Pressure Washing: Doing It Yourself vs Hiring Someone

Renting a pressure washer looks like the cheap option. Sometimes it is. Often it is not, and the difference is not really about money.

Here is an honest look at both, so you can pick the one that fits your house and your weekend.

What renting actually costs

The machine is only part of it. Add the cleaning solution, a surface cleaner attachment if you want the driveway to look even, fuel, and the trip to pick it up and drop it back.

Then add your Saturday. Most people are slower than they expect the first time, because getting an even finish takes practice.

Where DIY goes wrong

A pressure washer is a real tool, and it does real damage when it is pointed at the wrong thing.

Stucco. Too much pressure pits the surface. You cannot undo it.
Roofs. Pressure strips the granules off shingles and shortens the life of the roof. Tile can crack.
Wood. Soft woods gouge easily, and the marks show up as stripes once it dries.
Siding. Spraying upward pushes water behind the panels, where it sits.
Windows and screens. Seals and screens give way faster than people expect.

Concrete is the forgiving one. If you are going to try this yourself, a driveway is the sensible place to start.

Where DIY makes sense

A small patio, a walkway, a fence panel, a bit of concrete by the pool. Ground level, nothing fragile, nothing high up.

If you own the machine already and enjoy the work, that is a reasonable Saturday.

Where hiring makes sense

Anything on a ladder. Anything on the roof. Stucco. A two-storey wall. A house that has not been washed in a few years and has algae growing in the shade.

Central Florida is hard on exteriors. Heat, rain and shade grow algae fast, and the north side of a house usually goes first. Getting that off without hurting the surface is a technique question, not a horsepower question.

The part people forget

If you damage your own house, you pay for it. If a company damages your house, their insurance does, assuming they carry it.

That is the real difference between the two options, and it is worth more than the rental fee.

A simple way to decide

Ground level, concrete only, and you have the time? Do it yourself.
Ladder, roof, stucco, or you would rather have your weekend? Hire it out.

Talk to us

West Orlando Mobile Detail and Pressure Wash is family owned, licensed and insured. We bring our own water, power and equipment, so your home supplies nothing but the driveway. We serve Winter Garden, Windermere, Dr. Phillips, Horizon West, Ocoee, Clermont, Kissimmee and Davenport.

Call or text (407) 926-0028, or see the prices on our pressure washing page. Every quote is the number you pay, and you get before and after photos texted to you either way.

Professional vs DIY: Benefits & Cost Comparison