Frequently Asked Questions

Angi's cost guide lists about $325 to $560 for a house wash in Portland, Maine, with an average around $420. Large or three-story homes, heavy algae and hard access cost more, while a small single-story house can come in lower. Our price comes in writing after a visit.

HomeGuide lists professional rates of about $50 to $160 per hour, with most homeowners paying $130 to $160. Most residential work is quoted by the job rather than by the hour, so you know the total before we start.

High-pressure washing of old paint is a concern: Maine's lead law lists uncontained high-pressure washing as an activity that can release lead. For homes built before 1978 we soft wash at low pressure and look at paint condition first. Flaking paint calls for a painter, not a wash, and that is what we will recommend.

Late spring through early fall. Surfaces need to stay above freezing while they dry, cleaning solutions work poorly in the cold, and brick can take a week or more to dry fully. We stop washing masonry well before the first frosts.

Portland's non-stormwater discharge ordinance prohibits illicit discharges to the storm drain system, and building or pavement wash water is not on the list of allowed discharges. Some drains empty straight into Casco Bay, so runoff is either absorbed on site or collected.

Detergent left standing on foliage can scorch it. Shrubs get a thorough soaking or a tarp first, the mix is applied carefully, and the beds are flushed with clean water at the end. Show us any vegetable garden or fragile plantings during the visit.

Often, yes. Many homes here look best washed every year or two, with shade, tree cover and distance from the shoreline setting the pace. North walls and siding under trees go green faster, and waterfront houses gather salt film. During the visit we will say honestly whether yours is due.

Angi lists a Portland, Maine range of about $325 to $560, averaging around $420. Two- and three-story homes, heavy mildew and hard access push the price up. We price it in writing after seeing the house.

Yes, with a milder solution and a gentle rinse. Cedar is soft and splinters under high pressure, so we never use a narrow tip on it. If the shingles are badly weathered, washing will brighten them but cannot replace lost wood.

No. Washing loosens peeling paint further, and on older houses that paint may contain lead. If the paint is failing we will tell you, because the house needs scraping and painting by a qualified painter rather than a wash.

Not always. We rely on a working outdoor spigot, windows closed, pets inside and cars moved away from the walls. We confirm those details beforehand and can walk the house with you afterward.

Angi estimates two to four hours for a professional to wash a 2,000-square-foot home. Heavy growth, three stories or lots of trim and porches take longer.

No. It is the method roofing groups favor because no pressure hits the granules. Pressure washing is what removes granules and shortens roof life.

Dark streaks are usually algae or mold growing on the shingles, worst on shaded, north-facing slopes that stay damp. They are mainly cosmetic but spread over time.

Light growth often rinses off the same day. Thick moss is treated and then dies back and loosens over the following weeks, and very heavy mats may need a second treatment.

HomeGuide puts most roof cleaning jobs between $250 and $600, and soft washing specifically between 15 and 60 cents per square foot. A steep pitch, a second or third story and heavy moss all raise it. You get a written number once we have seen the roof.

Yes, when the setting is too strong or the tip too close, which furs and gouges the wood. We use a cleaning solution, low pressure and a wide fan along the grain to avoid that.

Let the wood dry fully, usually at least a couple of dry, warm days, and longer after rain or in shade. Stain applied to damp wood does not soak in evenly.

Yes, with a mild cleaner, soft brushing and low pressure. Each brand publishes its own care instructions, so tell us the brand if you know it and we will follow its guidance.

Yes, provided the neighbor lets us onto their side. Please arrange permission before the job, or we will clean only your side.

Angi's typical driveway figure is $100 to $250, which works out to 20 to 40 cents a square foot. Bigger or badly stained drives cost more; a written figure follows a look at yours.

Recent drips usually lift. A stain that has been soaking in for years will often fade a great deal yet leave a faint outline, and we will say which kind yours is before starting.

On sound concrete with a surface cleaner, rarely. On concrete already scaling from salt and freeze-thaw, high pressure can loosen more of the surface, so we turn it down on worn areas.

Spring, after the last snow and once nights stay above freezing, is the usual time to clear winter sand and salt. Fall cleaning before sealing is also common.

Old brick should be washed at low pressure, not blasted. The NPS recommends starting at 100 psi or below and generally staying under 300 to 400 psi, because higher pressure can etch brick and erode mortar.

That is efflorescence, salt carried to the surface by water moving through the wall. It can be cleaned off, but it returns unless the water source, often a gutter, downspout or failed mortar, is fixed.

Only in warm months with no chance of frost for at least the week or so the wall needs to dry. Water trapped in brick that freezes can crack the face.

Gentle cleaning on sound mortar should not. Where joints are already open or crumbling, the wall should be repointed before it is cleaned, and we will point that out.

Yes. Most shopfront and sidewalk jobs happen at dawn, after closing or on days you are shut, so it does not interfere with customers.

Housecall Pro's pricing guide puts a storefront wash at roughly $200 to $600 and commercial flatwork at 8 to 40 cents a square foot. Grease, area, access and water recovery shift that. A written quote follows our site visit.

Greasy wash water should not go into a storm drain. We block nearby catch basins and recover or direct the water based on what your site allows, and we explain the plan before starting.

Yes. Monthly, seasonal or spring-cleanup schedules are common, and each visit is priced in writing up front.