1. Define what the customer is buying
“Clean the driveway” leaves room for different expectations. Does it include the sidewalk? Moving planters? Treating the marks near the garage? Start by listing the surfaces, their condition and the result you have agreed to attempt.
Our example is a rectangular concrete driveway with ordinary surface dirt. The customer will move vehicles before arrival. The estimate includes the identified cleaning work, setup and cleanup. Garage floors, sidewalks, sealing and specialist stain treatment are excluded. This is an estimating example, not a recommendation for a particular cleaning method.
Photograph existing damage with the customer's permission and note access, water availability and any separate arrangements needed for the site. Resolve uncertainty before offering a fixed price.
2. Measure each surface separately
A driveway measuring 20 by 40 feet has 800 square feet of surface area. For an irregular shape, divide it into rectangles, measure those sections and add them together. Do not include a walkway in the area if you have excluded it from the work.
20 × 40 = 800 sq ft
Record the dimensions beside a simple sketch or site photo. That gives you something concrete to check when the customer says, “Could you do that extra strip too?” Measure that addition and assess its extra work before revising the quote.
3. Estimate the whole visit, not just cleaning time
For this example, allow 0.5 labor hour for the job's loading and travel, 0.5 for setup and protection, 2 for cleaning and 0.5 for the final check and packing up. That is 3.5 labor hours. These are invented planning inputs, not a standard production rate.
Use your own job records to estimate cleaning time. Equipment specifications describe the equipment, not every site: Kärcher lists different area-performance figures across its machine range. Surface condition, access and the agreed process still need an allowance in your estimate.
Two people working together for two hours use four labor hours. Keep that distinction clear when costing a crew.
4. Add the direct job costs
The following amounts are illustrative US-dollar inputs. Replace them with your loaded labor cost, supplies and equipment costs. Loaded labor means the employment costs your business assigns to those hours; count your own work too.
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Labor for the complete visit | 3.5 hours × $32 | $112 |
| Cleaning supplies | Job allowance | $18 |
| Equipment operating costs | Job allowance | $25 |
| Vehicle costs allocated to this job | Job allowance | $20 |
| Total direct costs | $175 |
Travel labor and vehicle operating costs are different costs. Include each once. Add any other costs the actual site requires, including costs associated with its water and wastewater arrangements.
5. Check the price and what it leaves
To test a 30% gross margin on the example's direct costs, divide $175 by 0.70. The selling price is $250, leaving $75 before overhead and other expenses. The target is an assumption, not a recommended margin.
$175 ÷ (1 − 0.30) = $250
At 800 square feet, that price works out to $0.3125 per square foot. It describes this example; it is not a market rate to copy. A smaller visit may still need the same travel and setup time.
If cleaning takes an extra hour at the assumed $32 cost, $43 remains from the same $250 price. Gross margin drops to 17.2%. Read markup versus margin before choosing a percentage.
6. Put the scope beside the selling price
Clean the 800 sq ft concrete driveway shown in the estimate photos. Includes setup, the cleaning work identified after inspection and cleanup. Customer to clear vehicles before arrival. Excludes sidewalks, garage floor, sealing and specialist stain treatment. Illustrative price: $250.
Add your business and customer details, the job address, estimate number, issue date, validity date and timing assumptions. State any additional charges clearly if they apply. Give the customer one clear way to ask a question or request the next step.
Use the pressure washing estimate template to organize the customer version. Keep your internal cost sheet separately.
Questions to settle before sending
Can I quote from photos?
Photos can support an initial estimate when they show the full scope. Identify any measurements or conditions you still need to confirm. Do not silently treat missing information as a clean, unobstructed site.
Should every stain be included?
Include only the treatment and result you have assessed and priced. Describe limitations plainly instead of promising every mark will disappear.
What should I record afterward?
Compare actual hours and supplies with the estimate. Note what caused the difference so the next similar quote uses better inputs.
Sources and further reading
About this article
Prepared for the Quote Your Jobs blog. Worked examples use illustrative assumptions, not customer case studies or local market rates. Replace them with the actual scope, supplier information and costs for your job.
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