What should a kid charge for pressure washing?

Pressure washing produces the most dramatic before and after of anything on this list, and that visible transformation is what sets the price.

What they are really buying

Curb appeal, and relief. A driveway with a decade of gray on it makes a well kept house look neglected, and the owner knows it every time they pull in.

Because the change is so visible, this is one of the few jobs where the customer can see exactly what they paid for the moment it is finished.

What adults pay proves it

Pressure washing a standard two car driveway runs about $100 to $300 in 2026, with national averages near $175 to $200. Hourly rates commonly sit between $60 and $125. Nearly every company sets a minimum of $100 to $150 to cover travel and setup.

Where to start, and why

For a driveway or a patio with a borrowed or family owned washer, somewhere between $40 and $75 is a sensible opening price. A long driveway plus a walkway is more.

The gap is for being unproven, and here part of it is real rather than reputational. A pressure washer in inexperienced hands can strip paint, splinter a deck, and force water where it should not go, and the customer does not yet know that you know that.

The discount should not last

One driveway done cleanly, with even passes and no stripes left behind, answers the question. This work either looks professional or it obviously does not, so the proof is immediate and visible from the street.

Photograph every job. A folder of before and after shots is what replaces the insurance and reviews a company has.

Where you should not discount at all

The company minimum is the opportunity. A neighbor with one small patio cannot get a professional to come out for a job that size at a price that makes any sense, which leaves exactly the gap a kid fills.

Oil stains are the other one. Professionals charge twenty five to fifty percent more for heavy oil, rust, or embedded grime, because those need a degreaser and dwell time rather than just water. Look before quoting and say so.

Know what you should not spray

Concrete handles a lot. Wood decks, painted surfaces, vinyl siding, window seals, and soft mortar do not. Stick to concrete and stone at the start.

Saying no to the deck is the right call, and it makes the customer trust the yes.

The add-on, not the business

Driveways look dirty again within a year or two, so this is naturally an annual service rather than a weekly one. That makes it a weak standalone business and an excellent second offer to a household already paying you for lawns or windows.