Beaches, Maine's largest salt marsh and growing neighborhoods

Pressure Washing in Scarborough, ME

Seasonal cottage openings, salt-air house washes and runoff planned around the marsh and shore.

Free on-site estimates
Itemized quote on paper, approved before we start
Low-pressure methods for siding, roofs and old brick

From Higgins Beach to Oak Hill

Pressure washing in Scarborough follows the calendar more than in most nearby towns. The town has beach neighborhoods like Higgins Beach, Pine Point and Prouts Neck, where many cottages sit closed through the winter and need a cleanup before summer. It also has inland neighborhoods around Oak Hill and North Scarborough with year-round homes and newer subdivisions. Both deal with the same thing: damp, salty air and a short warm season.

Opening a cottage for the season

Higgins Beach alone has about 300 cottages, about 7 miles south of Portland, and many have been in the same families for decades. A home shut up from fall to spring often comes back with mildew on the siding, green film on the deck, salt haze on windows and sand ground into walkways. A spring visit can handle it all:

A soft wash of the siding and trim to remove mildew and salt film
Deck, railing and outdoor shower cleaning
Walkway, patio and driveway cleaning
A roof soft wash if dark streaks have spread

If you are not in town, we can work from a written scope and send photos when the job is done.

The marsh next door

Scarborough Marsh covers about 3,200 acres and is the largest salt marsh in Maine. It is owned by the state and managed by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as a wildlife management area. Several rivers, including the Nonesuch, Libby and Dunstan, feed it before the Scarborough River carries water into Saco Bay. Pine Point and Ferry Beach border the marsh. For homes near it, we take extra care with wash water: drains near the work area get covered, rinse water goes onto lawn where it can soak in, and we use the mildest cleaner that works.

A growing town of long-term owners

Scarborough was incorporated on July 14, 1658. It grew from 18,919 people in 2010 to 22,135 in 2020, and the Census estimates about 24,547 by 2025. Even with that growth, 92.5% of residents lived in the same home a year earlier, and about 77.4% of homes are owner-occupied. Newer homes have vinyl siding, composite decks and broad concrete driveways that stay clean longest with periodic gentle washing.

Art history on the shore

Winslow Homer lived and painted at his studio on Prouts Neck from 1884 until his death there in 1910. The building began as a carriage house that John Calvin Stevens altered and expanded for him. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and has been owned by the Portland Museum of Art since 2006. The shingle-style homes of that era along this coast are a good example of why we never use high pressure on wood shingles.

What we clean in Scarborough

House washing: vinyl, cedar shingle, clapboard and painted trim, at low pressure
Roof soft washing: for algae streaks on asphalt shingles
Deck and fence cleaning: including outdoor showers and boardwalk-style paths
Driveway and concrete cleaning: sand, salt residue, tire marks and rust
Brick and masonry: chimneys, steps and stone walls
Commercial pressure washing: storefronts, offices, restaurants and summer rentals between seasons

Scheduling around summer

The best window for cottage cleanups is late spring, before renters and family arrive. Fall works well for a second wash after the summer crowds leave, before the weather turns. Call (207) 393-2121 for a free written estimate. We will list each surface, the method and the timing, and we can line up the work around rental bookings.

Call (207) 393-2121

Scarborough Notes

Maine's largest salt marsh. Scarborough Marsh covers about 3,200 acres and is the largest salt marsh in Maine. It is state-owned and managed by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as a wildlife management area.
Beach cottage community. Higgins Beach, about 7 miles south of Portland, has roughly 300 cottages and two summer inns. Many residents are families who have owned property there for decades.
Steady growth, long stays. Scarborough grew from 18,919 residents in 2010 to 22,135 in 2020. About 77.4% of homes are owner-occupied and 92.5% of residents lived in the same house a year earlier (Census ACS, 2020 to 2024).
Winslow Homer's studio. Winslow Homer worked at his Prouts Neck studio, a carriage house expanded by John Calvin Stevens in 1884, until his death in 1910. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1965.
One of Maine's oldest towns. Scarborough was incorporated on July 14, 1658, by the Massachusetts General Court, after settlement began at Black Point in 1635. It covers about 70.6 square miles, including 23 square miles of water.

Our Services in Scarborough, ME

Scarborough Questions

Can you clean my beach cottage before I arrive for the summer?

Yes. Many cottage owners book a spring cleaning of siding, decks, walks and windows before the season starts. If you are out of state, we work from a written scope and can send photos of the finished work.

My house is near Scarborough Marsh. How do you handle runoff?

We plan it before we begin. Storm drains near the job get covered, rinse water is steered onto lawn or planted areas, and we use as little cleaning solution as possible so it does not wash toward the marsh.

Do you clean summer rental properties between seasons?

Yes. We can schedule a spring wash before the first renters arrive and a fall wash after the last ones leave, and coordinate with your rental calendar so cleaning does not overlap with guests.

How do you clean cedar shingle siding?

With a soft wash. Cedar is soft and splinters under high pressure. We apply a cleaner at low pressure to lift mildew and salt film, let it work, then rinse gently.

Free Estimates in Scarborough, ME

Free estimates for Scarborough homes, cottages and businesses.

Call (207) 393-2121 Free Estimate