Check references, find out how long the company has been in business, ask how they’ll wash each surface, and hire for experience. Those are the four tips Dave Stankas, owner of Nor-Cal Maintenance, gives in his Diamond Certified expert video on hiring a pressure washing company. Dave started out washing windows door to door in Healdsburg in 1984, and pressure and soft washing are now part of what his crews do. Here is each tip, with the questions worth asking.
What should you ask a pressure washing company's references?
Ask what was washed and how it looked a month later. In his Diamond Certified expert video, Dave puts references first: “make sure that you check references” and that the company has “referrals that you can rely on.” A reference who had concrete cleaned can’t tell you much about siding, so match the job.
Useful questions for a past customer:
- Which surfaces were washed: concrete, siding, a deck, a roof?
- Were there stripes or etched lines in the concrete afterward, or fuzzy patches on the wood?
- Did any water get inside around windows or doors?
- Were plants, cars and patio furniture protected?
- Was everything picked up before the crew left, and would they hire them again?
The Contractors State License Board gives similar advice. Its page on finding the right licensed contractor suggests asking friends and family who’ve had similar work done, and getting at least three written bids instead of grabbing the lowest one.
Why does it matter how long a pressure washer has been around?
A company with years behind it has a record you can check. Dave’s second tip is to make sure the company “has been in business.” If it holds a California contractor license, the Contractors State License Board lookup shows the license status, its history and the address on record, all before anyone comes out.
CSLB also suggests confirming a real business address and phone number, since a contractor working out of a pickup with only a cellphone can be hard to find if something needs fixing later. Ask about insurance too. CSLB notes that a contractor with employees must carry workers’ compensation, and that if an uninsured worker gets hurt on your property, you could end up paying for it.
For the record, Nor-Cal Maintenance has held California contractor license #772419 since 1999, with workers’ compensation on file, and keeps offices on Banyan Street in Santa Rosa and Bell Road in Windsor. You can look up the license on the CSLB site yourself.
What technique questions should you ask before the machine starts?
Ask how far from the surface they’ll hold the wand, what angle they’ll spray at, and what goes in the machine. Dave names all three in his video: the distance “from the house or property,” “the angle of the water,” and “the type of chemical that we put in the machine to remove lichen, moss, etc.”
- Distance. The closer the tip, the harder the water hits. Too close on soft wood raises fuzzy fibers, and on concrete it can leave stripes where the wand passed.
- Angle. Water aimed upward can be driven behind lap siding and into window and door seals. Ply Gem’s window and door care guide tells owners not to clean its windows or doors with a high-pressure washer, warning that the spray could crack or destroy the caulking.
- Chemical. Moss and lichen come off with the right cleaning solution, not with more force. Ask what the product is and how the plants below will be protected.
One more question: where does the rinse water go? Cities set their own storm drain rules, and our pressure washing page covers what Santa Rosa asks for.
Why is experience the tip Dave ends on?
Because the same machine can help or hurt. In the video, Dave says a pressure washing company “has the capability to make your property phenomenal and they have the capability to cause damage,” and he closes by saying the most important thing to consider “is that the company is experienced.”
Experience shows up in small choices: switching to a soft wash on painted siding, slowing down on an old deck, keeping the spray off a window that’s known to leak. Dawn C. saw that while getting a house ready to sell, and wrote that the crew “were careful around a window that sometimes leaked when sprayed.”
Roofs are where inexperience costs the most. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association warns that high-pressure washing is likely to damage asphalt shingles, which is why our roof moss guide explains a gentler way to get moss off.
How should two pressure washing bids be compared?
Line them up by scope, not just the total. Each bid should name the same surfaces and say whether each one gets a pressure wash or a soft wash. If one bid is far below the others, CSLB warns it may leave out work the rest included, or that the contractor may cut corners to make a profit.
A written proposal makes that comparison simple. Nor-Cal offers free estimates that work this way: Dave walks the property, answers questions, and a written proposal follows afterward, so nothing has to be decided in the driveway.
Questions we hear about this
What should a written pressure washing proposal include?
The surfaces being cleaned, the method for each one, and what will be applied for moss, lichen or stains. It should also say how plants, windows and drains will be protected and who picks up afterward. If something you asked about isn’t listed, ask before the work starts rather than after.
Can a pressure washer damage windows?
Yes, when the spray is aimed at the seals. Window makers such as Ply Gem tell owners to keep high-pressure washers off their windows, doors and screens. Glass is better washed by hand, the way our window cleaning crew does it.
Is a neighbor's recommendation enough to hire someone?
It’s a good start, and Dave lists referrals right next to references. Pair it with the rest: ask what was washed at the neighbor’s place, check any contractor license and insurance, and get the scope in writing. A neighbor’s driveway and your painted siding may need very different handling.
Sources
- Diamond Certified Experts: 4 Tips for Hiring a Pressure Washing Company (David Stankas)
- CSLB: How do I find the right licensed contractor?
- CSLB license detail, NorCal Maintenance Inc #772419
- Ply Gem: Window & Door Care and Maintenance
- ARMA: Algae Discoloration of Roofs