Pressure washing in Bellingham starts at $299. That covers driveways, walkways, patios, pavers and steps, cleaned with a surface cleaner for an even finish rather than a narrow wand. Decking, siding and painted surfaces are soft washed at low pressure instead. Estimates are free and given before any work begins.
Concrete in this city goes green because it never gets a chance to dry out. From October to April Bellingham sits under cloud and rain, temperatures stay mild, and a shaded driveway under fir or maple can hold damp for months. What grows in that is a black-green algae film, and on a wet morning it is genuinely slick underfoot.
Pressure washing prices in Whatcom and Skagit County
| Job | Starting price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure washing | $299 | Driveways, walkways, patios, pavers, steps |
| House washing (siding) | $399 | Soft washed at low pressure — a different service |
| Roof cleaning | $299 | Never pressure washed. Debris cleared by hand |
| Commercial entries and walkways | Quoted on site | Usually scheduled early morning or after hours |
All pricing shown is starting pricing. Final pricing depends on the size, condition, accessibility and scope of work. Free, no-obligation estimates are always provided before work begins. See every starting price we publish.
What changes the price
- Square footage. The main driver. A single-car driveway and a long shared drive are very different jobs.
- How heavy the staining is. A light seasonal film comes off quickly. Years of algae, oil spotting or tire marks need a pre-treatment and a second pass.
- Surface type. Broom-finish concrete, stamped concrete, pavers, flagstone and cedar decking all get handled differently, and pavers need re-sanding afterwards.
- Access to water and power. Straightforward at most homes; occasionally a factor on rural lots.
- Slope and drainage. Steep Bellingham driveways need runoff managed so it does not end up in a neighbor’s yard or a storm drain untreated.
Surface cleaner versus wand — why it matters
If you have seen a driveway with stripes across it, that is a narrow wand held too close and moved unevenly. Those lines are etched into the surface and they do not come out.
A surface cleaner is a rotating enclosed head that holds a constant distance and covers a fixed width, so the finish is even and the pressure never concentrates in one spot. It is slower to set up and it is the reason a properly washed driveway looks uniform rather than striped.
A lot of Bellingham concrete is decades old and porous, particularly through the older neighborhoods, and that is exactly the concrete a wand damages fastest.
What gets pressure washed and what does not
Real pressure: concrete driveways, walkways, patios, steps, pavers, block retaining walls.
Soft wash instead: siding of every kind, decking, fencing, painted surfaces, anything with a seal or stain on it. High pressure on cedar decking raises the grain and leaves furring you cannot easily sand out. See house washing for that work.
Never: composition shingle roofs. High pressure strips the granule layer that protects the asphalt underneath. Roof work is debris removal or moss removal, both done by hand.
How often, and when it is worth it
Every one to two years for most of the city. Shaded concrete under fir or maple in the older neighborhoods usually wants it annually; open, sunny north-end driveways around Cordata and Barkley can often go three years.
The practical trigger is not appearance, it is grip. Steep driveways on the hill streets and the stairs down into Fairhaven are the ones people actually slip on. If it is slick underfoot on a wet morning, it is overdue whatever it looks like.
Can you rent a machine and do it yourself?
You can, and for a small flat patio it is a reasonable weekend job. Two things to know before you do.
First, rental machines usually come with a wand, not a surface cleaner, which is how driveways end up striped. Second, the pressure that shifts algae off concrete will destroy siding, decking, window seals and mortar if you point it at them, and the damage is immediate and permanent. The most expensive outcomes we see are not dirty driveways, they are driveways someone cleaned unevenly and siding someone cleaned once.
What it costs in your town
The starting price is the same across our whole service area, with no separate travel charge:
Bellingham · Ferndale · Lynden · Blaine · Birch Bay · Sudden Valley · Mount Vernon · Burlington · Sedro-Woolley · Anacortes · and every other town we cover
Common questions about pressure washing costs
How much does pressure washing cost in Bellingham?
Pressure washing starts at $299 and covers driveways, walkways, patios, pavers and steps. Final price depends on the square footage, how heavy the staining is, the surface type and access around the property. The estimate is free and given before any work begins.
Will pressure washing damage older concrete?
Not when it is done with a surface cleaner at the right pressure, which is how we do it. What damages old concrete is a narrow wand held too close, which etches lines into the surface that never come out. A lot of Bellingham concrete is decades old and porous, and it gets treated accordingly.
Do decks and siding get the same treatment?
No. Decking, siding and anything painted or stained is soft washed at low pressure, with the cleaning done chemically rather than mechanically. High pressure on cedar decking raises the grain and leaves furring you cannot easily sand out.
How long before the green comes back?
In Bellingham, usually a year or two depending on how much sun the surface gets. There is no permanent fix in this climate, because the same damp that keeps the county green does this to concrete. A properly cleaned surface resists it noticeably longer than one that has never been done.
Do you seal or stain the concrete afterwards?
No, we clean rather than seal. Sealing is a separate trade and it needs the surface fully dry, which usually means a different day. We can tell you whether your surface is a candidate for it.
Can you wash commercial walkways and entries?
Yes. Storefront entries, sidewalks, loading areas and stairs around downtown, Fairhaven and the Barkley and Cordata business districts. Commercial work is usually scheduled early morning or after hours so it does not get in the way of your customers.
Get a free estimate
King of Kings Window Cleaning is owner-operated by Randy Fee, based in Bellingham and covering Whatcom County, Skagit County and Oak Harbor. Licensed and L&I insured, rated five stars across more than 200 reviews. Ask for a free estimate or call (360) 303-6806.
