Bright Exterior Cleaning VA
Bright Exterior Cleaning

Pressure Washing: What to Look For in A Company

There is a high chance that you found this article because you are searching for a “Pressure Washing Company Near Me.”

While we always let homeowners know that “Near me” is never too far for us, we also know that there is a high chance you’re looking to accomplish the following:

  • Learn about pressure/power washing
  • Understand what to look for in a professional washing company
  • How pressure washing pricing works
  • What you can and can’t pressure wash
  • And does it make sense to rent a pressure washer?

Well, in today’s article, we aim to answer just that! Let’s dig in…

First, what is pressure washing anyway?

pressure washing company near me

Pressure washing (sometimes referred to as power washing, but they’re different) is the use of highly pressurized water to remove dirt, grime, stains, oil, and organic matter – you name it – from exterior surfaces such as a deck or patio.

Most people are familiar with pressure and power washing, and it’s OK to use the terms interchangeably. The only difference between the two is that power washing also uses the aid of warm water.

One point to know is the difference between Pressure Washing & Soft Washing!

While most will use pressure washing symbolically, which is 100% OK, this isn’t actually used on your house or roof. That is called soft washing (we will touch more on this later, but you never touch a roof with a pressure washer).

Pressure washing can be done by a homeowner or small business owner; however, most of the time it’s best to have someone do it for you so that:

  1. Surfaces are not damaged
  2. You don’t have to buy or rent a pressure/power washer

Statistically speaking, those who buy their own washer are going to use it just once in a three-year period. Most homeowners find that since exterior cleaning is a fairly inexpensive home service (though valuable), the best thing to do is just to find a pressure washing company “Near me.”

➡️ See More: The Difference Between Pressure Washing & Power Washing

How to find a professional pressure washer:

bright exterior pressure washing near me

As we mentioned earlier, near me is never too far from us if you’re looking for pressure washing in the Mid Atlantic Region.

The best way to find a pressure washer near you is to hop on the internet or ask a friend. Chances are, if you are on this page, you did the first – hop on the internet – or perhaps a friend referred you.

Either way, here is how you find a pressure-washing company nearby:

  1. Visit a Google My Business page and check out reviews, posts, and photos of a pressure washing company.
  2. Check YouTube (it might be a little harder to find a LOCAL company)
  3. Check out the Facebook pages of pressure washing companies or ask for recommendations on Facebook
pressure washing near me

Obviously, searching the internet is the way to find a pressure washing company in the digital age, but good ol’ fashion word of mouth is still effective.

Don’t hesitate to ask a few friends (we all have that friend who knows a guy) for a pressure-washing company near you!

Get a Pressure Washing Quote: You can get an free estimate here!

How much does pressure washing cost per square foot?

Hiring a professional pressure washer costs about $0.08-$0.35 per square foot (depending on local rates), but can go as high as $0.40-$0.80 a square foot depending on the amount and type of stains, dirt, mold or other problems.

To put it in laments terms, the average deck on a home should cost $225 (or around that) to pressure wash.

Typically, here at Bright Exterior Cleaning, we let prospective customers know, that if they’re looking to have their patio, deck, fence, or another surface pressure washed, we have a minimum pressure washing cost of $350.

This means that if the amount of work totals up to $350 or more, we are a good fit for your job! Typically, if the square footage and the size of the pressure washing job is less than $350, it might be a job worth doing on your own if we can be honest.

Granted, we will always provide our expert opinion and don’t hesitate ever to reach out here.

As professional pressure washers with state-of-the-art equipment, soaps and other tools – we let potential customers know that pressure washing is inexpensive when it is all said and done.

Most companies charge by square foot so using the metrics above you can estimate the following costs of a 15 by 15 patio by doing the folowing:

  1. 15 x 15 = 225 square feet
  2. 225 square feet X .08 to .035 = $18 to $78

Keep in mind, while this math is simple, case in point to our comment earlier, for most pressure washing companies near you, the size of the job determines the price due to the equipment, setup, prep etc.

What You Can & Can’t Pressure Wash:

The reason why we typically recommend consulting with a pressure washing company, and not always trying to do it yourself is because of the following:

You can easily damage a surface if you don’t know what you’re doing!

For example, you should never, ever, pressure wash a roof (asphalt shingles). This can be not only damaging to your roof with the highly pressurized water, but also to your own personal safety!

Getting on a roof with a ladder, wires, etc. That being said, here is what can and cannot be pressure washed.

Common Pressure Washing & Power Washing Services:

Here are some of the most common services we offer:

Never pressure wash:

  • Never pressure wash your roof
  • Never pressure wash your siding
  • Be careful using pressure cleaning on your car

Cleaning surfaces like wood decks or any wood for that matter requires expertise. Knowing how much PSI-specific surfaces require is essential and why we recommend companies with a solid reputation.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What does pressure/power washing do?

The high-pressure water is designed to help you lift grime and stains on outdoor surfaces. The use of hot water (power washing) helps lift stains that are harder to reach, such as grease.

The main difference between the two is the element of heated water. Most people use either or to add curb appeal to their home and clean their home/property. Restaurants and companies with outdoor furniture will use pressure cleaning to help keep their patios clean.

Are there cleaning solutions?

A power washing company should always use a form of soap and surfactants (cleaning solutions) to help with cleaning. For example, a roof wash is primarily a soap mixture that is used to perform the cleaning process.

Can you do DIY pressure washing?

You have every right to rent a pressure cleaner and get to work one Saturday or Sunday, however, we don’t recommend it. Any sort of pressure cleaning utilizes pressure. This fact makes it possible to damage surfaces you intend to clean.

For example, high-pressure water can actually damage decks, fences, and even siding. So while most business requests are for a professional pressure washer, some homeowners prefer the DIY approach.

Just be mindful of the pros and cons of this. In the grand scheme of things, you will save very little money.

Where can I rent a pressure washer?

Yes, you can rent a pressure/power washer.

Stores like Home Depot, Lowes, and other small local hardware stores rent pressure washers. Typically, pressure washer rentals can vary from as low as $50 all the way up to $200, with the average being somewhere around $100-$150.

Pressure Washer Rentals Types & Prices:

  • Electric: $50 and up, not as strong as a gas motor.
  • Gas: $100 and up, more pressure PSI

While the pros of renting a pressure washer include not having to buy one, not having to have a pressure washer in your garage, and not having to pay someone to do it for you, there are also some negatives to rentals.

First, when it comes to renting a pressure washer, going to the store, paying for it, and bringing it home, using it, then returning it back to the store is a process. Not to mention you still have to do all the work .

Typically, when looking for pressure washing companies, what you will find out that it is just a little bit more to have a professional do it for you.

Homeowners don’t have to worry about damaging their surfaces or renting a pressure washer when they hire a pressure washing company nearby.

Final Words:

When it comes to finding a pressure washing company “near me” there is a proper way to select a company.

Hopefully, this fully transparent and complete review of selecting the right pressure washing company for you helped. We highly encourage you to check out the following to continue to learn more about pressure washing:

  1. Our Pressure Washing Learning Center
  2. Check out some of our photos below:
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