House Washing & Power Washing in Albany NY

Most single-family house washing jobs in the Capital Region land between $299 and $549. The spread comes down to four things: the square footage of siding, how many stories the crew has to reach, the material on the walls, and how heavy the mold, mildew, and algae growth has gotten since the last wash.

A one-story ranch in Colonie with light shading is at the low end. A three-story Victorian in Troy with deep north-side algae, dormers, and detailed trim work sits at the top. Homes that have not been washed in five or six years take more solution and more dwell time than a house on an annual schedule, which is why staying on a yearly cycle is usually the cheapest way to own the service.

We measure and price most homes remotely with satellite imagery and give you one firm number in writing — no on-site upsells, no hourly surprises. Free on-site quotes are available any time you would rather we walk the property. Bundling the house wash with your driveway, roof, or gutters saves money on the trip, and active and retired military, first responders, and seniors receive a discount on every job.

"Power washing" and "pressure washing" are what almost everyone types into Google, but on a house they describe the wrong tool. True high pressure aimed at siding can drive water up behind vinyl panels, crack panels that have gone brittle with age, cut through caulk lines at seams and windows, and lift paint off wood trim. It also only scours the surface — the algae and mildew roots stay in the pores and the green comes back within a season.

Soft washing is the professional answer, and it is what the siding manufacturers themselves specify. We apply a professionally diluted cleaning solution at pressure lower than a garden hose, let it dwell long enough to kill the organic growth at the root, hand-detail the seams and sills, then rinse from the top down. The house comes out cleaner and stays clean for one to three years instead of a few months.

High pressure still has a place on the property — concrete, pavers, and masonry all take it well, and we bring a commercial surface cleaner for those. It just never touches your siding.

The green film that shows up on the shaded side of the house is algae. The black speckling along soffits and under gutter lines is usually mildew, and the fuzzy patches near grade are mold. All three are living organisms, not dirt, and all three thrive in exactly the conditions the Capital Region hands us: humid Hudson Valley summers, heavy tree cover, and north-facing walls that never fully dry out.

That matters because rinsing them off does nothing lasting. The visible growth is only the top of the colony — the roots sit down in the texture of the siding and regrow as soon as the next humid week arrives. A soft-wash detergent blend kills the organism outright, which is why a properly washed home stays clean for years while a rinsed one greens up by fall.

Left alone, that growth is not just cosmetic. It holds moisture against the wall, feeds on the surface it is sitting on, and speeds up the breakdown of paint, caulk, and the siding itself. Washing once a year is far cheaper than replacing panels or repainting early.

Every exterior material takes a different mix, pressure, and dwell time. Vinyl is the most common across the Capital Region and cleans up beautifully with a soft wash, though older panels that have gone chalky from oxidation sometimes need a separate hand-scrub restoration pass — we flag that at the quote instead of after. Aluminum picks up a gray, chalky film over the years and gets the same careful treatment.

Cedar and other wood siding need lower pressure and a gentler dwell so the grain never raises. Stucco is porous and holds growth deep in its texture, so it takes a longer soak and a very light rinse. Brick and masonry handle more, but mortar joints still deserve a careful hand. Fiber cement like Hardie board cleans easily as long as nobody blasts the factory finish off it.

If your concern is specifically the siding surface itself — oxidation, chalking, or spring pollen film rather than a full exterior wash — our siding cleaning service focuses on exactly that.