Pressure Washing Pricing Calculator
Price a driveway, house wash, deck or patio from what the job really costs you: crew time, chemicals, fuel and overhead, plus the profit margin you want. The calculator turns that into a job price and a price per square foot you can check against your usual rate.
| Labour cost | $150 |
| Overhead | $32 |
| Total job cost | $247 |
| Price to quote | $353 |
| Profit | $106 |
| Markup on cost | 42.9% |
| Price per square foot | $0.235 |
| Revenue per labour hour | $59 |
Before sales tax, GST or HST. Works in any currency: the $ is just a label. Example numbers only: replace them with your own costs.
What to count in a pressure washing price
- Time on site plus drive time, for every person on the crew
- Chemicals by the gallon used, not the jug price
- Fuel for the truck and the machine, and wear on hoses, surface cleaners and pumps
- Insurance, phone, software and marketing spread across your jobs as overhead
- Your own time, at a wage, before profit
Worked example
With a crew of 2 for 3 hours at $25 an hour, $35 in chemicals and supplies, $30 in fuel, water and equipment wear, 15% overhead and a 30% margin, the job costs $247 and the price comes to $353. That is $0.235 per square foot for 1,500 square feet, $106 profit, and a 42.9% markup on cost.
Margin is not markup
Margin is profit as a share of the price; markup is profit as a share of your cost. A 30% margin needs a 42.9% markup, because the profit is measured against a smaller number. Mixing the two up can leave a busy season with less money than you planned. This calculator asks for the margin you want and shows the matching markup.
The Pressure Washing Pricing & Job Costing workbook (C$19.00, Excel, also opens in Google Sheets) keeps your rates in one price book, builds a printable client quote, and tracks what each job really cost and made, so your next price is based on your own numbers.
Questions
SHOULD I CHARGE PER SQUARE FOOT OR PER JOB?
Both work if the cost behind them is right. Per square foot is easy to quote; this calculator shows the per square foot price that your actual costs and margin produce, so a small job can carry a minimum charge.
WHAT MARGIN SHOULD I USE?
That is your call. Enter the margin you want to keep after every cost, and the calculator shows the markup that matches it so you are not mixing up the two.
This calculator is a planning tool, not financial or tax advice. Check the results against your own records before you rely on them.