Cost of Pressure Washing

Thinking of having part of your property pressure washed? Want to know how much the process might cost in your case?

Pressure washing is both an effective and versatile solution for cleaning a range of surfaces on your property, including decks, driveway and external furniture.

While pressure washing can give your home’s exterior a new lease of life and improve its longevity, it’s critical that you understand the costs involved before hiring a pressure washing company.

In the following guide, we’ll look at the cost factors that shape the price of pressure washing, helping you to make an informed decision before investing in this cleaning method.

How Much is Pressure Washing?

Pressure washing is the process of employing high-pressure water spray to rid objects and surfaces of dirt, debris and other blemishes (e.g. dust, mud, paint, grime, mould, etc.). Among the advantages of opting for pressure washing over traditional cleaning methods is its potential for a more thorough cleaning job and a greater capacity to remove bacteria.

The cost of pressure washing can vary depending on the surface in question. Starting with patios, it costs on average £220 to £270 to have a 15m² patio pressure washed, £320 to £370 in the case of a 30m² patio or £430 to £490 if you have a 45m² or so patio.

Moving on to driveways, the price of having a 25m² pressure washed is likely to land between £100 and £150 with the average cost rising to about £220 to £280 for a 50m² driveway or £370 to £430 in the case of an 80m² driveway.

As for roofs, the average pressure washing costs £600 to £700 if you live in a terraced house, £800 to £900 if you have a semi-detached home or £900 to £1,200 if your home is a detached property.

Beyond that, in general, the cost of having stonework pressure washed is approximately £3,000 to £3,500 for a 110m² or so surface area, £4,500 to £5,000 in the case of a 160m² or so surface area, or £6,000 to £7,000 for those with a 215m² or so surface area.

Lastly, the general cost to have a 110m² or so surface area of brickwork is £5,100 to £5,600. The pricing here reaches about £7,700 to £8,200 for an approximately 110m² surface area or £10,000 to £12,000 in the case of a 215m² surface area or thereabouts.

Pressure Washing Prices

As you can tell, pressure washing costs can vary depending on a range of factors, not least the size and type of surface.

Cost By Size and Type of Surface:

Additional Costs

Here are some additional costs that may apply if you opt to have other relevant jobs performed at or around the same time as the pressure washing work: *

• Gutter cleaning** - £100 to £400
• Gutter repairs or replace gutters - £180 to £250
• Roof maintenance - £400 to £1,000
• Window cleaning - £40 to £50
• Painting outside of a house - £500 to £1,500
• Outdoor lighting installation - £80 to £500
• Grass cutting - £20 to £30 per hour
• Garden landscaping - £250 to £1,200
• Fix decking - £150 to £400
• Patio repairs - £50 to £150

*It’s important to note that while at least some of the jobs listed should be suitable for a professional pressure washer to perform, other types of professionals may be needed for certain tasks (e.g. painting the outside of a house).

**Gutters cannot be cleaned via pressure washing as this would damage or destroy guttering sections. Instead, a professional could scoop out debris or/and use a garden hose with the latter using significantly lower water pressure than a pressure washing device.

Labour Costs and Timescales

The total cost of pressure washing consists primarily, if not entirely, of labour costs. Supply costs may or may not apply depending on what materials are used and how the contractor bills for their work.

On average, pressure washer professionals charge around £40 to £80 per hour with an average daily labour fee of approximately £400 to £800. However, the cost of labour can vary depending on a range of factors. The same is true of the timescale.

On that note, the timescales involved in pressure washing is likely to land somewhere between 2 and 6 hours. However, for more complex jobs (e.g. pressure washing a large stonework surface) will probably take one to two days to complete.

Most of the time will likely be spent on the primary job. However, some time will be required to prepare and clean the area. This is truer if scaffolding is needed, and it’s also possible that putting up scaffolding if required, could take up more time than the pressure washing itself.

Both the price of labour and timeframe of the job can be affected by factors like the nature and state of the work area, accessibility to the work area and any additional challenges the contractor may face.

What’s more, the cost of labour tends to vary significantly depending on where you live. The price of labour generally costs more than most regions in the southeast of England, whereas labour costs tend to be below the UK average in northern England and Scotland.

Cost Factors of Pressure Washing

We’ve already touched on some of the cost factors that can influence the price of a pressure washing job. But now we’ll explore some of the most notable examples in more detail.

Surface Type

Surface type is a notable cost factor for a pressure washing job. When it comes to the surface, the material used and its condition can both play a role in shaping the cost.

It’s important to note that delicate surfaces may need lower pressure and specialised equipment, and these requirements would, in turn, affect the price.

Size and Complexity

Of course, the size of the area is a significant cost factor. The same applies to the complexity of the surface area. To give some examples, the area may feature intricate patterns or even tight corners. Whatever the case, added complexity will play a role in the total price.

Returning to the size of the surface area, the reason a larger surface area is likely to cost more to have pressure washed is because it will take more time, thus generally meaning an increased price of labour.

Cleaning Solution Requirements

Beyond the points raised above, if special cleaning solutions or detergents are needed, this can bring up the overall cost. For example, a professional may need to use a heavy-duty and high-quality cleaning product to effectively rid a surface of stains and spots.

Many homeowners may wish to seek eco-friendly options. If this is the case, you should mention this with the service you’re considering well in advance. However, it may cost somewhat more if you want the team to employ eco-friendly solutions/products.

Locations

As mentioned, where you live can play a significant role in shaping the cost of pressure washing. This is, again, due to regional cost variations that exist within the industry and many other industries throughout the UK (e.g. window cleaning, hiring a company to install a driveway, carpentry etc.).

Further, local environmental factors (e.g. humidity and mould) may also impact how long the work will last and thus shape the total price. Beyond that, local environmental factors could also affect how frequently you’d need to have surfaces on your property pressure washed which could add to your total expenses over time.

Maintenance

How well-maintained surfaces are can also affect the overall cost of a pressure washing job. After all, the better the state of the surfaces that need cleaning, the faster and less expensive the work should be.

What’s more, preserving surfaces on your property well can lower future maintenance costs and help them to last longer, thus prolonging the time in which surfaces will need replacing.

DIY vs. Professional Pressure Washing

You may be considering pressure washing surfaces yourself. In this case, you’d need to either hire or purchase a pressure washer. Of course, you should only try this work DIY if you have the right skills and knowledge and a clear understanding of the safety requirement.

In terms of safety, an example includes using a ladder if working at a height with a safety harness and having someone hold the ladder from the bottom. Beyond that, you should only pressure wash a roof or any surface if you are sure it is built for it. Also, do not stand on a roof unless you are sure it can withstand the weight of a person. All in all, if you have any doubts whether with regards to the general steps involved or safety requirements, hire a professional.

The average cost of renting a pressure washer is likely to land between £30 and £200. However, you may prefer to purchase one, which could save you money in the long term. To buy one is likely to set you back between £90 and £500.

While doing it yourself can save money, professionals can bring expertise and high-quality equipment to the table, not to mention that they will know exactly what is required, including in terms of safety. So, again, if in doubt about any aspect of the work, especially safety, you’ll need to hire a pressure washing professional.

Types of Pressure Washing

As already discussed, there are many types of pressure washing. In this section, we’ll explore common examples in more detail.

Pressure Washing Patio

Starting with cleaning patio surfaces with pressure washing, this is likely to cost somewhere in the region of £200 to £500 depending on the size of the surface area.

For a small patio surface area, the work is likely to take three hours, with an estimated timeframe of 4 to 6 hours for a medium-sized patio or 7 to 9 hours in the case of a large patio surface.

Pressure Washing Driveway

In the case of driveways, you’ll probably pay somewhere between £100 and £450, making it a relatively cheap surface to have pressure washed. Again, the price will largely depend on the size of the driveway.

Time-wise, you can expect a driveway pressure washing job to take about 2 hours for a small driveway, 3-4 hours for a medium driveway or 7-9 hours if you have a large driveway.

Pressure Washing Roof

If you’re looking to have your roof pressure washed, it’s probably going to cost around £600 to £700 if you have a terraced house, £800 to £900 if your home is semi-detached or £900 to £1,200 should your property be detached.

In terms of the work duration, it will probably take 2 to 5 hours regardless of the type of property you have, although larger roofs can naturally push the timing toward the latter end of the timescale given above.

Pressure Washing Stonework

Thinking of having the stonework pressure washed? This may very well cost many thousands of pounds. In fact, you’ll likely need a budget of around £3,000 to £7,000.

For a relatively small area, the work should take about one day, with the estimated time frame reaching 1 to 2 days for a medium or large area of stonework.

Pressure Washing Brickwork

As for brickwork, pressure washing an area made of this material may cost anywhere from £5,000 to £12,000 or less or more in some cases. It will probably take about a day for a professional to pressure wash a small brickwork area or 1-2 days in the case of a medium or large brickwork surface.

Hiring Contractors for Pressure Washing Checklist

When seeking a pressure washing contractor to hire, it’s important that you opt for the right person for the job for you.

Here are some key pointers to consider when hiring a pressure-washing contractor:

• You’ll want to ensure you find someone who has plenty of experience and who can show previous examples of their work. This will improve your chances of finding someone who is reliable.
• Further, you’ll want to see how their previous customers have rated them. Looking for online reviews and/or ratings of the contractor in question (if available) to gauge their level of professionalism and the quality of their work.
• Beyond that, you may want to inquire about any qualifications they have. Pressure washing professionals do not require qualifications, but it would be a nice added bonus. That said, they should have plenty of training and experience.
• You should also inquire about whether the contractor in question is part of any accreditation. Again, this is not required but is another bonus. What is key is that they have experience, knowledge, and a clear understanding of any safety requirements

FAQs

Sources

https://www.nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk/category/pressure-washer-hire/
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/96130/best-pressure-washers