How to Price Pressure Washing by the Square Foot
Pricing pressure washing by the square foot is a quoting method where you first work out what the job costs you, then divide your final price by the surface area to get a rate you can compare across jobs.
Key takeaways
- A square-foot rate is the output of your costs, not the starting point. Build the cost first, then divide.
- Four line items drive most pressure washing jobs: chemicals, water, machine hours and drive time. Labor sits on top of the machine hours and the drive time.
- Add margin the right way. Price = cost ÷ (1 − target margin). Adding a percentage on top of cost leaves you with less margin than you meant.
- Driveways, houses and decks need different rates because the time per square foot is different.
- Set a minimum charge so a small job still pays for the trip.
Start with cost, not a rate you heard somewhere
Rates passed around between contractors ignore your crew size, your machine, your travel and your overhead. The only safe rate is a rate you can trace back to your own costs.
The line items
- Chemicals. Cleaner, surfactant, and any mix you use, based on what the job actually takes.
- Water. Often free at the customer's tap, but hauled or purchased water is a cost.
- Machine hours. Fuel, wear, nozzles, hoses and the machine's share of purchase cost, charged for the hours the machine runs.
- Labor. Each person on the job, at a loaded rate (wages plus payroll costs). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, which splits what employers pay per hour worked into wages and benefits.
- Drive time. The trip there and back, for each person in the truck, plus fuel. The IRS sets a standard mileage rate for business use of a vehicle each year, which you can compare with your own truck costs per mile.
- Overhead share. Insurance, software, marketing and other fixed costs, allocated per hour of production.
Worked example (illustrative numbers)
A 1,000 sq ft driveway, two people, about 2.5 hours on site at a pace of roughly 400 sq ft per hour.
| Line item | How it's figured | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Labor | 2 people × 2.5 h × $28/h | $140.00 |
| Machine hours | 2.5 h × $12/h | $30.00 |
| Chemicals | Cleaner and surfactant for the job | $14.00 |
| Water | Hauled or metered share | $3.00 |
| Drive time | 2 people × 1 h round trip × $28 + $9 fuel | $65.00 |
| Overhead share | Allocated to the job | $18.00 |
| True cost | $270.00 |
At a 40% target margin: $270 ÷ (1 − 0.40) = $450, which is $0.45 per sq ft.
Now compare adding 40% on top of cost: $270 × 1.40 = $378. After costs, the $378 price leaves $108 of profit, about 28.6% margin, not 40%.
Why driveways, houses and decks get different rates
Square feet are not equal. The same square footage takes different time depending on the surface and the conditions.
| Surface | What changes the time | Effect on your rate |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway / concrete | Staining, oil, how flat and open the driveway is | Faster on open, light work; slower on heavy staining |
| House / exterior | Siding type, height, windows and trim, how much you rinse | Usually slower per sq ft; height adds time and risk |
| Deck | Wood condition, railings, stairs, any sealing prep | Slower per sq ft because of detail work |
Heavier soiling and harder access add time. Time is cost, so heavier soiling and harder access raise the pressure washing rate.
Set a minimum charge
A 150 sq ft patio can cost a pressure washing business the same drive time as a big driveway. Work out the lowest price at which a job still earns your target margin, and don't quote below the minimum charge.
How Nerd in an App prices by the square foot
Nerd in an App works out your true job cost from your own labor rate, machine, chemicals, travel and overhead. Nerd shows the price needed to hit your target margin, and the per-square-foot rate falls out of the recommended price. You can still override the price, and Nerd recalculates your profit so you see what the change costs you.
FAQ
What is a good price per square foot for pressure washing?
No single price per square foot fits every pressure washing shop. Your rate depends on your costs, your pace and your market. Work out the rate from your own true cost, then check the rate against what customers in your area will pay.
Should I charge by the hour or by the square foot?
Customers like a flat quote. Use hours to build your cost, then quote a flat price. The square-foot rate is a way to check your prices for consistency from job to job.
How do I price a job with a lot of drive time?
Count drive time as paid labor plus fuel. If the trip is long, either the price goes up or you set a minimum charge for the area.
Do I charge for water?
Count water as a cost if you haul or buy water. If the customer supplies water at no cost to you, water adds nothing to the job's cost, and you don't need a water line.
Is markup the same as margin?
No. Margin is the share of the price you keep. Divide cost by (1 − margin) to hit the margin you want.
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