Soft washing has become the standard method for cleaning most house exteriors, and soft washing cost in the UK is generally comparable to, or a little more than, traditional pressure washing, but with results that last considerably longer.
This guide gives realistic whole-house soft wash pricing and explains why the extra durability compared to pressure washing is usually worth it.
Whole-house soft wash pricing
For a full exterior soft wash on a semi-detached house, covering render, brick or pebbledash walls, expect roughly £300-£600. A larger detached property, or one with multiple elevations and higher access needs, can run £500-£900+. Pricing per elevation is common, so you can choose to clean just the worst-affected walls if a full house wash isn't in budget.
Combined packages, such as soft washing the walls alongside a roof clean or gutter clear, often work out cheaper per job than booking each separately, since setup and access costs are shared across the visit.
Why soft washing outlasts pressure washing
Pressure washing physically blasts away visible dirt and growth but leaves any roots or spores behind in porous surfaces, meaning algae and moss often reappear within a matter of months. Soft washing applies a biocide solution that kills growth down to the root, so regrowth is significantly slower, typically keeping surfaces cleaner for 1-3 years rather than a few months.
It's also gentler on the building itself. Render, older brick and pebbledash can be damaged by high pressure, whereas soft washing's low-pressure application poses far less risk to the surface while still delivering a thorough clean.
What's included in a soft wash quote
A proper soft wash should specify the biocide product being used, confirm the operator is trained in safe application (particularly around plants, pets and surface water drains), and outline how many elevations are being treated. Some firms include a light rinse-down after treatment; with others, the biocide is simply left to be washed away naturally by rain over subsequent weeks, so it's worth clarifying which approach you're getting.
Ask about protection for nearby plants and garden features too, since biocide, while generally safe when applied correctly, needs some care around delicate planting.
Choosing between soft wash and a full package
Some customers want soft washing on its own, just for the walls, while others prefer to bundle it into a broader exterior clean covering the roof and gutters at the same time, since access equipment can often be shared across the jobs. It's worth asking about combined pricing if you're considering more than just the walls.
Whichever you choose, confirm upfront how the job will be sequenced, since it generally makes sense to do gutters and roof work first so any dislodged debris doesn't undo a freshly soft-washed wall underneath, wasting effort and product on a wall that then needs redoing.
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