Renting a pressure can be an affordable way to maintain your home. When deciding if renting a pressure washer is the best idea for you, consider the following:
The cost of renting a pressure washer
The cost of hiring a professional
The value of your time
The height of your home
Your physical ability
Your pressure washing knowledge
The cost of renting a pressure washer
The cost of renting a pressure washer varies by location and season, but the average cost to rent a pressure washer in the Midwest is about $75 to $100 per day. This rented pressure washer will include just the basic accessories so if you plan on washing your deck or concrete that will set you back an additional $35 per day on average. If your home is particularly tall and you need an extension wand, that will also cost an average of $15 per day.
In total, an average house wash equipment rental will cost you about $150.
In addition, renting equipment can be challenging due to different accessories being out of stock at different times than others. If you don’t own the equipment, you cannot be sure it will be there when you need it or at the same time as the other needed equipment.
The cost of hiring a professional
The cost of hiring a professional to wash your house will vary based on a variety of factors. In general, the size, dirtiness of the surface, and services being performed will impact the price. An average house pressure washing service should cost about $500 to $1000 for a professional service.
Generally, the length of time that a service takes will be an indicator of price, with many professionals charging roughly $100-150 per hour to cover their labor costs, materials, equipment, supplies, overhead, marketing, etc. To get an idea of how long your house will take to wash, read our article on it here.
“Renting a pressure washer can be convenient, but in many situations, it may make more sense to hire a professional to ensure no damage is done” - Nicholas Flemion, Central Virginia Power Wash
The value of your time
While paying $500 to $1000 for a pressure washing service on your home may sound like a serious investment, it may be more cost-effective than doing it yourself. When considering if you should wash your home on your own, keep in mind it will take a day of your time and keep you away from your family and other responsibilities. Hiring a professional ensures you get a project done right and get to maintain your valuable time. At EcoWash we thoroughly believe that homeowners should hire a professional for this service. As the saying goes, you’ll run out of time before you run out of money.
The height of your home
If you have a particularly tall home, you’ll either need to rent an extension wand to wash from the ground or get on a ladder. If safety is a consideration for you whatsoever, you'll completely avoid pressure washing on a ladder. This is incredibly dangerous due to the pressurized water pushing you backward while you stand atop a ladder in the air. Falls are very common due to the backward forces affecting balance, water everywhere leading to slipping, and the awkward angles that being on an extension ladder while pressure washing leads to. However, even though pressure washing on a ladder is dangerous, an extension wand can also be a bad option for many homeowners due to its size, bulk, and weight distribution. Unless you are particularly strong, EcoWash does not advise the use of an extension wand for pressure washing.
If you have a second story, please hire a professional for your pressure washing service.
Your physical ability
As mentioned above, pressure washing can be a physically demanding project requiring considerable should, back, and arm strength. For many younger homeowners, this shouldn’t be a problem if you are just pressure washing for a day.
If you are unsure of your physical ability, renting a pressure washer can be an unfortunate way to find out you just aren’t as strong as you think you are. If you have a physical disability, an injury, or are elderly, please consider hiring a professional instead of doing a pressure washing project yourself.
Your pressure washing knowledge
Pressure washing is not as simple as just spraying water at your house and hoping for the best. Before you wash your home, please reference our articles on house washing, concrete washing, oxidation, and deck washing.
Making mistakes with a rented pressure washer can lead to a fairly ironic yet common result; you end up hiring a professional anyway. This time, they’ll be there to fix your mistakes. Unfortunately, this is a common and avoidable mistake that results in EcoWash technicians being called out to fix issues caused by improper washing.
When considering if renting a pressure washer is for you, please consider all of the variables laid out above. If you are the right kind of person, a pressure washer rental can be a fantastic idea to maintain your home on a budget. However, if you are a busy person, a person with a two-story home, a person who cannot do physically demanding work, or someone with a lack of knowledge and expertise in pressure washing, please hire a professional like those at EcoWash to pressure wash your home. To request an estimate from EcoWash, request an estimate here.
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