The short answer
In Southeast Michigan, a professional house wash starts around $349 for an average two-story home, with most jobs landing between $300 and $700. The number moves with wall square footage, stories, how established the growth is, and access. Quotes far below $250 usually signal a garden-hose rinse or a pressure-blast that damages siding.
The Straight Numbers
Most companies make you call to hear a price. Here is ours in writing: a full soft-wash house wash in Macomb County starts around $349 for an average two-story home, and the large majority of houses land between $300 and $700. A small ranch trends toward the bottom of that range; a large colonial with heavy growth and tricky access trends toward the top.
Those figures buy the correct method — a soft wash that kills algae and mildew at the root — not a pressure-blast that brightens the siding for a season while forcing water behind it.
What Actually Moves the Price
| Factor | Why it matters | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Wall square footage | More surface, more solution, more time | The largest single driver |
| Stories | Second and third floors need reach equipment and slower work | Two-story adds meaningfully over a ranch |
| Growth severity | Established lichen and deep algae need longer dwell, sometimes second passes | Two identical floor plans can differ $100+ |
| Siding material | Vinyl is fastest; stucco, cedar and painted surfaces take more care | Moderate |
| Access | Steep grades, tight side yards, dense landscaping slow the crew | Moderate |
| Add-ons | Gutter brightening, concrete, roof treatment bundled into one visit | Cheaper together than separately |
Why the $150 Quote Is the Expensive One
Every market has a too-cheap tier, and it exists because "washing a house" is easy to fake. A quote far under $250 for a whole home is paying for one of two things: a quick garden-hose rinse with no chemistry — the growth is alive and visible again within weeks — or a high-pressure blast that looks clean for a season while cracking panels and driving water into the wall, damage covered in our vinyl siding guide. Either way you buy the job twice, once now and once when it is done correctly.
What a legitimate quote includes: the method named (soft wash for siding), landscaping protection described, insurance stated — we carry $2M liability and workers' comp — and a fixed written number. "We'll see when we get there" is not a quote; it is an opening bid.
Comparing DIY at Real Cost
A weekend rental runs $80–$120 plus solution, plus a full day of your time, minus the reach to do a second story safely, minus the soft-wash equipment that applies chemistry at height. The honest arithmetic is in our DIY vs. professional breakdown — for ground-level concrete it can pencil out, and for a two-story house wash it almost never does.
How to Pay Less Without Buying Junk
- Bundle. House plus driveway plus gutters in one visit shares the trip cost, and the discount is automatic in our quotes.
- Book shoulder season. Spring and fall calendars are tighter than mid-summer; flexibility helps.
- Stay on a cycle. A maintained house every two to three years cleans faster than a decade of buildup — and prices like it.
- Use the calculator. Our pricing page gives a real range in twenty seconds, no phone number required.
The Bottom Line
Around $349 to start, $300–$700 for most homes, in writing before we begin — for a wash that actually kills what is growing on the house. The cheapest quotes in this trade cost the most; the correct one costs less than the siding repair it prevents.
Want This Handled Properly?
Macomb Power Washing Solutions holds a 4.9-star rating across 160+ verified reviews, and free estimates go out within 24 hours. We carry $2M general liability and full workers' comp on every technician.