pressure-washing
How to Choose a Pressure Washing Company in Missouri
How to choose a pressure washing company in Missouri: brick and mortar risks, the seasonal calendar, questions that sort the pros, and a three-bid comparison.
In This Article
How to Choose a Pressure Washing Company in Missouri
Missouri has more brick houses per capita than almost any state, and that is the first thing a pressure washing company should think about when they pull up to your home. The red brick that covers South City, University City, and Webster Groves in the St. Louis area, and the brick bungalows across Kansas City's Brookside and Waldo, was often laid with lime mortar that turns to sand under high pressure.
A crew that treats a 1920s brick house like a vinyl-sided subdivision home in O'Fallon will leave the mortar joints eroded and the wall open to water.
Add the freeze-thaw cycle and you have a state where pressure washing done wrong causes real damage. Water forced into mortar or behind siding in October freezes in December and expands, and the crack that appears in March gets blamed on the winter. Missouri has no state license for pressure washing, so the burden of choosing well falls on the homeowner.
Brick, Mortar, and Why Pressure Is the Enemy
Brick built after about 1960 uses Portland cement mortar and can generally handle moderate pressure, around 1,200 to 1,500 PSI with a wide fan tip. Brick from before that, which describes most of the older neighborhoods in both metros plus the historic districts in Hannibal, Cape Girardeau, and Boonville, uses softer lime-based mortar that should never see more than a few hundred PSI.
A good company can tell the difference by looking at the mortar joints and testing a small area. The right method for old brick is a soft wash: a low-pressure application of a cleaning solution that lifts the grime and kills the algae, followed by a gentle rinse. It takes longer and costs more than blasting, and it is the only method that does not shorten the life of the wall.
Painted brick, which is common in Kansas City's older neighborhoods and increasingly popular in the St. Louis suburbs, is even more sensitive. High pressure lifts the paint at the edges and creates a peeling problem that costs thousands to correct.
Tuckpointing Before Washing
If the mortar joints are already crumbling, washing the wall first is backward. A company that notices the problem and suggests tuckpointing before the wash is a company that is paying attention. Many established Missouri pressure washing outfits work alongside masonry contractors for exactly this reason.
The Missouri Calendar
The working season runs from roughly mid-April to early November across most of the state, with the Bootheel getting a few extra weeks on either end and the northern counties near Kirksville and Maryville losing a few. Sodium hypochlorite solutions work poorly below 50 degrees, and wet concrete on a 28-degree night in Columbia is a liability.
Spring demand peaks in May, when the winter grime, road salt haze, and early pollen all need to come off. The best companies in the two metros are booked two to three weeks out by then.
Fall is when Missouri homeowners get the best value. September and October have moderate temperatures, the summer algae bloom is at its most visible, and companies have gaps in the calendar. Washing in the fall also removes the organic material that would otherwise trap moisture against the house through the freeze-thaw season.
Watch the Ozarks Weather
Southern Missouri, from Springfield through Branson and the Lake of the Ozarks, gets more humidity and more shade from the hardwood forest, and homes there grow mildew faster than in the open farmland of the north. Lake homes at Osage Beach and Table Rock often need annual washing, and the lake-area companies price for the steep lots and long driveways that come with the terrain.
Questions That Sort the Professionals
Ask what pressure and what solution they plan to use on each surface, and expect a different answer for brick, siding, concrete, and roof. A company that uses one setting for everything has not thought about your house.
Ask for the general liability certificate and call the agent. Missouri has no licensing for this trade, so a $1 million policy with your name as certificate holder is your only protection if a crew erodes your mortar or breaks a window. Workers' compensation is required in Missouri for businesses with five or more employees, and for construction businesses with one or more, so ask what the crew carries.
Ask how they handle runoff. St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield all enforce stormwater rules against discharging wash water with detergents into storm drains, and a professional company blocks drains and directs runoff to grass.
Ask about the roof. Missouri roofs get black algae streaks on the north slope, and the only correct treatment is a soft wash. Any company that offers to pressure wash a roof should be crossed off.
Comparing Three Bids
Line the quotes up by surface and method, not by total. Here is what three bids for a 2,000 square foot two-story vinyl-sided home in Lee's Summit with a 600 square foot driveway might look like:
| Bid | House | Driveway | Method | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $180 | included | High pressure, water only | "We're covered" |
| B | $325 | $110 | Soft wash siding, surface cleaner on concrete | Certificate provided, agent confirmed |
| C | $400 | $130 | Soft wash siding, surface cleaner, gutter brightening included | Certificate provided, agent confirmed |
Bid A is the one to skip. Water-only pressure on vinyl forces moisture behind the panels, and the mildew returns in two months because nothing killed it.
Bids B and C are both legitimate, and the $95 difference buys the gutter brightening, which removes the black stripes on the gutter faces. Either is a reasonable choice for a Kansas City suburb, and the decision comes down to reviews and how the company answered the method questions.
What the Ranges Look Like Across Missouri
A standard two-story house wash runs $250 to $425 in the St. Louis and Kansas City metros, $225 to $375 in Springfield and Columbia, and $200 to $350 in the smaller cities and rural counties. Driveways run $0.12 to $0.25 per square foot, decks $1.00 to $1.75 per square foot, and roof soft washing $400 to $850.
Brick homes that require a soft wash by hand cost 20% to 40% more than the vinyl equivalent, and that premium is worth paying.
Reviews, Equipment, and the Local Test
Read reviews for mentions of brick, mortar, and plants. A company with a hundred reviews from vinyl subdivisions in St. Charles County may have no experience with a 1910 brick four-square in Tower Grove, so look for reviews that describe your kind of house.
Equipment is a fair signal. A professional rig carries a water tank, a dedicated soft wash pump, a surface cleaner for concrete, and a range of tips. A single consumer machine and a garden hose is a side business.
Ask how long the company has been operating under its current name and where it is based. Missouri gets its share of out-of-state crews that follow hail season through Kansas City and disappear by fall, and a workmanship guarantee is only worth something if the company is still around to honor it. You can build a shortlist from our listings of pressure washing services across Missouri and put these questions to each one.
The Guarantee and the Follow-Up
Many established Missouri companies offer a 30-day re-clean if algae returns on siding, and that clause tells you they used a chemical kill. Ask for it in writing.
Ask what happens if something breaks. The answer should involve their insurance and a specific process, and a company that says "that has never happened" is either new or not being honest. For more on hiring exterior trades across the state, the home services blog covers roofers, painters, and gutter cleaning as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a pressure washing company need a license in Missouri?
No state license exists for pressure washing in Missouri. Cities including St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield require a business license, and the company should carry general liability insurance, which is the document that protects you.
Can pressure washing damage old brick in St. Louis?
Yes. Brick laid before about 1960 with lime mortar erodes under high pressure, and the damage lets water into the wall. Those homes should be soft washed at low pressure, and crumbling joints should be tuckpointed before any washing.
How much does a house wash cost in Kansas City?
A two-story house wash in the Kansas City metro runs $250 to $425, with larger homes in Leawood, Prairie Village, and Parkville running $450 to $700. Roof soft washing adds $400 to $850.
When is the best time to pressure wash in Missouri?
September and October offer the best combination of visible results, moderate weather, and open calendars. Late April through May is the busiest season, and winter washing is limited by freezing temperatures across most of the state.
Should I wash the house before winter?
Yes, if it has visible algae or mildew. Removing the organic growth before the freeze-thaw season keeps it from trapping moisture against siding and mortar, and fall washing also removes the summer buildup while conditions are still warm enough for the solution to work.