Pressure Washing
Sidewalks, entries, dumpster pads — scheduled, not reactive. Stormwater-aware, so the fine doesn't land on the property owner's desk.
What goes wrong when it's half-done.
Most low-bid pressure-washing crews don't realize the wash water can't enter a storm drain in most municipalities west of Chicago. They wash anyway. The fines land on the property owner, not the cleaner. A real pressure-wash program is reclaim-aware, soft-wash where the substrate requires it, and on a schedule rather than a complaint queue.
Four operational principles, written into the route plan.
Hot-water units for grease and gum
Surface cleaners for even results, no zebra striping
Reclaim setup where municipal stormwater rules require it
Scheduled overnight or pre-open
What's included
- Sidewalks and entry pads
- Drive-throughs and trash enclosures
- Building exterior soft-wash (siding, dryvit)
- Gum removal at entries
What's not included
We name the line items we won't quietly run past you.
- Roof cleaning
- Lead paint or asbestos surfaces
- Surfaces that require specialty coatings (separate)
Specific tools. Documented chemistry. Operator credibility through specificity.
Equipment
- Hot-water units up to 200°F for grease and gum (cold water doesn't move either)
- Surface cleaners with floating heads — even cleaning, no zebra striping
- Reclaim mats and vacuum recovery for any job in a stormwater-protected zone
- Soft-wash systems for dryvit, vinyl, and aged sealant where high-pressure would etch
Chemistry & approach
Soil source drives the method. Same square foot, different chemistry, different labor.
- Grease and gum on entry pads
- Hot-water surface cleaner first; residual gum removed with steam at 250°F.
- Algae or organic growth on building exterior
- Soft-wash with sodium hypochlorite at low pressure. No high-pressure on dryvit or aged caulking.
- Trash enclosure / dumpster pad
- Hot water + degreaser; reclaim required in most municipalities. Leachate cannot enter a storm drain.
When to add this to a recurring program
Cadence options we run for Pressure Wash: Quarterly, Semi-annual, Annual, Project. We'll sequence it inside your existing program so the building doesn't see a second crew.
The questions that don't show up on a procurement form.
Pressure Washing, on a documented program.
Send us your scope and we'll send a real number back. Or book a 15-minute walkthrough — we bring a notepad and a camera, not a sales deck.