What is the best way to price pressure washing jobs?
Short answerPrice pressure washing by surface area, then check the result against your time and a minimum job fee. Measure the square footage per surface, apply a rate you have tested for that surface, add for access, water and chemicals, and confirm the total covers your hours at your target hourly income.
The explanation
Start with measurement. A driveway, a deck and a two-story house wash are different surfaces with different speeds. Measure each in square feet, or estimate from photos, and write the number down. Pricing without a measurement turns into guessing and underquoting.
Apply a rate per surface that you have timed on your own jobs. Time five driveways and see how many square feet you finish per hour, then set the rate so that hour earns your target after fuel, chemicals and equipment wear. Do not copy a rate from a forum without your own timing.
Add the factors that slow you down: stairs and ladders, long hose runs, no water access, heavy oxidation or mildew, and travel time. Then set a minimum job fee, because small jobs cost the same drive and setup. Finally, write the scope on the quote so the customer knows what is included.
Steps
- Measure each surface in square feet or from photos.
- Time five past jobs to find square feet per hour.
- Set a rate that meets your target hourly income after costs.
- Add for access, water, chemicals and travel.
- Apply a minimum job fee and write the scope on the quote.
What to watch for
- Copying a competitor's rate without timing your own work.
- Skipping the minimum fee on small jobs.
In pressure washing
Pressure washing is priced by surface, but time is lost in setup, hose runs and rinse, so a timed rate plus a minimum fee protects margin on small driveway jobs. All pressure washing scheduling questions.
How Apex does it
In progress
Part of this is built. The rest is not. Status as of 2026-10-07; the badge shows the least-built feature involved.
Apex lists measurement takeoffs for square feet and linear feet and an instant quote on the booking page, each with its own status badge. A carpet, pressure-wash and window cleaning pack is also listed, as live for the first business only.
- ES11Measurement takeoffs (sqft, linear ft)(Rolling out)
- BK09Instant quote on booking page(In progress)
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 “best way to price pressure washing jobs”. We do not have search volumes.