How to Quote Pressure Washing Jobs: Per-Square-Metre vs Per-Job Pricing

Pressure washing looks like the easiest trade to quote — spray the driveway, charge for the hours. Then you hit the oil-stained concrete that needs degreaser, the two-storey render with no tap on that side of the house, and the customer who assumed 'the driveway' included the pool surround. Profitable pressure washing quoting is a system: square-metre rates for the big flat areas, job pricing for everything else, and a minimum charge that protects your morning.

Per-square-metre or per-job?

Use per-square-metre rates for large, uniform surfaces — driveways, car parks, warehouse floors, big paved areas — where your time scales predictably with area. Build the rate from your own numbers: machine hours, water, fuel and travel against the area you genuinely cover in an hour, not a figure borrowed from a forum. Small or mixed jobs are different: a house wash plus gutters plus a small patio is quoted per job, because setup, ladder work and moving gear dominates the time, not the square metres. And always set a minimum job charge — the smallest booking still costs you travel, setup and pack-down.

The variables that break a flat rate

Surface matters more than size. Broom-finished concrete washes fast; pavers need care and often re-sanding afterwards; timber decks want low pressure and more passes; render is a soft-wash job, not a blast. Staining is its own line — oil, rust and tannin need chemicals and dwell time, so quote them as extras rather than absorbing them. Then the site factors: water supply (usable tap, or are you carting water?), access, and anything above a single storey. Walk the job — or get decent photos — before you commit to a number.

Structure the quote to win the job and the upsell

Itemise it: driveway, paths, house wash and gutters as separate lines rather than one mystery total. Customers trust a breakdown, and it lets you drop a line instead of discounting everything when the budget bites. Then add priced optional extras — driveway sealing, paver re-sanding, the back patio. Optional lines sell surprisingly well when the customer can see the price and simply say yes, and they turn a modest job into a good one without a second visit.

Quote it from the photos

Most pressure washing jobs can be quoted without a site visit if the photos are decent — and that's where Taskr earns its keep. The customer sends photos of the driveway, you feed them to Taskr's AI and it drafts the quote: surfaces as line items priced from your saved rates, sealing as an optional extra the customer ticks on the online quote before they e-sign. Accepted quotes convert to a job and invoice without retyping a line. Try it on your next enquiry with the 14-day free trial.