Siding Soft Wash Estimating

When compiling an estimate or quote for a customer who is looking for siding cleaning, three factors will play a major role in your calculations; linear footage, number of stories, and the siding material.

We've also created a Siding Cleaning Calculator for you to reference and use at your convenience. 

Linear Footage

There are a few ways to determine a properties linear footage. First it to go onsite and use a measuring wheel to walk the perimeter of the property. The second method is to use your judgement or "eyeball" it as you gain experience. The last method, is to use online tools like Google Earth to measure the perimeter of the property with their free measuring tool.

Number of Stories 

Now that you know the perimeter of the property, now you will have to determine the average number of stories that need to be cleaned. Use the chart below to determine the number multiplier needed to adjust for time and chemical solution.

Stories	Multiplier
1 Story	1 x
2 Story	1.25 x
3 Story	1.5 x

 

Siding Material

Properties can have a number of different siding materials. It's important to identify which siding material you are being asked to clean so that you can use the proper cleaning techniques and budget for the appropriate amount of chemical usage. Use the chart below to help identify the siding material and the material multiplier.

Vinyl Siding Overlapping plastic panels imitating wood 1 x Multiplier	LAP Siding Overlapping wooden or composite wood panels  1.2 x Multiplier
Metal Siding Aluminum or Steel Siding 1.3 x Multiplier	Stone & Veneer Real or Faux Stone Siding 1.3 x Multiplier
Stucco Siding Textured Hard Siding 1.3 x Multiplier	Brick Siding Block layers held together by mortar. 1.3 x Multiplier
Painted Wood Shake Siding Wooden Shingles finished with non-transparent sealer or paint. 1.2 x Multiplier

Base Rate

Now that you have all the multipliers, you will have to times all of these numbers by the base rate. We suggest a base rate between $1.50 and $2.00. You will need to do a cost and market analysis to determine what your area can tolerate and what your business can charge to be profitable. Take your base rate and multiply it by the linear square footage, times that by the number of stories multiplier, times by the the siding material multiplier. This will give you the cost.

Make sure any additional cost for equipment rental and water supply are considered.

Let's Do An Example Together

1. Visit Google Earth.
2. In the search bar, type the following address, "3132 Boulevard Rd SE, Olympia, WA 98501"
3. Make sure you are in 2D  or Overhead view. Click on the measuring tool and outline the main building's roof. You should get an area around 500 linear ft.
   
   
4. Now enter 3D view by clicking the "3D" button in the bottom right of your screen. By looking at the siding of the building, you can determine that the majority of the building is 1 story with two sections that ascend to 2 stories. I feel that you can do a 1 x multiplier for the number of stories.
5. Doing a little investigation, we can determine that the majority of the building is brick. This will add a 1.3 multiplier for siding materials as brick is more porous and requires a higher soft wash dilution strength.
6. A company with base rate of $1.75 will do the following calculation:
   $1.75 Base Rate x 500 Linear Square Feet x 1 Story Multiplier x 1.3 Brick Siding Material Multiplier. This will give an estimated $1,137.50 total price to soft wash this siding.

We've created a Siding Cleaning Calculator for you to reference and use at your convenience.