Free pressure washing proposal template with state-by-state rates, per-surface PSI specs, and soft wash pricing. Build a professional PDF proposal in 2 minutes — no signup needed for instant preview.
Pressure washing looks simple from the outside. Point the wand, pull the trigger, collect the check. But the proposals that win repeat business break down each surface by PSI setting, list chemical pre-treatments by name, and specify what soft washing means vs. high-pressure cleaning. Clients who've had someone etch their concrete or strip paint off their siding with too much pressure will pay more for a contractor who puts the technical details on paper. Typical residential jobs run $300-$700. Commercial contracts can run $1,000-$5,000+ depending on square footage and frequency. The difference between a $350 job and a $600 job for the same square footage often comes down to how detailed and credible the proposal looks. This template covers residential and commercial exterior cleaning.
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Proposal from
BlastPro Exterior Cleaning
Prepared for
Amanda Walsh
Driveway & House Exterior Wash
Concrete driveway (approx. 900 sq ft): Pre-treat oil spots, pressure wash at 3,200 PSI House siding (2-story, vinyl, approx. 2,400 sq ft): Soft wash with biodegradable mildew treatment at 400-600 PSI Front walkway and front stoop
Driveway: Apply commercial degreaser, agitate with brush, pressure wash with rotating nozzle, rinse. Siding: Apply 3% sodium hypochlorite solution from ground level, dwell 10 minutes, rinse with low pressure. Safe for landscaping.
Driveway: $180 House soft wash: $280 Walkway/stoop: $60 Total: $520
Job takes approximately 2.5 hours. Please have vehicles out of driveway. Close all windows and doors. We'll notify neighbors if runoff will cross the property line.
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List the PSI and nozzle type by surface. Concrete can handle 3,000 PSI; cedar siding cannot. Showing surface-specific settings signals you won't destroy their wood deck.
Separate soft washing from pressure washing in the proposal. Algae and mildew on siding need chemical treatment at low pressure — pressure alone won't fix it. Explain the difference.
Note pre-treatment for oil stains. Driveway degreaser applied 20 minutes before washing is the difference between clean and 'tried.' List it as a step.
Include a wet surface warning for decks. Wood should be sealed within 48-72 hours of washing while still slightly porous. If you're not doing the sealing, tell them.
Photo before and after. Not just for portfolio — for dispute prevention. Every job has one unhappy client who claims it 'looked the same.'
Specify water source. Are you using their hose bib or bringing your own water tank? Commercial jobs without an outdoor spigot need this figured out before you show up.
Note landscaping protection. Chemical runoff from soft washing can damage plants. Stating that you'll pre-wet landscaping and cover sensitive plants shows you've thought it through.
Include a 'no guarantees' clause for deep stains. Oil stains over 6 months old, rust, and battery acid marks may not fully come out. Setting expectations in the proposal prevents the 'it didn't work' callback.
Charge by the surface, not the hour. Flat-rate pricing per surface is easier to sell than $75/hour. Build the estimate by square footage, then show a total. Clients buy the result, not the clock.
Collect payment on-site at job completion. Pressure washing leaves an obvious before/after. If the client can see the clean driveway, there's no reason not to collect payment that day. Note your payment policy in the proposal upfront.
Every strong pressure washing proposal covers these elements. Skip one and you'll likely answer for it later.
Customer-facing hourly rates derived from BLS OEWS wage data with a 2.5x markup for overhead, chemicals, and profit. National average: $16.01/hr labor. Use these as a calibration anchor — your local market may run higher in metros or lower in rural ZIPs.
| State | Labor / hr | Customer rate / hr | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $21.75 | $46–$63/hr | +36% |
| New York | $21.30 | $45–$61/hr | +33% |
| Washington DC | $21.30 | $45–$61/hr | +33% |
| Washington | $19.80 | $42–$57/hr | +24% |
| Alaska | $19.80 | $42–$57/hr | +24% |
| New Jersey | $19.20 | $41–$55/hr | +20% |
| Massachusetts | $19.20 | $41–$55/hr | +20% |
| Hawaii | $19.20 | $41–$55/hr | +20% |
| Connecticut | $18.60 | $40–$53/hr | +16% |
| Oregon | $18.00 | $38–$52/hr | +12% |
| Colorado | $17.70 | $38–$51/hr | +11% |
| Maryland | $17.70 | $38–$51/hr | +11% |
| Illinois | $17.10 | $36–$49/hr | +7% |
| Virginia | $16.80 | $36–$48/hr | +5% |
| Minnesota | $16.80 | $36–$48/hr | +5% |
| Rhode Island | $16.80 | $36–$48/hr | +5% |
| Delaware | $16.80 | $36–$48/hr | +5% |
| New Hampshire | $16.50 | $35–$47/hr | +3% |
| Vermont | $16.20 | $34–$47/hr | +1% |
| Nevada | $16.05 | $34–$46/hr | +0% |
| Utah | $15.90 | $34–$46/hr | -1% |
| Arizona | $15.90 | $34–$46/hr | -1% |
| Pennsylvania | $15.75 | $33–$45/hr | -2% |
| Texas | $15.75 | $33–$45/hr | -2% |
| Michigan | $15.45 | $33–$44/hr | -3% |
| Wyoming | $15.30 | $33–$44/hr | -4% |
| Georgia | $15.30 | $33–$44/hr | -4% |
| North Dakota | $15.30 | $33–$44/hr | -4% |
| Wisconsin | $15.30 | $33–$44/hr | -4% |
| North Carolina | $15.00 | $32–$43/hr | -6% |
| Maine | $15.00 | $32–$43/hr | -6% |
| Florida | $15.00 | $32–$43/hr | -6% |
| Ohio | $14.85 | $32–$43/hr | -7% |
| Nebraska | $14.70 | $31–$42/hr | -8% |
| Kansas | $14.55 | $31–$42/hr | -9% |
| Missouri | $14.55 | $31–$42/hr | -9% |
| Iowa | $14.55 | $31–$42/hr | -9% |
| Indiana | $14.55 | $31–$42/hr | -9% |
| South Dakota | $14.40 | $31–$41/hr | -10% |
| Idaho | $14.25 | $30–$41/hr | -11% |
| South Carolina | $14.10 | $30–$41/hr | -12% |
| Montana | $14.10 | $30–$41/hr | -12% |
| Tennessee | $13.95 | $30–$40/hr | -13% |
| New Mexico | $13.65 | $29–$39/hr | -15% |
| Oklahoma | $13.65 | $29–$39/hr | -15% |
| Kentucky | $13.50 | $29–$39/hr | -16% |
| Louisiana | $13.35 | $28–$38/hr | -17% |
| Arkansas | $13.20 | $28–$38/hr | -18% |
| Alabama | $13.05 | $28–$38/hr | -18% |
| West Virginia | $13.05 | $28–$38/hr | -18% |
| Mississippi | $12.75 | $27–$37/hr | -20% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Markup factor reflects industry-standard contractor overhead and profit allocation.
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See typical pressure washing rates, common service prices, and what moves the number up or down.
Pressure Washing pricing guide →For residential work, charge by surface and square footage: concrete driveways at $0.15-$0.30/sq ft, vinyl siding soft wash at $0.20-$0.40/sq ft, decks at $0.25-$0.50/sq ft, and roof soft wash at $0.30-$0.75/sq ft. Set a minimum job charge of $150-$250 to cover drive time and setup. State labor costs matter — pressure washing crews in California earn ~45% more than the national average, while crews in Mississippi and Alabama earn 13-15% less. Apply a 2.5x markup factor on labor to cover overhead, chemicals, equipment depreciation, and profit. Most independent operators land between $75 and $125 per labor hour after markup. Commercial flatwork prices lower per square foot ($0.05-$0.15) but compensates with volume.
A complete pressure washing proposal lists: each surface being cleaned with approximate square footage, the PSI setting and nozzle type per surface (concrete vs. siding vs. wood), whether it's soft wash or pressure wash per surface, chemical treatments by name (sodium hypochlorite, degreaser, rust remover) with dilution ratios, pre-treatment steps and dwell times, surfaces explicitly excluded from scope, the landscaping/property protection plan, water source and access requirements, stain limitation disclosures for deep or old stains, pricing per surface with a bundled total, and post-job drying time before sealing or painting. The BidMaker template above covers all of these — fill in your specifics and send the PDF in under 5 minutes.
Pressure washing uses high-pressure water (2,000-4,000 PSI) to blast dirt off hard surfaces like concrete and brick. Soft washing uses low pressure (400-800 PSI) with chemical solutions to kill algae, mildew, and mold on softer surfaces like vinyl siding, stucco, and wood. Using pressure wash settings on siding will damage it. A good proposal specifies which method is being used on which surface.
Residential pricing: driveways run $0.15-$0.30/sq ft ($100-$250 for a typical 2-car driveway). House siding soft wash runs $0.20-$0.40/sq ft ($250-$500 for a 2-story home). Decks and patios run $0.25-$0.50/sq ft. Roof soft washing runs $0.30-$0.75/sq ft. Most residential jobs land between $300 and $700. Commercial flatwork (parking lots, loading docks) is priced lower per square foot but higher in total volume — parking lots often run $0.05-$0.15/sq ft with $500 minimums.
For residential jobs: a gas-powered pressure washer (3,000-4,000 PSI, 4 GPM minimum), a surface cleaner attachment for flat concrete, and a 12V soft wash pump for low-pressure chemical application on siding. Hot water units ($3,000-$8,000) are used for commercial grease removal on loading docks and restaurant pads. Chemical supply: sodium hypochlorite (12.5% SH), commercial degreaser, and a neutralizing rinse agent. The proposal should note whether the contractor brings their own water supply (self-contained tank) or uses the property's outdoor spigot.
Measure each surface by square footage. Apply your rate by surface type: concrete at $0.20-$0.30/sq ft, vinyl siding at $0.30-$0.40/sq ft, decks at $0.40-$0.60/sq ft. Add chemical cost (typically $15-$40 per job depending on dilution ratios). Add a minimum job charge ($150-$200) for small jobs where drive time and setup eat the margin. Factor in access difficulty — a 3-story building or a job requiring a ladder for gutters should cost more than a single-story ranch. The proposal template here forces you to break this out by surface, which both justifies your pricing and protects you from scope creep.
Not if done correctly. Concrete handles 2,500-3,500 PSI with a 25-degree or surface cleaner nozzle. Damage happens when contractors use a zero-degree nozzle (leaves lines), get too close (etches the surface), or use excessive pressure on stamped or decorative concrete. The proposal should specify the PSI and nozzle for your concrete type.
Siding: once a year in humid climates, every 2-3 years in dry climates. Driveways and walkways: every 1-2 years. Decks: annually before resealing. Commercial storefronts: quarterly or monthly depending on foot traffic. Setting up a recurring schedule in your proposal gets you repeat business at a lower per-visit rate.
Sodium hypochlorite (the active ingredient in most soft wash solutions) will damage plants if applied directly. A responsible contractor pre-wets landscaping, covers sensitive plants, and rinses the area after treatment. The proposal should state what chemical is being used, at what dilution, and what plant protection steps are included. Pets should stay inside during treatment and for 30-60 minutes after rinse.
Not required, but recommended for concrete. Pressure washing opens the pores of the surface, making it ideal for sealer application within 24-48 hours. If you're going to seal, do it right after washing. If the pressure washer offers sealing as an add-on, it's worth considering. For wood decks, sealing within 48-72 hours of washing is strongly recommended to prevent water absorption and UV damage.
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