Pressure Washing Questions, Answered

No. It is a free phone line and website. When you call, an automated assistant takes down what you need and puts you through to an independent, owner-run local pressure washing company. That company quotes, does the work and is paid by you. See how it works.

Call (832) 662-4107 from anywhere in greater Houston and you will be put through to a local pressure washing company. The service areas page lists the suburbs with their own pages, including Katy, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, Cypress and Pearland.

No. Calling and being connected are free. Houston Power Washing Pro may be paid a referral fee by the companies it connects callers with, but you never pay the line.

Usually by surface and size: square feet of concrete, the size and height of the house, the area of the roof, the length of fence. Heavy mildew, oil or rust and hard access add to it, and many companies have a minimum. The cost guide shows published ranges and what moves them.

In Houston's humidity, many homes need a gentle house wash about once a year, and shaded or tree-covered houses sooner. Siding makers such as James Hardie suggest washing every 6 to 12 months. Houses should be soft washed, not blasted. See how often to wash a house.

There is no fixed schedule. Watch for gray or green film in shady spots, black tire marks and a dark band along the lawn edge. Sunny driveways can go much longer than shaded ones. Driveway cleaning explains what to look for.

A driveway and walk is often a morning's work. A full house wash, or a house plus concrete and fence, can take most of a day. Stains that need pre-treatment add time. The company can estimate once it knows the size.

It depends on shade, moisture and what grows nearby. Sunny concrete and siding can stay clean for a year or more, while surfaces under trees or beside sprinklers can darken again within months in Houston's climate.

Plain water will not, though high pressure can shred leaves. The cleaning solution used in soft washing can burn plants at strength, so a careful company soaks plants with water before and after, covers delicate ones and rinses well. Ask how the company protects landscaping.

It removes the top growth in cracks and paver joints but not the roots, so weeds usually come back. Too much pressure can also wash out paver joint sand.

It can. Too much pressure tears the soft fibers of fences and decks, leaving a fuzzy surface that has to be sanded before it will take stain. Wood should be cleaned with low pressure or a soft wash and left to dry before staining. See fence cleaning and deck cleaning.

The safer answer is not to point a pressure washer at siding at all. James Hardie says not to use a high-pressure washer on its fiber cement siding, and the Vinyl Siding Institute warns that spraying upward forces water behind panels. Hire a company that soft washes siding. See house washing.

Asphalt shingle makers and their trade association say no: high pressure strips the protective granules. The black streaks are algae, which a low-pressure soft wash treats. See roof cleaning.

Cleaning for business properties: storefront sidewalks, entrances, dumpster pads, drive-thrus, parking areas and building exteriors. It often involves grease and stricter rules about wash water. See commercial pressure washing.

Pressure washing is not one of the trades licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. In the City of Houston, the Health Department issues a pressure washer permit for companies that wash grease and special waste areas. For any job, ask for proof of liability insurance and a written price.

Yes. Send the short request form with your name, number, city or ZIP and what needs cleaning, and an independent local company calls you back. The fastest way is still to call (832) 662-4107, which is answered any hour.