pressure-washing
How Much Does Pressure Washing Cost in Texas? 2026 Rates From the Gulf Coast to the Panhandle
Pressure washing cost in Texas for 2026: house, driveway, roof, and fence pricing by region, hard water scale removal, drought rules, and questions to ask bidders.
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How Much Does Pressure Washing Cost in Texas? 2026 Rates From the Gulf Coast to the Panhandle
Two Texas homeowners can get quotes on the same 2,200 square foot house and see numbers $200 apart with both contractors being honest. One is in Katy, where the wall facing the bayou grows mildew nine months a year. The other is in Lubbock, where the same wall carries wind-blown dust and nothing else.
Statewide, a house wash runs $250 to $600, a two-car driveway runs $100 to $200, and a combined house-and-flatwork visit lands at $400 to $850. Those ranges cover most of the population, but the reason your number falls where it does has more to do with your water and your humidity than with your ZIP code's income level.
Texas also runs on a longer cleaning season than almost anywhere else. Crews here work 11 months a year, which means more competition, more availability, and more variation in who is licensed, insured, and using the right chemistry.
Four Different Cleaning Markets in One State
The Gulf Coast band from Beaumont through Houston to Corpus Christi is a growth problem. Humidity, rain, and warm nights keep organic film alive on siding, brick, fences, and north-facing walls year round.
North Texas is a mineral problem. Dallas, Plano, Frisco, and Fort Worth sit on hard water that leaves white scale on brick, sprinkler-sprayed foundations, and pool decks, and that scale needs acid rather than pressure.
The Hill Country from Austin through New Braunfels to San Antonio combines limestone dust, cedar pollen, and hard well water. Limestone and mortar there are soft enough that a careless operator can etch a wall permanently.
West Texas and the Panhandle are a dust and grit story. In Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, and El Paso the work is mostly about caliche film, red dust in stucco texture, and sun-baked road grime on concrete.
What the Common Jobs Cost
House washing prices per square foot at $0.12 to $0.30 in Texas, with the low end in DFW where competition is dense and the high end on the coast where the chemical load is higher. A 1,600 square foot single story runs $200 to $380, and a 3,000 square foot two story runs $450 to $750.
Driveways and sidewalks price at $0.12 to $0.25 per square foot with a $125 to $200 minimum. A standard 20 by 30 foot driveway lands at $100 to $180 unless it carries oil staining.
Roof cleaning is $0.20 to $0.50 per square foot and always uses low pressure chemistry on asphalt shingles. On Texas tile and metal roofs the price runs similar but the access is slower, so expect the top of the range.
Fence washing goes by the linear foot at $1.25 to $3.50. Deck and patio work runs $0.20 to $0.45 per square foot before any sealing.
Pool decks and outdoor kitchens are the add-on most people forget. Budget $150 to $400 for a typical Texas backyard hardscape, more if the coping has calcium buildup.
Hard Water Scale Is Its Own Job
If your brick has a chalky white band about two feet up from the flower bed, that is not dirt. Sprinkler overspray in cities running hard municipal water leaves calcium carbonate that bonds to masonry, and a pressure washer will not touch it.
Removing it takes a diluted acid treatment applied by hand, neutralized, and rinsed. Companies price this at $1.50 to $4.00 per linear foot of affected wall, and it is common to spend $200 to $500 on a single elevation.
The same buildup shows up on pool tile and coping across DFW and San Antonio. Bead blasting is the usual fix there, and that is a specialty service running $400 to $1,200 for an average pool.
Fixing the source matters more than the cleaning. Adjusting sprinkler heads so they stop hitting the house saves you from paying for the same treatment every 18 months.
Mold, Mildew, and the Coastal Wall
Along the Gulf, the black and green film on siding is living. Killing it takes a sodium hypochlorite mix with a surfactant, applied at low pressure and allowed to dwell for five to ten minutes before rinsing.
Houston-area homes typically need this every 12 to 18 months. Homes with heavy oak canopy in the Heights, Bellaire, or Clear Lake often run on a 12 month cycle because shade keeps walls damp.
The mistake homeowners make is buying pressure instead of chemistry. A 3,500 PSI wand strips the visible layer and drives water behind lap siding, and the growth returns in six weeks looking worse than before.
Ask what a bidder plans to apply, at what dilution, and how long it will sit. A contractor who can answer that in specifics is worth more than one who is $75 cheaper.
Concrete, Oil, and Rust
Texas driveways collect three stains that behave differently. Motor oil needs a degreaser and dwell time, rust from sprinkler water and fertilizer needs oxalic acid, and red clay tracked in from a construction site or a Hill Country lot needs a surfactant and patience.
None of them come out with pressure alone. Expect $50 to $150 in add-on charges per stain type, and understand that a five year old oil stain in unsealed concrete may only lighten by 70 percent.
A surface cleaner attachment is what produces an even finish. If a contractor plans to work your whole driveway with a wand, you will see stripe patterns in low sun for the life of the slab.
Sealing afterward runs $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot. On the coast it slows organic staining, and in North Texas it helps against the mineral haze that returns with every sprinkler cycle.
Wood Fences Need a Lighter Hand
Texas privacy fences are mostly western red cedar or treated pine, and both are soft. A 4,000 PSI machine at close range will raise the grain and leave permanent furrows across every picket.
The correct approach is 500 to 1,200 PSI with a wide fan tip, or a chemical clean followed by a rinse. Restoring a gray cedar fence to tone also takes a brightener, which is an extra $0.30 to $0.60 per square foot.
Staining after a wash is where the real money sits. A 150 foot fence stained on both sides runs $1,200 to $2,800 in most Texas metros.
Wait at least 48 hours between the wash and the stain. Cedar that looks dry on the surface still holds moisture, and stain applied too soon will not bond.
Drought Stages Can Change Your Appointment
Water restrictions are a routine part of the Texas summer, and several cities include pressure washing in their stage rules. Restrictions in parts of North and Central Texas have limited or banned residential exterior washing during the deepest stages.
Commercial operators usually keep working under a variance or by carrying their own water. If your city is in a late stage restriction, ask whether the company holds a permit or brings a tank.
Reclaimed water is another option in some municipalities. It costs the contractor less and does not count against potable restrictions, though not every city has a fill station.
The practical takeaway is timing. Booking exterior cleaning for October through April keeps you clear of both peak restrictions and the worst of the heat.
Five Questions That Sort Out the Bids
Before you accept a quote, ask these in order:
- Are you carrying general liability insurance, and can you email the certificate today?
- What pressure will you use on my siding, and what chemicals go on the walls?
- Is the driveway included, and does that include the sidewalk and the front porch?
- Are you bringing your own water, or using my spigot?
- What happens if I am not satisfied, and how long do I have to report a problem?
Any contractor who dodges the insurance question is not the one to hire. A Texas pressure washing job goes wrong in exactly two ways, damaged surfaces and injured workers, and both are covered by that certificate. Looking through several pressure washing companies near you before you call makes that first conversation faster.
Texas Pressure Washing Questions
How often does a Texas house need washing?
On the Gulf Coast, every 12 to 18 months. In North, Central, and West Texas, every two years is usually enough unless sprinkler overspray or heavy tree cover changes the math.
Is a soft wash worth more than a standard pressure wash?
For siding, yes. A soft wash costs about the same and lasts two to three times longer, because it kills the growth instead of removing the top layer.
Will pressure washing damage my brick?
It can. Older brick and lime mortar in East Dallas, San Antonio, and Galveston fail under high pressure, and a competent crew drops to a low pressure chemical wash on anything pre-1960.
What is the cheapest month to book?
December through February. Texas crews stay busy year round, but demand dips after the holidays and many companies discount 10 to 15 percent to fill the calendar.
Does the price include moving patio furniture and covering plants?
It should. Confirm that plant protection and pre-rinse are included, since chlorine-based cleaners will burn ornamentals if nobody wets them down first.
Two visits a year on the coast and one a year inland is the pattern most Texas homeowners settle into. More Texas home service cost guides are on our home services blog.