Booking a pressure cleaner: surfaces, soft washing and price

What pressure cleaning covers

The usual jobs are driveways, paths, patios, house exteriors, fences and roofs. Flat concrete is cleaned with a surface cleaner — a spinning attachment that gives an even finish without the streaks a bare wand leaves. But a lot of exterior cleaning isn't high pressure at all: render, painted timber, roofs and other delicate surfaces need soft washing, where low pressure and a detergent do the work instead of brute force.

That distinction is the heart of the trade. A good operator reaches for the gentlest method that will clean a surface, not the most powerful. Heavy moss, mould or oil staining changes the job too — it needs pre-treatment, chemicals and extra passes rather than simply more pressure. Sealing concrete or pavers after cleaning is a related add-on that keeps them cleaner for longer.

How the cost works

Pressure cleaning is priced per square metre or as a fixed price per surface, and most operators carry a minimum charge — commonly around the cost of a small job — to cover travel and setup. That means a lone driveway can be poor value in isolation and much better value bundled with a house wash and paths. The calculator on this page shows indicative rates for your area.

The rate depends on the surface and how dirty it is. Bare concrete is fastest and cheapest; render, painted surfaces and roofs are slower because they need the careful soft-wash approach. Heavy grime, two-storey height and steep or awkward access all add time and equipment. Bundling several surfaces into one visit spreads the minimum charge across more work.

Choosing an operator

Pressure cleaning is an unlicensed trade, so you're choosing on judgement and care rather than a licence. The best signal is an operator who asks what surfaces are involved and talks about soft washing for the delicate ones, rather than promising to blast everything at full pressure. That single distinction separates the ones who'll leave your render intact from the ones who'll damage it.

Ask about insurance — a high-pressure machine in careless hands can crack tiles, force water under cladding or strip paint, and you want that covered. For roofs and two-storey walls, confirm they have the access equipment to do it safely. If you want sealing done, ask for it on the same visit, since it's cheapest applied to a freshly cleaned surface.

Mistakes to avoid

Pressure cleaning damage is almost always from too much pressure on the wrong surface, and the cost regrets come from booking one small job against a minimum charge instead of bundling. Both are easy to avoid by matching method to surface and grouping the work.

• Letting high pressure loose on render, painted timber or roofs that need soft washing
• Booking a single small surface against the minimum charge instead of bundling
• Not checking the operator carries insurance for pressure-washing damage
• Assuming heavy moss or oil comes off with pressure alone rather than pre-treatment
• Skipping sealing on the same visit, then paying a second call-out for it later
• Overlooking safe access equipment for roof and two-storey work