How do I charge for pressure washing jobs?
Short answerCharge for pressure washing by combining a rate per square foot for each surface type with a minimum charge, then adding for height, heavy staining, difficult access, and water source. Test the total against your hourly target, because the area rate alone can hide a slow job.
The explanation
Surface drives speed. A flat concrete driveway cleans far faster than a textured deck or a two story house, so each surface needs its own rate. Measure the area, apply the rate, and record how long the job actually took so you can adjust the rate over time.
A minimum charge protects short visits. Setting up equipment, driving, and cleaning up take about the same time for a small patio as a large one. The minimum should cover that fixed time plus fuel and chemicals.
Add for conditions that slow you down: heavy algae or rust, ladder work, no nearby spigot, or a locked gate. State these as line items so the customer sees why the price is what it is. Finally, divide the total by the hours expected. If the result is below your target hourly figure, adjust the price, not the expectation.
Steps
- Measure each surface and apply a separate rate for concrete, siding, and decks.
- Set a minimum charge that covers setup, travel, and chemicals.
- Add line items for staining, height, and difficult access.
- Divide the total by expected hours and compare with your target.
In pressure washing
Pressure washing prices vary by surface and soil. Many owners keep a rate sheet by surface and review it after every ten jobs, using logged times to confirm that the rate still earns a fair hourly return. All pressure washing scheduling questions.
How Apex does it
Rolling out
The screen and the rules are built and tested. Saving real customer data is not connected yet. Status as of 2026-10-07; the badge shows the least-built feature involved.
Apex is designed with measurement takeoffs in square feet, a price book, and a carpet, pressure wash, and window cleaning pack. The pack is built for the first business, while takeoffs and the price book are built screens not yet saving real data.
- ES11Measurement takeoffs (sqft, linear ft)(Rolling out)
- ES02Price book / flat-rate pricing(Rolling out)
- IP01Carpet / pressure-wash / window cleaning pack(Built)
Apex Flow Scheduler is in early access. See how we label status.
Where this question comes from: owners type it, or a close variant, into search boxes. It was returned by public search suggestions (Google, Bing or DuckDuckGo) when we collected them on 2026-10-06; the exact phrase seen was “how to charge for pressure washing jobs?”. We do not have search volumes.