Pressure Washing Prices Per Square Foot
A square-foot rate is useful only when it matches the surface, scope and costs of the job. Measure the work, build a rate from your own production and expenses, then compare the result with your minimum service charge.
Open the Pressure Washing Quote Calculator to apply your rate. Where WashCalculator has a compatible published reference for the selected service and location, the calculator can also show it as an optional comparison. A published reference is not a required price.
Use the right measurement for the service
| Service | Useful starting unit | Record separately |
|---|---|---|
| Driveways and open concrete | Cleanable surface area | Steps, edges, oil or rust treatment, difficult drainage |
| Commercial flatwork | Cleanable surface area | Site control, restricted hours, gum, repeat mobilization |
| House washing | Defined project scope or a consistent estimating proxy | Stories, siding, exterior detail, detached structures, access |
| Roofs | Actual roof surface area | Pitch, material, access, runoff controls, protection |
| Fences | Face area or face length at a stated height | Number of sides, gates, lattice, posts, coating removal |
| Gutters | Linear length | Height, guards, downspout work, exterior brightening |
Do not apply a square-foot rate to an incompatible unit. House floor area is not wall area, and a fence length does not show whether one side or two sides are included.
Build the rate from a costed job
Start with a completed or carefully estimated job. Add labour, materials, travel, equipment allowance and the share of overhead assigned to the job. Add the gross profit required by your pricing model, then divide the selling price by the measured quantity.
Price per square foot = pre-tax selling price ÷ measured square feet.
Price from a target gross margin = total entered cost ÷ (1 − target margin as a decimal).
A rate derived from open concrete should not be reused unchanged for steps, detailed pavers or another surface. Keep separate production records for work that behaves differently.
Worked example
This is an illustrative USD calculation, not a market rate. A contractor estimates 1,000 sq ft of comparable flatwork and builds a pre-tax selling price of $300 from labour, direct costs, overhead and the chosen margin. The effective rate is $300 ÷ 1,000 = $0.30 per sq ft.
If the same scope measures only 400 sq ft, the area price is $120. The contractor still needs to compare that amount with the business's cost-backed minimum service charge. The minimum covers the visit when the measured work is too small to do so.
Check the rate after the job
- Record total person-hours, not only trigger time.
- Record actual chemical and material use.
- Keep travel, setup, protection, rinsing and teardown in the job record.
- Note condition, access and separately priced work so the rate is not reused on a different scope.
- Recalculate the effective rate and gross margin from the completed job.
Use How to Price Pressure Washing Jobs for the full process, then check the pre-tax quote in the Pressure Washing Profitability Calculator.