Pressure Washing Cost 2026: Prices by Surface and Job Size

• Tahir Abbas
• October 29, 2026

Last updated: October 2026

Key takeaways

• Four 2026 guides agree on the shape of pricing but not the exact numbers, so this page shows each source’s range instead of one “average.”
• Most jobs are quoted per square foot or as a flat rate per surface. Hourly pricing is mainly used for odd or mixed jobs.
• Two-story homes cost more: one guide adds 30 to 50 percent for a second story and 75 to 100 percent for a third.
• Roofs are the most expensive surface per square foot in every guide we read, at roughly $0.30 to $1.00.
• Contractors: price = break-even cost / (1 – target margin). A worked example with the arithmetic re-checked is below.

People search “pressure washing cost” for two reasons: a homeowner wants to know whether a $350 quote is fair, and a new contractor wants to know what to charge. This guide covers both. First, a sourced price list by surface and by size; then the cost-plus method contractors use, with a worked example. If you quote jobs, our free pressure washing price calculator does the per-square-foot and margin arithmetic for you.

How much does pressure washing cost in 2026?

We compared four U.S. pricing guides, all published or updated in 2026. None is an official benchmark, and several are written by software vendors, so read across each row and treat the sources as separate opinions. Prices are as of October 2026.

Plain-English ranges (our synthesis of the table, not a quote):

• House wash: about $150 to $600 for most homes, with tall or large homes in expensive metros going higher
• Driveway: about $100 to $400
• Deck or patio: about $100 to $400
• Fence: about $150 to $300
• Roof: about $400 to $700

Housecall Pro’s page was updated October 28, 2026 and FieldCamp’s on October 14, 2026. Angi’s page shows no publication date, and Moon Invoice’s guide, which we also read, was last updated June 5, 2026 and puts the average 2026 job at $150 to $500 and residential projects at $150 to $900 (Moon Invoice).

What does pressure washing cost per square foot?

Most professionals measure the surface and multiply by a rate. The general range across sources is $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot, with Housecall Pro and Moon Invoice both quoting that span and Moon Invoice giving $0.20 to $0.40 as the national average. By material:

FieldCamp also lists deck rates by material: pressure-treated lumber $0.25 to $0.35, cedar or redwood $0.30 to $0.40, composite $0.20 to $0.30 and exotic hardwoods $0.40 to $0.50 per square foot. It lists a minimum charge for driveways of $100 to $200, which is why a small patio still costs more than the square-foot math suggests.

How much does it cost to pressure wash a house?

Size, height and siding material drive the price. Housecall Pro and Angi both publish the same size-based ranges for a home, and they are simply the $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot span applied to the living area:

That is a wide span, so ask what is included. Housecall Pro lists a single-story home at $150 to $750 and a two-story home at $400 to $1,400. Vinyl and aluminum siding are usually the cheapest to wash; stucco and wood tend to cost more per square foot in the tables above. Many contractors use a gentler low-pressure “soft wash” method on siding and roofs, and Housecall Pro lists exterior house soft washing separately at $250 to $597.

Why do prices vary by region?

Labor, insurance, water costs and competition differ by metro. Housecall Pro breaks national data into eight regions. Two examples from its table (driveway or concrete; exterior house soft wash):

FieldCamp gives residential flat-rate examples by city: New York metro $450 to $650, Chicago $250 to $400, Dallas $225 to $375, Atlanta $200 to $350 and rural markets $150 to $250. These are that publisher’s own illustrations, not survey data, so use them to see the pattern, not to quote a customer.

What raises the price?

• Height. FieldCamp adds 30 to 50 percent for a two-story house and 75 to 100 percent for three stories. A $350 single-story job would become about $455 to $525 at the two-story uplift (350 x 1.30 = 455; 350 x 1.50 = 525).
• Surface and condition. FieldCamp prices driveway oil-stain removal at $0.35 to $0.50 per square foot and heavy buildup at $0.40 to $0.60, against $0.20 to $0.30 for a standard clean.
• Hot water. FieldCamp says hot-water equipment adds 30 to 50 percent.
• Travel. FieldCamp lists no fee within 15 minutes, $25 to $50 for 15 to 30 minutes and $50 to $100 for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Rush or after-hours work. FieldCamp lists +50 to +200 percent for emergency jobs.
• Minimum charge. Short jobs usually hit a floor of $100 to $200.

How do contractors price a pressure washing job?

Housecall Pro’s guide describes the standard cost-plus method. Work out what the job costs you, then add your target margin:

1. Labor = job hours x hourly wage x labor burden (payroll taxes and similar). If you are the worker, pay yourself a real rate.
2. Chemicals and consumables used on the job.
3. Equipment allocation = machine cost / expected billable hours, times job hours.
4. Travel = round-trip miles x a per-mile cost. The IRS business standard mileage rate is 76 cents per mile for July 1 to December 31, 2026 (IRS). It is a tax rate, but it is a reasonable proxy for fuel plus wear.
5. Overhead = monthly overhead / billable hours per month, times job hours.
6. Price = break-even cost / (1 – target margin).

Divide by (1 – margin); do not multiply by (1 + margin). Housecall Pro’s example is $400 / 0.70 = $571, which holds: 400 / 0.70 = 571.43. FieldCamp suggests adding 10 to 15 percent to measured square footage for complex shapes or obstacles, and recommends 30 to 50 percent margins. For the difference between margin and markup, see our guide to markup vs margin, and the gross margin calculator.

Worked example: a 600 sq ft driveway

These inputs are illustrative estimates, not market data. Swap in your own costs.

Price at a 40 percent margin: $113.20 / (1 – 0.40) = $113.20 / 0.60 = $188.67, rounded to $190.

Re-check: at $190, profit is $190 – $113.20 = $76.80, and $76.80 / $190 = 40.4 percent, so the target is met. A 40 percent markup instead would price the job at $113.20 x 1.40 = $158.48, which is a margin of only 28.6 percent ($45.28 / $158.48).

Market cross-check: $190 / 600 sq ft = $0.317 per square foot, inside the $0.20 to $0.40 range for concrete in Housecall Pro’s table and above FieldCamp’s standard driveway rate of $0.20 to $0.30. It also sits within the $150 to $250 flat-rate range FieldCamp lists for a standard driveway. If local competitors charge $140 for the same job, your hours or overhead are too high for that market.

Local rules that affect cost

Wash water carries soil, detergent and sometimes oil. The U.S. EPA’s stormwater guidance on vehicle washing advises directing wash water to pervious areas such as grass or gravel and notes that some local ordinances, such as Fairfax County, Virginia, prohibit unpermitted commercial wash water from entering the storm drain system (EPA, Stormwater Best Management Practice: Vehicle Maintenance and Washing). That document is about vehicle washing, not building exteriors, so check your city or county rules. Water capture or reclamation equipment is a real cost, and in places that require it, it shows up in local prices.

Next step

Homeowners: get two or three quotes with the same scope, and ask whether the price is per square foot, per surface or hourly. Contractors: run your numbers through the free pressure washing price calculator. More estimating tools are in our free tools collection. Price data on this page is drawn from the sources linked above as of October 2026 and will drift, so check current local quotes before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

How much does pressure washing cost?

As of October 2026, published guides put a typical job at about $150 to $500. Whole-house washes average roughly $310 to $320, driveways run about $100 to $400, decks $100 to $400, fences $150 to $300 and roofs $400 to $700. Your region, home height and surface condition move those numbers.

How much does pressure washing cost per square foot?

Most guides give $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot, with a national average around $0.20 to $0.40. Concrete is usually at the low end, siding in the middle, and wood and roofs at the high end.

How much does it cost to pressure wash a 2,000 sq ft house?

Housecall Pro and Angi both list $200 to $1,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home, which is $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot. Two-story homes cost more; FieldCamp adds 30 to 50 percent over a single-story job. Get a quote based on siding material and height.

How much should I charge for pressure washing a driveway?

Published flat rates range from about $100 to $400, and per-square-foot pricing is typically $0.20 to $0.40. Contractors should calculate break-even cost, divide by one minus the target margin, and compare with local competitors. A minimum charge of $100 to $200 is common.

Is soft washing a roof more expensive than pressure washing a driveway?

Usually yes. Roof washing is listed at $400 to $700 per job across the guides we read, versus $100 to $400 for a driveway. Per square foot, roofs run roughly $0.30 to $1.00 against $0.10 to $0.40 for concrete.

Is power washing the same as pressure washing?

The two terms are often used interchangeably. Housecall Pro’s pricing page lists the same $100 to $250 range for decks and patios under both names, and notes that roofs fall toward the high end for power washing. Hot water, not the name, is what usually changes the price.