What a house wash costs in Dallas, and the five things that move the price

The range we publish, and why yours lands where it does

At Park Cities Power Wash, our house washing page states that a soft wash starts at $350 and most homes come in at or below $1,250. Where your house falls inside that range depends on its size, how much algae and dirt has built up, what the walls are made of, and how hard the exterior is to reach. A quote that arrives without anyone looking at the house, even by photo, is a guess.

We get asked for a number over the phone every day, and I understand why. You want to know whether this is a few hundred dollars or a few thousand before you spend time on it. This guide gives you the published figures for the services people usually bundle with a house wash, explains each factor that moves a quote, and shows you how to read competing bids so the cheapest one does not turn out to be the most expensive.

Five factors behind every house wash quote

When our team prices a house, the same five questions come up every time. None of them is a mystery, and you can answer most of them yourself before anyone visits.

Size comes first because it sets the amount of wall, solution, water and time. Surface comes second: porous Austin stone, limestone and stucco take more care and more dwell time than painted Hardie board. Condition is third, because a thin film of last season's growth rinses away quickly while a north wall that has been dark for years may need a second application. Access is fourth, since a third-story gable over a steep slope or a narrow side yard slows everything down. The fifth is anything that needs a separate treatment, such as oxidation on metal or siding, which our house washing page notes is priced on its own.

These factors stack. A modest single-story brick home with light film on one wall sits near the bottom of the range. A two-story house clad in soft limestone, shaded by old live oaks, with a north wall that has been dark for years and a back elevation that drops toward a pool, sits near the top. Two houses with the same square footage can land hundreds of dollars apart for exactly these reasons, which is why I would rather see photos than quote from an address.

• Size: square footage, number of stories and the total wall area to treat.
• Surface: stone, stucco, brick, painted wood, Hardie board or metal, each with its own mix and dwell time.
• Condition: light film versus years of algae, mildew and staining.
• Access: height, slope, tight side yards, fences and heavy landscaping against the walls.
• Extras: oxidation removal, rust spots or other stains that need a different chemical.

Roof, gutters and windows: what each adds

Most homeowners do not stop at the walls, because once the stone is clean the dark roof and streaked windows stand out. Each of these is priced separately and then discounted when bundled.

Roofs are the biggest variable. Our roof cleaning cost article puts roof cleaning in our area between $500 and $3,000, with a single-story asphalt shingle roof with moderate algae at roughly $500 to $900 and premium tile, slate or standing-seam metal at roughly $2,000 to $3,000. Pitch, height and the need for a lift drive most of that spread. I cover what those dark stripes actually are in our guide to black streaks on the roof and whether they matter.

Gutters are more predictable. Our gutter cleaning cost article gives a typical range of $200 to $1,000, with a single-story home with moderate debris at about $200 to $400 and a larger or three-story home under heavy trees at about $650 to $1,000. The same article calls height the single biggest cost multiplier. Windows, driveways and patios are quoted by count, size and stain severity, and they are usually the easiest items to add once a crew is already on site.

Why one bid is half the price of another

If you collect three quotes, they may not be close, and the gap almost always comes from what is and is not included. A low number can mean a crew plans to use high pressure on everything instead of a soft wash, which is faster and cheaper to deliver and far harder on stone, stucco and paint. It can mean no plant protection, no neutralizer, no second pass on heavy growth and no one coming back if spots are missed.

The opposite also happens. A very high bid sometimes reflects a company padding for unknowns because nobody looked at the house closely. If a number seems far out of line in either direction, ask the company to walk you through it line by line. A good estimator can tell you exactly where the time goes, and that conversation tells you a lot about how the job will be run.

Ask every company the same questions so you are comparing like with like. Before you sign, it also helps to know which surfaces truly need a soft wash and which can take pressure, which I lay out in soft washing versus pressure washing, surface by surface.

• Is the quote a soft wash for the walls, or pressure washing?
• Are water, labor and cleaning solution included, or billed separately?
• How are plants, outlets, cameras and leaky windows protected?
• What happens if the stains are still there after the first pass?
• Is the company insured, including workers' compensation for the crew?

How we build a quote without guessing

You can call, text or use the online form, and we will ask about the surfaces, the approximate size and any access issues. Simple jobs can be quoted from satellite imagery or photos you send. New customers and complex properties get an in-person look, because a large stone house with a steep roof and mature trees around it is not something I want to price from a screen.

The quote comes by text and email. Our homepage states that it includes water, labor and cleaning solutions with no hidden fees, so the number you approve is the number on the invoice unless you add something on the day. If you are not sure what you need, describe what you are seeing and let us recommend a scope rather than buying a package you do not need.

Ways to lower the total without cutting corners

The most reliable savings come from doing more in one visit rather than less. Our house washing page notes bundle discounts when a house wash is combined with window, driveway or roof cleaning, because the crew, equipment and setup are already there. Our homepage also lists a 10 percent discount for veterans, seasonal promotions and recurring service plans.

A recurring plan is worth considering if your lot is shaded or heavily treed. Growth that is removed while it is light takes less time and solution than growth that has had two or three years to set in, so each visit tends to be simpler. I explain how often each part of the exterior usually needs attention in how often to wash the house, roof, gutters and windows.

• Bundle the house wash with roof, gutter, window or driveway cleaning in one visit.
• Ask about veteran, seasonal and recurring-plan pricing.
• Fix sprinklers that soak the walls so growth returns more slowly.
• Trim branches touching the roof and walls before the crew arrives.
• Clear patios and side yards so technicians spend their time cleaning, not moving furniture.

Selling soon? Where the money matters most

When a house is going on the market, the exterior is the first photo a buyer sees. If the budget is limited, I would put it toward the street-facing walls, the roof if it is visibly streaked, the front walk and driveway, and the front windows. Back walls and side yards matter less for photos, although buyers do walk them.

Book the cleaning before the photographer, not after, and give yourself a few days in case weather pushes the date. If you are still deciding on price and timing, your agent will want to see the property at its best, and a local listing agent explains that side well in how to price a house before you list in Preston Hollow or the Park Cities.

Costs that are not in the wash price

A wash cleans surfaces; it does not repair them. If high pressure from an earlier cleaning has already pitted soft limestone or blown out mortar joints, a soft wash will make the surface look far better, but the damage stays. The same is true of failing paint: washing will not strip it, and painted siding that is already peeling needs a painter afterward.

Old oil marks on concrete and some long-standing rust can lighten without disappearing completely. We say so before we start rather than after. And if you have leaky windows, tell us during the quote. Our house washing page explains that we place towels inside and minimize water near problem areas, but the window itself is a repair for someone else.

Getting a firm number for your house

The fastest route is a few photos of each side of the house, the roof if you want it included, and a note about anything that worries you, such as dark stone on the north wall, delicate plants or a pool next to the patio. With that, we can usually tell you whether a remote quote will work or whether we should come out.

Our homepage notes that we serve homes within about 30 miles of Dallas, and we text before arriving on the day. If anything is not right when we finish, our satisfaction guarantee means we return within 24 hours to fix it. That is part of the price too, and it is worth asking any company you compare whether theirs includes the same.

Questions people ask me