washing companies set one, because every job carries drive time, setup and cleanup no matter how small the surface is. Work out what a short job really costs you and make that your floor.

How should I price roofs?

Separately from siding, using roof-specific production rates: soft washing a roof is slower, needs more chemical and carries more risk. Many companies also add a height or pitch factor.