TL;DR

  • Most San Diego single-story homes: $250 to $450 for a full exterior soft wash.
  • Two-story homes: $400 to $650. Three-story and custom: $650 to $1,200.
  • Stucco costs less than painted wood or vinyl because it rinses faster.
  • “Pressure washing” a house is the wrong method — soft wash is the right call, and reputable pros quote it that way.
  • Avoid quotes under $200. That’s either cold pressure (which damages stucco) or a rushed rinse with no chemistry.

“How much is it to power wash a house?” is the single most common call we get in spring. The honest answer in San Diego County is $250 to $650 for a standard single- or two-story home, but the real answer depends on four variables most quote forms don’t ask about. Here’s the breakdown.

First — and this matters — almost nobody should “power wash” a house. Power washing means hot-water high pressure, and that’s a dumpster-pad tool, not a siding tool. What you want is a soft wash, which uses mild cleaning chemistry and low pressure (around 60 PSI). It kills algae and mildew at the root instead of blasting it off to regrow in six weeks. Any quote you get from a reputable San Diego pressure washing company should be written as a soft wash for the siding.

With that said, here’s what actually drives the price.

The four variables that set the price

1. Stories

A single-story ranch is faster, safer, and requires no ladders beyond a standard 8-foot. A two-story requires a 24-foot ladder, a dedicated ground crew, and roughly 40 percent more detergent to reach the fascia and second-story windows. Three-story and hillside-elevated homes (plenty of those in La Jolla and Del Mar) need telescoping wands that run 20 to 28 feet and careful rigging.

Typical price ranges in San Diego County:

  • 1 story, 1,200 to 1,800 sq ft: $250 to $400
  • 1 story, 1,800 to 2,800 sq ft: $350 to $500
  • 2 stories, 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft: $400 to $600
  • 2 stories, 3,000 to 4,500 sq ft: $500 to $750
  • 3 stories or custom: $650 to $1,200+

2. Siding material

Stucco (about 85% of San Diego homes) rinses evenly with a sodium-hypochlorite soft-wash mix and takes one pass. Vinyl and aluminum siding need careful detergent strength so the cling doesn’t streak downward. Painted wood — cedar lap or T1-11 — needs the gentlest mix plus a longer rinse to avoid stripping oxidized paint. Real brick is fast. Hardie board is similar to stucco.

In rough pricing terms:

  • Stucco: baseline
  • Vinyl: baseline +5 to 10%
  • Painted wood: baseline +15 to 20% (more careful, more rinse time)
  • Brick: baseline -5%
  • Mixed exteriors (stucco main + wood accent): baseline +10%

3. Algae load

A home that sits on a breezy inland hill in Escondido collects dust. A coastal home in Encinitas, Carlsbad, or La Jolla collects gloeocapsa magma — the black-streaking algae that loves marine-layer moisture. North- and west-facing walls get it worst. A house with heavy black streaking needs a longer dwell time, sometimes a second application on the worst sections. That’s an extra 30 to 60 minutes on site.

Signs you have heavy algae and will price out on the higher end:

  • Distinct black streaks running vertically from the roof eaves down the stucco
  • Green tinge on north-facing walls
  • Dark patches around downspouts and hose bibs
  • Black spots in the stucco texture itself (not just surface dirt)

4. Access and obstacles

Tight side yards, gated pool enclosures, rooftop HVAC units that need covering, delicate landscaping that needs pre-wetting — all of these add time. A front-and-back rectangular lot with no gates is the fast case. A hillside home in Carmel Valley with a koi pond on the south side is the slow case.

What’s included in a proper soft wash

When you call around, some quotes will look much cheaper than others. Usually that’s because the cheap quote doesn’t include what a real wash requires. A proper San Diego house wash includes:

  • Pre-rinsing all landscaping within 10 feet of the walls (soft-wash chemistry will burn plant leaves if not diluted on contact)
  • Applying a surfactant-and-sodium-hypochlorite mix at the right strength for the siding type
  • Dwell time of 5 to 10 minutes per section
  • Thorough low-pressure rinse from top to bottom
  • Wiping down window frames and sills by hand
  • Gutters (exterior face only — gutter scooping is a separate service)
  • Covering any HVAC condenser units or outdoor electrical
  • Cleanup of any runoff on concrete

Not included, usually quoted separately:

  • Roof cleaning (roof soft wash is typically $400 to $900 on its own)
  • Driveway cleaning ($150 to $400)
  • Inside-of-gutter clearing
  • Window glass cleaning (different scope; exterior frame wipe is standard, squeegee work isn’t)

Why the cheapest quote usually costs more

We get a lot of follow-up calls that start with “somebody already washed the house last month and…” Here’s what to watch for when comparing quotes.

Quotes under $200 for a whole house. That’s either a 20-minute cold rinse with no detergent (cleans nothing, comes back in three weeks) or a high-pressure blast that damages stucco and paint. We’ve repaired both.

“Pressure washing” a house advertised with PSI numbers. Running 3,500 PSI at stucco drives water behind the membrane, damages paint, and grows the algae back worse within two months. This is the single most common reason a second wash is needed. The industry standard (ARMA, manufacturer guidance, insurance claim history) is soft wash, not pressure wash, for siding.

No proof of license or insurance. California license C-61/D-38 is the specialty for pressure washing and sandblasting as a cleaning service. Any company sending a ladder and a bleach-based chemistry onto your walls should have general liability and workers’ comp. If they can’t produce a certificate, skip them.

Unmarked trucks and cash-only pricing. No registration, no insurance, no recourse when the wind drifts cleaning chemistry onto your neighbor’s landscaping.

Region-by-region pricing in San Diego County

Labor rates don’t vary wildly across the county, but travel time does, and algae load varies by microclimate:

  • Coastal (Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff, La Jolla, Del Mar, Imperial Beach): Higher algae load, often upper end of range. Salt air also adds a slight oxidation film to painted surfaces.
  • North County inland (San Marcos, Escondido, Vista, Poway): Dust and pollen, less algae. Mid-range pricing.
  • Central (San Diego metro, Clairemont, Linda Vista, Kearny Mesa): Mixed — depends on proximity to Mission Bay. Mid-range.
  • South Bay (Chula Vista, National City, Bonita, Imperial Beach): Salt air plus coastal algae; upper mid-range.
  • East County (El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, Lakeside): Santa Ana dust is the main problem. Lower algae load. Lower end of range.

How to get an accurate quote

Text or email us two to four photos:

  • Front of the house (full elevation visible)
  • Worst-affected wall (usually north or west)
  • Any mixed-material sections
  • The side yard access

Include the approximate square footage (your property tax card or Zillow listing usually has it). That’s typically enough to give you a firm quote without a site visit in 90% of cases.

For homes over 3,500 square feet, custom elevations, or anything with rooftop decks, we’ll schedule a free in-person estimate. No pressure, no obligation — we only sell jobs we’re confident we can do right.

How long a house wash actually lasts

A common question after the quote comes in: “OK, but how long does this stay clean?”

In coastal San Diego, a properly soft-washed home typically stays visibly clean for 18 to 24 months before north-facing walls start showing light re-streaking. Inland homes (Escondido, Poway, Alpine) hold their clean appearance for 2.5 to 3 years. East County homes (Santee, Alpine, Lakeside) often stretch to 3+ years because dust, not algae, is the main driver out there.

What affects the interval most:

  • Tree cover and north-facing exposure. Shaded north walls re-soil fastest.
  • Irrigation overspray. Sprinklers hitting the stucco keep it wet and feed algae growth.
  • Proximity to the beach. Homes within a mile of the coast consistently re-streak faster than homes 3+ miles inland.

Most of our coastal clients book on a 24-month recurring cycle. It keeps algae from ever embedding deeply and the per-visit cost stays predictable. Discuss this when you’re getting quotes — most pros offer a small discount for scheduled recurring work.

Combined quotes: where the savings show up

If you’re thinking about cleaning more than just the siding, bundled quotes usually beat per-job pricing. Typical combinations and rough savings:

  • House + driveway: 10 to 15% off vs separate
  • House + driveway + roof: 15 to 20% off vs separate
  • Full exterior package (house + roof + driveway + walkways + fence): 20 to 25% off

The reason is simple — we’re already on-site with the rig set up. Adding the driveway wash after the house wash takes 45 extra minutes instead of a full re-mobilization. Passing most of that savings on keeps the relationship long-term.

Ready to get a written quote? Call (858) 808-6055 or request one online. Most homes washed inside a week of booking. Licensed C-61/D-38, fully insured, serving all of San Diego County.