How much does pressure washing cost in Metro Detroit? It depends on what you want washed, because each part of the property gets its own price. For the house, the number comes from how big and how tall it is and how much green is on the walls. For concrete, it is the square footage and what shape the slab is in. For a deck, it is the size and how grey the boards have gone. Access and water play a part too. The quote is free, and below is everything that moves it.
Why each surface gets its own price
Each material gets its own method. Siding gets a soft wash: a cleaner sprayed on gently and left to work. Concrete gets high pressure through a surface cleaner. Wood decks get low pressure along the grain. Each one takes different equipment and a different amount of time, so each one gets its own line on the quote. You can read more about the methods on our pressure washing and soft washing page.
Pricing by surface helps you too. A single number for "the whole property" hides what you are paying for. Split by surface, you can see what the house wash comes to next to the driveway and the deck, and decide which to book this spring and which can wait.
House size and height
Wall area is the starting point. A one-story ranch has less siding, and all of it is within reach of the ground. A two-story colonial has twice the height on every wall, plus gable ends that peak above the second floor. Those upper walls take longer to cover evenly and rinse properly, and on vinyl they have to be reached without leaning a ladder on the panels, which can crack them.
The lot counts as well. A walkout basement adds a full story to the back of the house. On the lake lots in Commerce Township, a house that steps down toward the water is more work to wash than the same house on flat ground.
How much growth is on the walls
The second factor is how much is growing on the house. A house washed last year carries a light film on its shaded sides. A house that has gone several seasons can have thick green and black growth across the north and east walls, and sometimes on the trim and soffits all the way around.
Heavier growth takes more cleaner and a longer wait before the rinse. That wait can't be skipped, because the time on the wall is what kills the growth at the root. Shade drives it: Purdue Extension places mildew on walls behind trees and shrubs, where the air sits still. CertainTeed, a siding maker, recommends cleaning siding once a year so the dirt never builds up, and a house kept on that schedule is a lighter job each time.
The method each surface needs
Some materials can only be cleaned slowly, and slow work shows up in the quote.
Vinyl gets a soft wash, which is quick to put on and needs its dwell time.
Painted aluminum gets a test spot first, because chalky factory paint streaks if it is scrubbed or blasted.
Brick is washed at low pressure to protect the mortar. The National Park Service's Preservation Brief 1 advises beginning at 100 psi or below and working up only as needed, to 300 to 400 psi at the top end, so the cleaner does the work.
Cedar is washed at low pressure along the grain so the wood dries smooth.
Stamped and colored concrete, common on Novi patios from the 2000s, is cleaned at reduced pressure, because its color and sealer sit in the top layer.
Pavers are washed gently enough to keep the sand in their joints.
So a house with brick, aluminum trim and a stamped patio takes longer than an all-vinyl house of the same size with a plain driveway.
How much concrete and decking you add
Concrete is priced by area, so it adds up when the list runs from the drive and the apron in front of the garage to the front walk, the porch and the patio out back. Canton houses are a good example, with wide drives and aprons that take a whole winter of salt.
Condition is the other half of it. Oil drips, rust marks and leaf stains each need a pre-treatment before the surface cleaner goes over them, and that is extra time and product. A slab that is already flaking from salt gets a gentle wash where the cleaner carries the load, and you hear from us before we start how it will look after.
Decks are priced by their area and by how far the boards have weathered. Grey cedar covered in algae takes longer than a deck washed two summers ago. Composite boards get a soft wash. A fence gets the same treatment as the deck it matches, so mention it when you ask about the deck.
Access around the house
Access is about how easily each wall can be reached. A side wall a few steps from the house next door has to be washed with the spray aimed carefully, so nothing lands on the neighbor's siding or car, and that is slower work. That comes up on the close-set lots in Birmingham. Steep or terraced yards change how the upper walls are reached. Deep foundation beds have to be soaked before the cleaner goes on and rinsed again after.
On a townhouse or condo, the siding may belong to the association, so the board decides when it gets washed. We quote whatever is yours to look after, such as a patio, a deck or a walk.
Where the water comes from
Water matters in two ways. The first is practical. A house wash needs a steady supply of water at the house, so if the outside faucets are still shut off for the winter when you book a spring wash, say so.
The second is what your water has already done to the house. Plenty of homes in Commerce Township draw from private wells. Where that water carries iron, the sprinklers leave an orange-brown stripe low on the siding, right at the height the heads reach. The EPA lists reddish or orange staining as the sign of iron above 0.3 milligrams per liter. Iron is a mineral deposit, and the cleaner that kills algae leaves it in place, so it needs its own treatment and its own line on the quote. Turning the sprinkler heads away from the house keeps it from coming back.
How to get an accurate quote
The quote is free. Send the address and a list of what you want washed: the house, which concrete, the deck or the fence. Mention the age of the house, any painted aluminum or old brick, and anything delicate in the beds. If the windows or gutters are due, add them, since the house wash goes first, then the gutters, then the glass.
For how each surface is cleaned, read pressure washing vs soft washing. For what a house wash includes, read house washing in Michigan.
Questions people ask
Is a pressure washing quote free?
Yes. Send the address and a list of what you want washed, and we'll send a quote at no charge. The house, the concrete and the deck each get their own price, so you can see what each part comes to and decide which to book now and which to leave for later in the season.
Why does a two-story house cost more to wash?
It has more wall, and more of it is high. The upper walls and gable peaks take longer to cover evenly and rinse properly, and on vinyl they have to be reached without leaning a ladder on the panels. A walkout basement adds a story to the back of the house in the same way.
Does a dirtier house cost more to wash?
It can. Thick growth on shaded walls takes more cleaner and a longer wait before the rinse, because the dwell time is what kills it. On concrete, oil, rust and leaf stains each need a pre-treatment first. A house washed every year carries a lighter film, so each wash after the first one goes quicker.
Can I book only the driveway or only the deck?
Yes. Each surface is quoted on its own, so you can book the concrete without the house, or the deck without the driveway. Tell us what you want and we'll quote that. If the house is due as well, list it, and we'll price each part so you can compare.
Get a quote
Glass Guru has been owner-operated in Northville since 2014, and we wash houses, concrete and decks from April to November across the ten towns listed on our pressure washing service areas page. Tell us what needs washing and we'll send back a number for each part. Get a Free Quote
