Pressure washing checklists

Vetting questions. Which surfaces will you pressure wash and which will you soft wash? What PSI on each? What cleaning solution, at what dilution, and how long will it dwell? How do you protect plants? Will you touch the roof, and if so, how? Do you carry liability insurance and can the certificate come from your insurer directly? What happens if something is damaged?

Answers that should end the conversation. "We pressure wash everything including the roof." "We just use whatever setting." "Insurance? We're very careful." ARMA's position on shingles alone rules out anyone offering to pressure wash a roof.

Get it in writing. The list of surfaces, the method for each, whether pricing is by area or by hour, the total or the rate, what's excluded, and who is responsible for damage. Fixr's rate structures — $0.30 to $0.80 per square foot for house washing or $50 to $150 per hour, with possible travel fees from $25 on fence work — are worth knowing so you can tell which model you've agreed to.

Job-day preparation. Close and latch all windows and doors. Move vehicles well clear of overspray. Move or cover outdoor furniture, grills and cushions. Take down or cover anything fragile on the walls. Cover or pre-wet plants — Today's Homeowner suggests over-hydrating them so they absorb less solution, and ARMA advises protecting landscaping from the bleach solution. Photograph every elevation.

After. Walk the job with the crew before final payment. Check inside for damp. Check gutters for granules. If anything is wrong, put it in writing with photos the same day.

How to choose

Get the insurance certificate from the insurer

Not a photo, not a PDF the contractor emails. Ask the agent or carrier to send it to you directly.

Make them list method by surface

Roof, siding, wood, concrete, painted metal — each should get its own line with a method and a pressure. This single request separates the professionals.

Photograph before, not after

Dated photos of every elevation and any existing damage. Without them, every pre-existing chip is a disagreement.

Protect plants and close everything

Windows latched, vehicles moved, furniture cleared, plants pre-wet or covered. Ten minutes of prep prevents the most common complaints.

Hold final payment until you've walked it

Outside and inside. Damp patches and granule loss don't show up in the first hour, so build a short gap in before you pay.