Georgia Cost GuideWhat is the difference between the two?
Pressure washing cleans by force. A machine pushes water out of a narrow tip or a spinning surface cleaner hard enough to strip off dirt, algae and grime, which works well on surfaces tough enough to take it.
Soft washing cleans by chemistry. The crew sprays a cleaning solution at about the pressure of a garden hose, lets it break down mildew, algae and dirt, and then rinses it away. Many companies own both kinds of equipment and switch between them on the same visit.
Which surfaces get which?
- Vinyl, painted wood and stucco siding: usually soft washed. High pressure can push water behind siding, lift paint or mark a soft surface.
- Shingle roofs: soft washed. A strong stream can loosen the granules that protect the shingles.
- Brick: often soft washed or cleaned at moderate pressure, since old mortar can be worn by a hard stream.
- Concrete driveways, walks and patios: pressure washed, usually with a surface cleaner that spins over the slab.
- Wood and composite decks, and pavers: lower pressure with care, and sometimes a cleaner made for that material.
Hard rules are rare here, and a company may treat one house differently from the next. What matters is that the crew can tell you which method it will use on each surface and why.
What does each service cost in Georgia?
These are estimates from what Georgia companies publish, not quotes, and we do not name any company.
- House washing (soft wash of the siding): estimated at $270 to $480+. See what house washing costs.
- Roof cleaning (soft wash of the roof): estimated at $450 to $650+. See what roof cleaning costs.
- Pressure washing (hard surfaces): a typical job is estimated at $230 to $330+, and a driveway alone at $150 to $250+. See what pressure washing costs.
A soft wash is not the cheaper method because it uses less pressure. The solution costs money, and the crew has to protect plants and give it time to work, so a house wash is often priced above a driveway.
What can go wrong with the wrong method?
Using high pressure on siding is the mistake people hear about most: water driven behind the panels, wood that ends up fuzzy or grooved, paint stripped in patches and window seals that start to fog.
Soft washing has its own care points. The cleaning solution can harm plants and grass if they are not wetted and rinsed, and it needs to be rinsed from windows, metal and anything painted. A careful crew talks about both before starting.
Can you do it yourself?
Renting a pressure washer for a driveway is a common weekend job. Siding and roofs are harder: the mix of solution has to suit the surface, the upper walls and roof mean ladders, and the risks above are easier to cause than to fix. Many homeowners clean the concrete themselves and hire out the house and the roof.
What should you ask a company?
- Which method will you use on the siding, the roof and the concrete?
- What solution do you use, and how do you protect plants, windows and outdoor furniture?
- Will you turn the pressure down for wood, pavers or older brick?
- Does the price change if I book the house, the roof and the driveway together?
- Do you carry liability insurance in case something is damaged?
Ask for each surface and its method in writing, so the quotes you compare describe the same work.
Prices mentioned here come from our Georgia pressure washing and painting cost ranges, built from the prices and cost guides Georgia companies publish on their public websites, collected November 2026.