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Are you spending too much to get your house washed?
How much is too much?
How do you know when it’s too expensive and when it’s too cheap?
We don’t want to overpay for the value we get!
And we don’t want to pay for a crappy service either!
When we talk about soft washing a house, it differs a lot from pressure washing a house. Here’s a related article about the difference of pressure washing from soft washing.
You may also be interested in knowing what it costs to pressure wash flat surfaces.
Soft washing is the correct way to wash your house. Pressure washing will do more damage and will not give you the desired cleaning results.
That’s not to say pressure washing can’t be used. Pressure washing can actually help to assist in soft washing. Check out common areas we clean, including driveways, sidewalks, exterior walls (brick & stone siding), garage floors, parking lots and more with our expert pressure washing Austin, TX services.
Soft washing uses low pressure and relies much more on soaps and detergents to clean. A pressure washer can be used to help rinse by adjusting the pressure and using proper spray nozzles.
A pressure washer can also help water plants, grass, and bare wood surfaces. The amount of water volume rinsing with the pressure washer helps dilute the solution keeping the plants and property safe.
The correct way to wash a house is a lot of work when we factor in safety, protection, and prevention.
Let’s go over those factors that will play into the total cost.
The Factors That Affects The Cost Of Soft Washing A House
Here are the factors that go into the cost of soft washing your house:
- Material & Gas Cost
- Insurance & Workers Comp
- Plants & Property Protection
- Electrical malfunction/fire hazard prevention
- How dirty is your house & the amount of organic growth?
- How big and high is your house?
- What areas will be washed?
- What type of surface is your siding made out of?
- Obstacles around the house?
1. Material & Gas Cost
In certain areas of the state, the cost to get soaps, detergents, and solutions can vary.
In Texas, most soaps, detergents, and solutions for a house wash are around $3-$5 per gallon.
It takes roughly 4-8 gallons to wash a typical $2500 sqft two-story home
2. Insurance & Workers Comp
Proper insurance and worker compensation is a factor.
In case the company you hire damages any parts of your home, you want them to have proper insurance. Without insurance, you will end up paying money out of your own pocket for repairs and damages.
Worker Comp. is to protect homeowners from workers’ injuries on their property. Without proper protection, there will be lawsuit costs and medical costs.
3. Plants & Property Protection
Protecting plants and property is a huge factor when it comes to soft washing a house.
The solution used in house washing contains some sodium hypochlorite (bleach).
Bleach can do harm to plants and cause damage to certain types of surfaces if not careful.
Plant and property safety need materials to assist in keeping everything safe. Some of these materials are neutralizers, tarps, plastic covering, and tape.
4. Electrical Malfunction/Fire Hazard Prevention
Electricity and water do not mix very well.
Having all outdoor electrical outlets covered, taped off, or put away is a must.
It is the extra care to prevent damage to your home.
5. How Dirty Is Your Exterior & The Amount Of Organic Growth?
The accumulation of dirt, algae, and other organic debris on your house will need more care.
More solution, more rinsing, and even scrubbing off by hand.
If the house is going to get washed, you want it to be a job done well. Organic growth such as algae that is half-treated will grow back fast.
Dirt daubers not completely scrubbed off will leave permanent stains over time.
Other stains left half-treated will result in regrowth or permanent stains if neglected.
6. How Big & High Is Your House?
The bigger your house, the more surface area that will need to be covered.
More areas covered will need more solutions to treat.
Also if a house or building is 3-4 stories high, it can make it difficult to reach.
In the case of 4 stories or higher, we may need a lift.
Proper equipment will allow us to reach 3 stories, but this equipment does need more gas to operate.
7. What Areas Will Be Included In Washing The House?
You should always talk with the provider about what the house washing will cover.
Some companies may only wash the siding and neglect to wash the soffits, wood trims, or eaves.
It’s good to know what you are getting.
It is also important to ask if you can save and bundle window cleaning with your house soft wash. The stuff that comes off the house can get your windows to look nasty! If you decide to do window cleaning alone, check this article to determine how much it costs to clean your windows.
Give us a call to know our pricing package for house washing and window cleaning in Austin, TX.
8. What Type Of Surface Is Your Siding Made Out Of?
Certain siding is easier to clean than others.
Here is a list of the easiest to most difficult:
- Vinyl siding
- Painted wood siding
- Hardi Plank
- Brick Siding
- Stone Siding
Brick and stone siding, usually need more solutions as the surface is more porous. The algae growth can be deep within the porous surface and need more solution and treatment.
9. Obstacles Around The House?
Obstacles make it much more difficult to clean the house and will take up much more time to maneuver.
Some obstacles include:
- Houses on steep slippery hills.
- Houses with stained wooden decks.
- Balconies that can only be accessed with a ladder to get up and clean.
- Bare unpainted galvalume roof under the siding area that needs to be washed. A bare unpainted galvalume roof can be burned causing discoloration on the roof if not kept cool.
- Stained wooden ceilings and soffits need to be rinsed with a high volume of water at all times. This will prevent the stripping of the stain.
So What Will It Usually Cost For A House Wash?
With the factors in place, you can expect a proper house wash to cost from anywhere around $0.25 – $0.65 per sqft.
The difference in the total investment is in the amount of care you will receive.
To wash the siding alone you can expect it to start at $0.22 – $0.25 per sqft.
- The average price range to wash only the siding on a house that’s two stories at 2500 sqft with low-medium organic growth is $550 – $650.
To wash the siding, soffits, wood trims, window frames, eaves, and exterior of gutters, you can expect it to start at $0.35 – $0.40 per sqft.
- The price range to wash a house of these factors that is two stories at 2500 sqft with medium organic growth is $875 – $1000.
Other factors such as obstacles, level of growth, and more protection for plants can start at $0.50 – $0.65 per sqft.
- The price range to wash a house that’s two stories at 2500 sqft with heavy organic growth, obstacles, delicate plants, etc… is roughly $1,200 – $1600.
Benefits of Soft Washing Over Other Methods
Soft washing is a superior cleaning method for several reasons:
1. Gentle Cleaning: Unlike high-pressure methods, soft washing is gentle on delicate surfaces, reducing the ri