How to compare San Diego pressure-washing companies.
A short checklist for telling real operators from contractors who picked up a consumer machine last week. Use it before you book anyone, us or otherwise.
Last updated: 2026-04-23
The six questions that separate pros from part-timers
- What's your CSLB license number?
California requires a C-61/D-38 limited-specialty license or a higher classification to take jobs over $500. Ask for the number, then look it up at cslb.ca.gov. "Licensed and bonded" on a website is not the same as a valid CSLB number.
- Do you soft-wash roofs, or pressure-wash them?
Pressure washing asphalt shingles voids manufacturer warranties and strips granules. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) mandates low-pressure soft wash for residential roof cleaning. If the answer is "we pressure-wash everything," find someone else.
- Hot water on concrete, or cold?
Hot-water surface cleaning lifts oil, grease, and set-in organic staining that cold water simply can't. It also eliminates wand marks and "zebra stripes." If a bid is unusually cheap, it's often cold-water only.
- Do you carry general liability and workers' comp?
Ask for a current Certificate of Insurance (COI) listing your property as an additional insured. If a worker is injured on your property and the contractor doesn't carry workers' comp, the liability shifts to you.
- How do you handle wash water?
Commercial pressure-washing wash water is regulated by EPA's NPDES program and San Diego's MS4 stormwater permit. Parking-lot cleaners are supposed to capture water, not send it down storm drains. Residential rules are looser; commercial jobs need a real answer.
- Is the price a flat rate or an hourly estimate?
"Starting at" prices and hourly estimates protect the contractor, not you. Ask for a flat-rate written quote after an on-site estimate. A pro can tell from a quick look what a driveway will cost.
What Rinse Pro SD answers
We built this page because homeowners ask these questions a lot. Here are our answers in writing:
| CSLB license | C-61/D-38 (number pending publication) |
|---|---|
| Roof cleaning method | Soft wash only, per ARMA guidelines. Ground-level application from a pole gun, never walking on shingles or tile. |
| Concrete method | Hot-water surface cleaner standard on every concrete job. Eliminates wand marks, lifts oil. |
| Insurance | General liability + workers' comp. COI on request before the first visit. |
| Wash water handling | Residential: standard municipal rules. Commercial: wash-water capture available on request (stormwater-compliant). |
| Pricing | Flat-rate written quote after free on-site estimate. No hourly billing, no "starting at" traps. |
| Service area | All 47 cities across San Diego County. |
| Phone | (858) 925-5546 |
Ready to skip the comparison shopping?
Free on-site estimate, soft-wash certified, flat-rate written quote. Most jobs scheduled the week after the estimate.