{
  "slug": "pressure-washing-square-foot",
  "title": "Pressure Washing Square Foot Pricing Calculator",
  "heading": "Pressure Washing Job Pricing Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pressure-washing-square-foot",
  "summary": "Price driveways, siding, and decks by square footage and surface difficulty.",
  "description": "Pressure washing pricing needs to account for surface type since concrete, wood decking, and vinyl siding all wash at different speeds and use different chemical dilutions. This calculator applies a base per-square-foot rate adjusted by a surface difficulty multiplier, then adds a minimum job charge so small jobs like a single walkway don't get underpriced relative to the drive time and setup they require.",
  "formula": "Price = max(minimum charge, sq ft × base rate × surface difficulty multiplier).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=pressure-washing-square-foot",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "sqft",
      "label": "Surface area",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1200,
      "unit": "sq ft",
      "min": 50,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "baseRate",
      "label": "Base rate per sq ft",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.18,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0.05,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "surface",
      "label": "Surface type",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "1.0",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "0.8",
          "label": "Concrete driveway/patio"
        },
        {
          "value": "1.0",
          "label": "Vinyl/aluminum siding"
        },
        {
          "value": "1.3",
          "label": "Wood decking / fencing"
        },
        {
          "value": "1.6",
          "label": "Roof soft wash"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "minimumCharge",
      "label": "Minimum job charge",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 150,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "Job price",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "raw",
      "label": "Pre-minimum calculated price",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "perSqft",
      "label": "Effective price per sq ft",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Surface area: 1200 sq ft",
      "Base rate per sq ft: 0.18 $",
      "Surface type: Vinyl/aluminum siding",
      "Minimum job charge: 150 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Job price: $216",
      "Pre-minimum calculated price: $216",
      "Effective price per sq ft: 0.18"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter surface area (sq ft).",
      "Enter base rate per sq ft ($).",
      "Enter surface type.",
      "Enter minimum job charge ($).",
      "Read your job price on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "sqft": 700,
        "baseRate": 0.108,
        "surface": "1.0",
        "minimumCharge": 90
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "sqft": 1200,
        "baseRate": 0.18,
        "surface": "1.0",
        "minimumCharge": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "sqft": 1900,
        "baseRate": 0.288,
        "surface": "1.0",
        "minimumCharge": 240
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why does roof soft washing carry the highest multiplier?",
      "a": "Roof soft washing requires low-pressure application with specific chemical mixes (typically sodium hypochlorite blends) to kill algae and lichen without damaging shingles, plus significant safety setup for ladder and harness work. It takes longer per square foot than a driveway and carries higher liability, which justifies pricing it well above flatwork cleaning."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's a typical per-square-foot rate range?",
      "a": "Concrete driveways and patios commonly run $0.12-$0.25 per sq ft, house siding $0.15-$0.30, wood decking $0.35-$0.60 due to slower low-pressure technique needed to avoid damaging wood fibers, and roof soft washing $0.30-$0.75 depending on pitch and access difficulty."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why have a minimum job charge at all?",
      "a": "Drive time, equipment setup (hose runs, water source hookup, chemical mixing), and teardown take roughly the same amount of time whether you're washing 200 square feet or 2,000. Without a minimum, small jobs like a single walkway or a small deck section can lose money once true time cost is accounted for."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/crew-hour-job-pricing",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cleaning-square-foot-pricing"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Pressure Washing Square Foot Pricing Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pressure-washing-square-foot)"
}