How to Estimate Pressure Washing Jobs (Without Undercharging)

Walk the property and measure

Pressure washing looks simple from the street, which is why so many quotes are given from the street and lose money by the driveway. Walk the whole property. Measure the surfaces: square footage of driveway and walkways, linear feet of fence, the siding area by story, deck boards and railings. Numbers beat eyeballing every time.

While you measure, note what changes the work. Heavy mildew, algae, grease, or rust stains take chemicals and dwell time that plain dirt does not. Check water access and pressure, delicate surfaces like old wood, oxidized siding, or crumbling mortar that need soft washing instead of high pressure, and anything you must protect: plants, outlets, light fixtures, and the neighbor's car.

• Square footage or linear footage of each surface, measured not guessed
• Surface material: concrete, pavers, vinyl, wood, brick, stucco
• Stain type and severity: dirt, mildew, algae, oil, rust
• Access: water source, hose runs, second stories, steep grades
• Fragile areas and property that need protection or soft washing

Count chemicals and consumables

Detergents, degreasers, algaecides, and rust treatments are job costs, not rounding errors. Estimate how much each surface will take based on its condition, and price chemicals at what you pay. Add the small hardware of the trade: tips, O-rings, hose wear, and fuel for the machine.

Equipment wear belongs in the math too. Pumps, hoses, and surface cleaners have a working life measured in hours, and every job spends some of it. Many contractors build a per-job or per-hour equipment allowance into their costs so replacement does not come out of profit.

Price labor, including setup and cleanup

The washing itself is only part of the clock. Setup means hauling hose, taping outlets, moving furniture and planters, and pre-wetting plants. Cleanup means rinsing down, coiling everything, and putting the yard back. On a house wash, that non-washing time can rival the washing time.

Estimate hours per surface or per phase, then multiply by a labor rate built from your real costs: your wage, a share of overhead, and profit. If you have not built that rate from your own numbers yet, the method is in how to calculate your hourly rate.

Add overhead and profit

Overhead for a washing outfit includes the vehicle and trailer, insurance, the machine payment or replacement fund, marketing, and the hours spent quoting jobs you do not win. Spread it across your billable hours so every estimate carries its share.

Profit goes on top deliberately. Some contractors price per square foot, some per hour, some flat per surface; whatever the unit, the number behind it has to come from your costs plus a margin you chose. The difference between overhead and profit, and how to separate them, is covered in contractor overhead and profit.

Mistakes that lose money on pressure washing jobs

The biggest one is flat pricing without measuring. "Driveway: one price" works until the driveway is triple-wide, on a slope, and covered in algae. Measure first, then price.

• Quoting from the street or a satellite image without walking the property
• Ignoring chemical cost and dwell time on heavy organic staining
• Forgetting setup, protection, and cleanup in the labor hours
• Promising stain removal you cannot guarantee, like deep rust or old oil
• No minimum charge, so a small job pays less than the trip costs

What the customer-facing estimate should show

List each surface as its own line with its price: house siding, driveway, walkway, deck, fence. Note the method where it matters, such as soft washing the siding, and state exclusions in plain language: rust and oil stains may lighten but are not guaranteed to disappear, and window spotting or paint oxidation is not included.

Add how long the estimate is valid and any prep you expect from the customer, like clearing the driveway or closing windows. Then send it while you are still standing there. EstimateBook runs on iOS and Android, applies regional tax presets for US states and Canadian provinces, and shares a polished PDF through Messages, Mail, or WhatsApp. You review every line of the draft before the customer sees it. A full walkthrough of a finished document is in the estimate example.