Exterior cleaning cost is driven by the size and height of what is being cleaned, how hard it is to reach, how bad the buildup is, what material it is, which services you combine, how far the crew travels, and the season. Two houses of the same size can price very differently. Rob's Exterior Services quotes from a photo; text (815) 451-0106 for a free quote.
The short version
- Square footage is only the starting point. Stories, roof pitch, and access change the labor more than size alone.
- Heavy buildup and delicate materials both mean more time and more care.
- Bundling several services at one visit usually makes sense because setup and travel are shared.
- A suspiciously low quote often means a different method, a smaller scope, or corners cut. Ask what is included.
- A photo-based quote is more reliable than a phone guess, and a flat per-square-foot number tells you very little.
- Prices have a floor: every job takes setup, water, travel, and cleanup no matter how small.
Why one number for everyone does not exist
Ask five neighbors what they paid to have their houses washed and you may hear five different answers, and all of them can be fair. Exterior cleaning is a labor job measured in time, risk and materials, and each of those changes with the house. A one-story ranch with open access and light algae is a different day of work from a three-story house with tight side yards, a steep roof and years of buildup.
That is why careful contractors quote the specific property, usually from photos or a visit, and why a figure quoted over the phone without seeing the house is a rough guess at best. This guide explains the real factors, so you can read a quote and know what you are paying for. It does not give prices, because those depend on your house and on the job. For washing a whole house or a big slab, Rob looks at a picture of the property before naming a figure.
Understanding the drivers also helps you compare quotes honestly. If two quotes differ, the difference is usually in scope or method, not just in margin.
Size and stories: how much surface and how high
The most obvious driver is the amount of surface: wall area for a house wash, roof area for a roof wash, linear feet for gutters, square footage for a driveway or patio, and the number and size of panes for windows. More surface means more time, more water, and more cleaning solution.
Height matters nearly as much as area. Each additional story adds ladder or extension work, slows the pace, and raises the safety demand. A tall two-story wall with a steep roof edge above it takes noticeably longer than a ranch wall of the same width. Gutters and second-floor windows have the same pattern.
Footprint complexity counts too. A simple rectangle goes faster than a house with bump-outs, dormers, porches, stone columns and a wraparound deck. Each corner and trim detail is a place where the crew has to stop, adjust and be careful. When you send photos, include all sides, as Rob will use them to judge height and complexity.
Access and site conditions: what the crew has to work around
Access is the hidden driver. A house with open lawn on every side is simple. One with tight side yards, a fence, dense shrubs against the wall, a steep slope, or a pool, a deck or a patio near the wall requires more setup and more protection of what is nearby.
Water and power access count. The crew needs a reliable outdoor spigot for most jobs, and low water pressure or a frozen spigot slows work or changes the plan. Driveway length and parking can matter for equipment.
Roof pitch and surface type matter for roof washing. Steeper roofs require more care and are slower, and some pitches and conditions call for extra safety measures. Rob will tell you honestly when a roof is a job for a different kind of contractor. The right preparation on your side, such as moving furniture and trimming shrubs, can save time. See How Do You Prepare Your Home for an Exterior Cleaning Visit? for the checklist.
Condition: how much has to come off
A lightly dirty house needs a light touch. A house with thick algae, moss on the shaded side, or years of unremoved buildup needs more product, more dwell time, and sometimes a second application. The same is true of a driveway with ground-in oil, rust and old leaf stains compared to one with ordinary dust.
Black roof streaks are a good example. Light streaking cleans up faster than a roof that is heavily covered, and a roof with moss may need a different approach. See What Are the Black Streaks on Your Roof, and Should You Remove Them? for the difference.
There is a limit, and an honest contractor will say so. Some stains, such as deep rust, etching, or old paint, do not come out fully. Condition can also shift the work from cleaning to repair: if shingles are worn, trim is rotted or concrete is spalling, the cost of cleaning does not address the actual problem. Good quotes distinguish between the two.
Material: why vinyl, brick, shingles and wood do not price the same
Different materials need different methods, and the method drives time. Vinyl and fiber-cement siding clean differently, and painted wood and older trim need a lighter approach. Asphalt shingles need a gentle, low-pressure method, since high-pressure washing can damage them. Brick and mortar joints, stone, stamped concrete and pavers each have their own limits. Decks vary by species and finish.
A delicate or older material generally means slower, more careful work. A hard surface such as plain concrete can be cleaned faster with the right equipment, and that is where pressure washing is the right tool. The difference between methods is covered in Soft Washing vs Pressure Washing: Which Does Your Surface Need?.
When you are comparing quotes, check that each one specifies the method for each surface. A quote that says pressure wash the whole house, shingles included, should raise a question.
Add-ons and bundles: how combining services changes the math
Single services have a floor because each visit includes setup, travel, water hookup and cleanup. Adding another service at the same visit shares those costs. That is the reason bundles exist. A house wash plus gutters plus windows plus a driveway is typically better value per task than four separate visits.
Rob's curb appeal packages are built on that idea, and are quote-based because each house needs a different mix. Typical add-ons that change a quote include gutter cleaning, window cleaning, a deck wash and stain, lawn and brush cleanup, and driveway and patio cleaning.
A common surprise is the add-on that affects a different surface, such as a deck wash that includes stain prep, which takes more steps than a simple rinse. The simple way to avoid surprises is to list everything you want done when you ask for the quote, and to ask what is and is not included. The starting point for pressure washing smaller hard-surface jobs is $75 and up, and most real jobs are quoted individually from there.
Travel and season: distance, weather windows and demand
Distance counts, though modestly. Rob is based in Woodstock and works across McHenry County and nearby areas, and a far-flung address takes more drive time than one a few miles away. Where it matters, it is built into the quote.
Season matters more than people expect. Cleaning is weather-dependent: it cannot be done safely below freezing, and rain and wind delay work. Spring and early fall are the busy periods across northern Illinois, as everyone wants the house washed after the winter or before it. Demand and the shrinking pool of good weather days affect scheduling, and that can affect availability and timing. The best-time guide, When Is the Best Time of Year to Clean Your Home's Exterior in Northern Illinois?, covers when each job works best.
If you are flexible, ask whether a different week would suit the schedule. A slightly later date may also give you the cleaner, drier surface that makes the job more effective.
How to get a quote you can trust and compare
Send photos of every side of the house, the roof, the driveway, and anything you want cleaned. Say what bothers you. Mention stories, any steep areas, whether the spigot works, and whether there are pets or plants near the walls. The more specific the photos, the closer the quote will be to the final price.
Ask what is included, which method is used on each surface, and how plants and nearby areas are protected. The last point is covered in Soft-Wash Cleaning Solutions: Plants, Pets and Storm Drains. Ask how the contractor deals with a problem they find, such as rot or a roof that is too far gone.
Be wary of per-square-foot quotes with no mention of method, and of quotes far below the others. For a broader checklist on hiring, read How Do You Choose a Good Exterior Cleaning Contractor?. To start, text Rob at (815) 451-0106 with a photo of the house.