Cost of pressure washing house? Any ballpark number

[disneysteve]

Can anyone give me at least a general idea of what it should cost to have someone come out and pressure wash our house. Average size, 2-story colonial with vinyl siding. We just got a quote of $225 for the whole house, $250 to also clean the roof. Does that sound reasonable? It's the first estimate we've gotten and I have no point of reference to know if it's a fair price. They've done work for some others in our neighborhood and everybody's been pleased with them. I'm happy to use them and not get a bunch of other estimates if their price is at least in line with others.

[BuckyBadger]

These were prices offered when our neighborhood went in as s group - so we got a deal.

Your price seems reasonable.

> > Prices for the power washing group are as follows:
> >
> > POWER WASHING HOUSE: GUTTER cleaning WITH HOUSE WASHING
> > 2000-2499 Sq ft. home $175. additional $25.
> > 2500-2999 Sq. ft. home $200. additional $25.
> > 3000-3499 Sq. ft. home $225. additional $25.
> > 3500-3999 Sq. ft. home $250. additional $25.
> >
> > 2500 Sq. ft. or less (gutters only) $60.00
> > 2500-3000 Sq. ft. (gutters only) $65.00
> > 3000 and up gutters only $75.00

[bjl584]

For a little more you can buy a decent pressure washer. I use mine for everything. Washing cars, lawn equipment, cleaning the deck, the driveway, the sidewalks, and the house.

[disneysteve]

For a little more you can buy a decent pressure washer. I use mine for everything. Washing cars, lawn equipment, cleaning the deck, the driveway, the sidewalks, and the house.

I've thought about it. I've also looked into renting one which I can do for about $70 for a day. But it's just not really a job I want to do myself at this point. We don't have a deck, don't wash our cars, don't use any lawn equipment, etc., so owning one would strictly be for doing the house.

[disneysteve]

These were prices offered when our neighborhood went in as s group - so we got a deal.

Your price seems reasonable.

Thanks.

[ua_guy]

What you got as a quote seems extremely reasonable. If you're not accustomed to hiring contractors, do make sure they have a valid business/contractors license and are bonded/insured. Pressure washing is a slippery job, ladders, etc. Last thing you want is someone who is uninsured injuring themselves on your property and then making claims on your homeowner's policy.

What kind of roof do you have? I would not recommend any pressure washing on the roof if you have a composition style roof (tar/sand shingles). It can be extremely damaging, yet I see people doing it all the time.

Also, pressure washing is messy. You'll probably want to follow up once the house dries with a cleaning on the exterior window surfaces. Sometimes the pressure washing guy will make you a deal if you have him clean the windows afterwards too. (Edit: But NOT with the pressure washer. Never ever power wash windows. The pressure can break the seals on double-triple pane windows and cause fogging between the panes, among other issues.)

[JoeP]

For a little more you can buy a decent pressure washer. I use mine for everything. Washing cars, lawn equipment, cleaning the deck, the driveway, the sidewalks, and the house.

Sidewalks, lawn furniture, gutters, porch, grills, garage floor. I even used mine to remove a stump by blasting the soil away to expose the roots, and then hacking them off with a sawzall.

[greenskeeper]

There should be no reason to pressure wash a house or roof. If you use the proper chemicals (all are low toxicity) the slime should melt away with low pressure water.

[ua_guy]

There should be no reason to pressure wash a house or roof. If you use the proper chemicals (all are low toxicity) the slime should melt away with low pressure water.

Disagree. Cedar shake rooves that are neglected but still in good condition can benefit from a pressure washing to remove moss, algae, particulates from the wood grain, followed by re-oiling. But you are right as a general rule - not unless absolutely necessary and if it's just moss on the roof, chemical treatment followed by stiff brushing is the best method for heavy growth. Never on composite rooves, though. Blows away too much of the sand and can damage the tar shingles.

Also, pressure washing is important for removing particulate matter as prep for painting the exterior, vinyl, composite, or wood siding. Dirt, dust, algae, cobwebs, insects, peeling and weak paint, mud splatter along the ground all need to be removed before a renewal coat goes up.

[disneysteve]

There should be no reason to pressure wash a house or roof. If you use the proper chemicals (all are low toxicity) the slime should melt away with low pressure water.

Anything you'd recommend for the house? If nothing else, I'd like to get on a preventive maintenance plan after having it cleaned one time professionally.