How to set a minimum job price for pressure washing
A 300 sq ft patio looks like easy money. But before you spray anything, you load up, drive, set up, then pack up and drive back. That fixed time is the same for a tiny job and a big one. Without a minimum, small jobs quietly eat your profit.
Calculate your minimum
- Fixed hours per visit = setup/teardown + round-trip driving (for example 0.5 h + 0.67 h = 1.17 h).
- Fixed cost = fixed hours × your hourly crew cost + vehicle miles (for example 1.17 h × $43.50 + $14 = $64.75).
- Add the smallest realistic amount of work you'd do (say 45 minutes, $33) and chemicals.
- Divide by (1 − margin): ($64.75 + $33 + $3) ÷ 0.70 ≈ $144. Round up to a clean number such as $150–$175.
How to say it to clients
"Our minimum visit is $175. That covers travel and setup. If you add the walkway and the front steps, I can do all of it for $220 in the same trip."
Turning a "no" into a bigger job is the real benefit of a minimum. Most clients have more than one surface that needs cleaning.
Bundle, don't discount
When a client pushes back on price, change the scope (fewer surfaces, front only) rather than cutting the price. Discounts train clients to haggle; scope changes keep your margin.
Run your own numbers: the free BidRight calculator
uses your pay, overhead, chemicals and drive time. The full kit adds a price book, a printable quote and a job profit tracker.