PressureWashingBossPro Blog — Quotes & Estimates

Flatwork Quotes: Pricing Driveways, Sidewalks and Patios for Pressure Washing

Flatwork is the bread and butter of a lot of pressure washing companies. Driveways, sidewalks, patios and pool decks are easy to explain, easy to show off in before-and-after photos, and easy for customers to say yes to. They are also the easiest jobs to quote quickly and accurately, if you have a good method.

Why Flatwork Is Easy to Quote Well

Roofs, covered in Quoting a Roof Soft Wash: Measurements, Roof Notes and Price, involve pitch and height and a lot of judgment. Flatwork is simpler. It lies flat, it shows clearly from above and the work scales with area.

That makes square-foot pricing a natural fit. Measure the area, multiply by your rate, apply your minimum if the job is small, and adjust for stains or tricky surfaces. Most flatwork quotes can be done from the office in a few minutes.

Measuring Each Surface

On the property map in PressureWashingBossPro, outline each surface on the satellite view to get its square feet:

• Driveway. Include the apron to the street if you clean it. Leave out gravel, grass strips and anything the customer does not want done.
• Sidewalks and front walk. The public sidewalk along the street and the walk to the front door are often quoted together with the driveway.
• Patio. Often partly hidden under furniture, pergolas or trees. Trace what you can see and confirm the rest with the customer.
• Pool deck. Lots of edges and drains, so it often takes longer per foot than a driveway.

Estimates can price off a property's measurements, so once the areas are traced, the square-foot lines on the estimate price themselves from your rates.

Rates, Minimums and Combos

Most operators use a square-foot rate for flatwork, sometimes a different one for driveways than for patios and pool decks. Two other pieces round it out:

• A minimum. A small patio at your square-foot rate may come out less than the cost of showing up. A flatwork minimum, say $150 as an example, covers the drive, setup and breakdown.
• A combined line. “Driveway & Walks” as one service keeps the estimate simple, with the measured area covering both.

For example, a 1,150 square foot driveway and walk might come to $175 at one operator's rate, while a 300 square foot patio would hit the minimum. Your rates are your own; the structure is what matters.

Stains and Surface Types

Not all concrete is equal. Things that change the price, and belong on the estimate as notes or separate lines:

• Oil stains often need degreaser and sometimes hot water. Many operators quote them separately and say plainly that old stains may lighten rather than vanish.
• Rust from irrigation, fertilizer or furniture is a separate treatment. Make it a Rust Removal line.
• Gum is mostly a commercial issue, but shows up on busy front walks too.
• Pavers may need more care and sometimes joint sand replaced after cleaning, which you may or may not offer.
• Stamped or sealed concrete can be affected by heavy pressure. Check what the customer knows about the sealer before quoting.

Rust and gum get their own guide in Add-Ons on a Pressure Washing Estimate: Gutter Brightening, Rust and Gum Removal, and oil stains in Quoting Oil Stains and Hot Water Work on Driveways and Garage Floors.

Job Details for the Crew

On the estimate, put the surfaces (Driveway, Sidewalk, Patio, Pool Deck), the square feet, the surface type (concrete or stone) and the method (surface cleaner, pressure wash or hot water). Add access notes like “Spigot at front right of garage. Cars must be moved before 8am. Do not spray toward open garage.”

When the customer approves, those details carry onto the job and show on the crew's phone: “Driveway, Sidewalk · 1,150 sq ft · Concrete · Surface Cleaner.” The crew knows the size, the method and the access before they unroll a hose.

That matters most on the jobs that look simple. A driveway quote that leaves out the side slab, the back patio or the curb strip is how arguments start. When the estimate says exactly which surfaces and how many square feet, the crew cleans what was sold, the customer gets what they approved, and the invoice at the end matches both. If the customer asks for the extra slab on site, the crew notes it and the office adds it as a line.

Flatwork as the Door Opener

Flatwork is often the first job a new customer books, because it is affordable and the result is obvious. Treat it as a door opener. Offer a house wash next to every driveway quote, or a house-and-driveway package. A customer who loves their clean driveway is the easiest house wash quote you will ever send. To see how flatwork quotes connect with approval, scheduling and billing, visit the PressureWashingBossPro pressure washing estimate software page.