Residential Pressure Washing in Los Angeles

A house isn't one surface, it's six or seven different ones stacked together, and each reacts differently to water pressure. Stucco, painted siding and wood trim get soft washing — a low-pressure rinse carrying a cleaning solution that lifts algae, mildew and grime without driving water behind the finish or chipping paint. Concrete driveways, walkways and garage floors are the opposite case: they can take real pressure, and a surface cleaner attachment works the pressure washing across the slab in even passes so you don't end up with the striping that a single wand tip leaves behind. Tile and shingle roofs sit in between. We soft wash roofs almost always, because the granules on a shingle or the glaze on a tile can't take direct pressure without wearing down. Where oil, rubber tire marks or years of baked-on grime are involved, hot-water power washing cuts through faster than cold water alone, which matters on driveways and garage aprons more than it does on a wood fence.

Most calls start with one visible problem and end up covering two or three. Algae streaking down a north-facing stucco wall, black mildew creeping along a shaded fence line, moss taking hold on a roof valley that never sees direct sun, oil stains spreading out from where a car sits on the driveway, and the gray film that builds on a patio under patio furniture that rarely gets moved. Hardscape — pavers, flagstone, stamped concrete — collects a different mix: dirt tracked in from the yard, organic staining from leaves and irrigation overspray, and sometimes efflorescence, the white mineral haze that rises up through porous material. Fences and garden walls weather unevenly depending on sun exposure, so one side can look twice as dirty as the other. None of this is unusual for a Los Angeles property; it's just the normal result of sun, irrigation, shade patterns and time.

Pricing on a residential job depends on a handful of practical factors rather than a flat rate per house. Square footage of each surface matters, but so does the condition — a driveway with light dust cleans faster than one with years of oil buildup, and a stucco wall with heavy mildew takes more solution and dwell time than one that just needs a seasonal rinse. Access plays a role too: a side yard with a locked gate, a shared driveway, or a roof pitch that limits how close equipment can get all affect how a job is scoped. Some homeowners want one surface handled, others bundle the house, roof, driveway and patio into a single visit, and either approach is fine. You can set this up as scheduled or one-time service — a single visit before a sale or an event, or a recurring cadence a few times a year to keep algae and mildew from building back up between visits.

A little prep speeds things along. Move patio furniture, planters, grills and toys off the areas being cleaned, or push them to one side if they're too heavy to relocate. Close windows and doors near the work area, and bring in anything stored loose near a wall that's getting soft washed. If sprinklers run on a timer, it helps to know the schedule so it isn't triggered mid-job. Pets are easiest to keep indoors or in a separate part of the yard while equipment and hoses are in use. None of this needs to be done days in advance — a quick walk-through the morning of is usually enough.

If you're not sure where to start, think about what you actually see from the street or the backyard first. A chalky or streaked exterior wall points to house washing. Dark stains or moss on the roofline point to roof cleaning. A driveway or walkway with tire marks, oil or general buildup is a concrete or driveway cleaning job. Patios, pool decks and pavers each have their own page because the materials and sealants involved differ from poured concrete. Fences and gates are usually their own smaller job, often paired with a wall or patio visit. Reading the relevant service page will tell you exactly how that surface is treated, but the short version is: soft surfaces get soft washed, hard surfaces get pressure or power washing, and anything with embedded oil or grease usually calls for hot water.