Pressure washing pricing
How to Price Pressure Washing Jobs Without Guessing
A pressure washing quote can look worthwhile until travel, setup and teardown, actual washing time, supplies, helpers, and other job-specific costs are included. Before you send a price, see what the job really pays per hour—and whether it meets your target.
Check my jobWhat actually goes into a pressure washing quote?
Deciding what a customer may pay in your market and evaluating whether a particular quote works financially are different problems. Once you have a proposed price, estimate the time and job-specific costs it needs to cover.
- Actual washing or work time
- Round-trip travel
- Setup and teardown time
- Surface preparation and cleanup, when applicable
- Chemicals, detergents, fuel, or other job-specific supplies
- Helper or subcontractor cost
- Other job-specific expenses
- Payment or platform fees
- Your desired hourly earnings target
Use your own estimate for the specific property and work involved. These inputs do not tell you the local market price; they help show what a price you choose would actually pay after the time and costs you enter.
The hours you don't see on the quote
A job described as two hours of pressure washing can take more than two hours of your working day. Trigger or wand time is only one part of the commitment.
- Driving to the property
- Unloading equipment
- Connecting and setting up equipment
- Preparing the work area
- The pressure-washing work itself
- Cleanup
- Packing and loading equipment
- Customer communication, payment, and admin
- Return travel
Not every job includes every activity. QuoteTake works best when your time estimate reflects the full commitment that applies to this particular quote.
Illustrative example
Example: Is a $350 pressure washing job worth it?
Consider a $350 customer quote with 2 hours 15 minutes of washing, 45 minutes of round-trip travel, and 45 minutes for setup, teardown, and admin.
The total committed time is 3 hr 45 min. In QuoteTake, enter the setup, teardown, and admin time under Prep / Admin; supplies and chemicals under Supplies / Materials; and the other $15 under Other Job Costs.
After the 3% payment fee, $350 leaves $339.50. Subtract the $45 in entered job-specific costs: $294.50 remains. Divide that by 3 hr 45 min of total committed time.
$78.53/hr Effective hourly earnings, before taxes and general business overhead.For a $75/hr target, the exact minimum quote is $336.34. Rounded upward to the next $5, the practical QuoteTake quote is $340.
The quote isn't the same as your hourly earnings
QuoteTake compares the effective hourly rate with the hourly target you select. It does not determine local market rates or tell you what pressure-washing companies in your area charge.
This result is not accounting profit, net income, take-home pay, or after-tax income. Taxes and general business overhead are not automatically included.
Put a quote to the test
Already have a price in mind?
Before you send the quote, check what the job really pays. Enter your price, total time commitment, job-specific costs, and hourly target. QuoteTake will show your effective hourly rate and the minimum quote needed to hit your target.
Check my jobQuestions
Pressure washing pricing FAQ
How do I know what to charge for pressure washing?
Use your judgment about the job and your market to choose a proposed price. Then include the full time commitment and job-specific costs to evaluate what that quote would pay per hour.
Should travel time be included when pricing a pressure washing job?
Yes. Include the round-trip travel that applies to the job so the result reflects your total time commitment.
Should setup and teardown time count?
Include setup and teardown time when it applies. It is part of the time you commit to completing the job.
How should I account for chemicals and supplies?
Enter chemicals, detergents, fuel, and other job-specific supplies under Supplies / Materials when they apply to the quote.
What if I charge by the square foot?
You can use your normal square-foot method to establish a proposed customer price, then enter the resulting total quote into QuoteTake to evaluate what that particular job would pay based on your estimated time and costs.
What if I already charge a flat rate?
Enter that flat rate as the job price, then use your actual time and job-specific costs to see what it works out to per hour.
Does QuoteTake tell me the going rate for pressure washing?
No. QuoteTake does not determine local market rates. It evaluates the economics of the proposed price and assumptions you enter.