Soft wash & exterior cleaning

How Much to Charge for Soft Washing a House

By ShowTheReceipts · Updated

Short answer

Soft washing a house typically runs $0.15–$0.40 per square foot of wall area, or roughly $250–$600 for an average single-story home, scaling with stories, siding type, and how heavy the mildew or algae growth is. A two-story home prices above a one-story of the same footprint because of reach and setup, and heavy organic staining is a premium over a routine maintenance wash.

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Price a house soft washing job

Enter the siding type, the exterior wall square footage, and the story height. Get a defensible price range you can quote on the spot — no signup, no email.

Quote this range $270 – $540
Per sq ft (edit to match your market) $ – $
Hourly cross-check $216–$360 (3.6 hrs @ $60–$100/hr)
Base rates reflect typical published soft-wash ranges of $0.15–$0.40 per square foot of wall area — measure wall area (footprint x story multiplier), not ground-floor square footage. Absorbent stucco and rough-sawn cedar consume noticeably more chemical mix than smooth vinyl. Window rinse and gutter brightening are usually quoted as separate add-ons.

Essential pricing components for house soft washing

A profitable soft wash house washing business relies on accurate wall surface area calculations, multi-story elevation surcharges, plant protection protocols, and siding material mix adjustments:

  • Per-Square-Foot Wall Area Rate ($0.20–$0.45 per sq ft): Calculated based on total exterior wall surface area (home footprint x story multiplier), not just ground floor square footage.
  • Story Elevation Surcharges (2-Story & 3-Story Heights): Multi-story homes require high-gpm soap tips, extension wands, ladder moves, and higher chemical pump pressure. 2-story homes carry a 25%–40% price uplift over 1-story homes of equal square footage.
  • Chemical Batching & Surfactant Costs: Soft washing uses low-pressure application (60–100 PSI) of sodium hypochlorite (1.5%–3.0% SH) blended with high-foaming apple surfactants to cling to vertical walls and kill Gloeocapsa Magma algae at the root.
  • Plant & Landscaping Protection Protocol: Pre-wetting, neutralizer chemical neutralization (Agent Halt), and post-rinsing delicate flowerbeds, shrubbery, and lawn edges.
  • Siding Material Factors (Vinyl vs. Stucco/EIFS vs. Painted Wood): Absorbent Dryvit stucco or rough-sawn cedar lap siding consumes 40% more chemical mix than smooth vinyl siding.
  • Window Spot-Free Pure Water Rinse Add-On ($45–$95): Water-fed pole deionized (DI) water window glass rinsing following the soft wash.

Free Soft Wash House Washing Estimate & Invoice Text Template

Copy and paste the template below to build professional house soft washing invoices:

================================================================================
           RESIDENTIAL HOUSE SOFT WASHING & EXTERIOR CLEANING INVOICE
================================================================================
SOFT WASH CONTRACTOR:                      INVOICE & JOB DETAILS:
[Your Soft Wash Company Name]             Invoice Number: SOFT-2026-0814
[SoftWash Systems / PWNA Member #]         Service Date: August 3, 2026
[Phone & Billing Email Address]            Payment Terms: Due Upon Completion (Net 0)

CLIENT & PROPERTY LOCATION:                HOME SPECIFICATIONS & MATERIAL:
Client Name: [Homeowner Name]              Home Size: 2-Story (2,800 Sq Ft Wall Area)
Property Address: [880 Willow Creek Rd]    Siding Type: Vinyl Siding w/ Stucco Gables
Plant Protection: Pre-Wetted & Neutralized Organic Staining: Heavy North-Wall Green Algae

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LINE ITEM DESCRIPTION & SERVICE SCOPE                           AMOUNT
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1. 2-Story Exterior House Soft Wash (2,800 Sq Ft Wall Area)     $448.00
   - Scope: Low-Pressure Algae & Mold Elimination (1.5% SH Mix)
2. Gutter Exterior Brightening & Tiger-Stripe Removal           $75.00
   - Hand Scrubbing Gutter Faces w/ F9 Gutter Heat Degreaser
3. Plant & Shrubbery Neutralizer Pre/Post Rinsing Protection     $35.00
4. DI Pure-Water Spot-Free Exterior Window Rinse (18 Windows)     $65.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUBTOTAL SERVICE CHARGES:                                      $623.00
State & Local Cleaning Service Sales Tax:                       $18.69
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL AMOUNT DUE & PAYABLE AT JOB COMPLETION:                  $641.69
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOFT WASH WARRANTY & PROPERTY PROTECTION NOTICE:
100% Low-Pressure Soft Wash Guarantee — Zero High Pressure Damage to Siding or Seals.
Includes 12-Month Algae-Free Warranty on all soft washed vinyl siding surfaces.
================================================================================

Soft wash house pricing math: 1-story vs. 2-story vs. 3-story

House soft washing is priced on wall surface area and reach height:

  • 1-Story Ranch / Bungalow (1,500–2,000 sq ft wall area @ $250–$380): Quick, ground-level application using standard 12V chemical pumps or downstream injectors. Completed in 45–60 minutes.
  • 2-Story Colonial / Craftsman (2,500–3,500 sq ft wall area @ $420–$650): Requires high-reach shooter tips (reaching 30+ feet) and extra chemical volume to reach upper gables and dormers.
  • 3-Story / Hillside Estate (4,000+ sq ft wall area @ $750–$1,200+): Requires air-diaphragm pumps or gas-powered soft wash rigs (10+ GPM) to push chemical mix to high soffits.

Itemizing plant protection, gutter brightening, and DI window rinses

Upsell high-margin exterior cleaning add-ons to increase average job tickets:

  1. Gutter Exterior Tiger-Stripe Removal ($75–$145): Electrostatic black stripes on gutter faces cannot be removed with sodium hypochlorite alone. Itemize hand scrubbing with specialized gutter degreasers (F9 Gutter Heat).
  2. Landscaping Pre-Wet & Plant Neutralizer ($35–$60): Educate homeowners on your plant safety process. Covering delicate Japanese maples and applying plant neutralizer reassures clients and justifies your professional pricing.
  3. Deionized Pure Water Window Rinsing ($45–$95): Soft washing leaves mineral soap spots on glass. Rinsing windows with a water-fed pole and deionized resin filter leaves spot-free glass, eliminating homeowner complaints.

On-site card payment collection before rig pack-up

  • Post-Wash Homeowner Walkaround: Walk the property perimeter with the homeowner to showcase clean siding, bright soffits, and algae-free gables before winding up chemical hoses.
  • On-Site Credit Card Reader: Process credit card, debit card, or text-to-pay payments on a mobile phone reader as soon as the final water rinse is complete.

For more pricing guidance, see our free soft wash estimate template, read our guide on how much to charge to pressure wash a driveway, or compare soft wash company invoicing software.

Frequently asked questions

Do I price by footprint or wall area?

Wall area is more accurate since that's what you're actually cleaning — a tall two-story has far more surface than its footprint suggests. Many operators keep a simple per-square-foot rate on wall area and adjust for height.

Does siding type change the price?

It can. Vinyl and painted surfaces are straightforward; stucco, brick, and delicate painted wood need more care and sometimes different chemical mixes, which can carry a small premium.

Why charge more than a pressure-washing guy?

Soft washing uses a chemical treatment that kills mildew and algae at the root rather than just blasting the surface, so it stays clean longer and won't damage siding — a longer-lasting result worth more than a quick rinse.

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