By the EverGlow Exteriors Team

A full exterior house wash costs $173 to $358 on the national average, and most Des Moines metro homes land between $250 and $450. A single-story ranch in Beaverdale sits near the bottom of that range; a big two-story in Jordan Creek or Prairie Trail with tall gables sits near the top.

Below: what moves the price, why “house washing” should mean soft washing, and how to tell a real quote from a lowball.

What changes the price of a house wash?

• Square footage and stories. The biggest factor. Two-story homes take taller reach, more solution, and more time.
• How much algae is on it. That green film on the north side of Des Moines homes is Gloeocapsa magna and its algae cousins. Heavy growth needs stronger solution and dwell time.
• Siding type. Vinyl is straightforward. Painted wood, stucco, and brick each need adjusted chemistry and technique.
• Complexity. Steep grades, decks against the house, lots of landscaping to protect, sunrooms and bump-outs — all add setup time.
• Add-ons. Gutter brightening (scrubbing the black tiger-stripes off gutter faces), soffit and fascia detail, and concrete are cheap to bundle while we’re there.

House washing should mean soft washing — here’s why

High pressure and siding don’t mix. Pressure washing vinyl can crack panels, blow water behind the siding into your sheathing, and strip paint from trim. In an Iowa winter, water forced behind siding freezes and expands — the freeze-thaw cycle turns a small mistake into a big one.

Soft washing uses low pressure — about the strength of a garden hose — with a detergent solution that kills the algae and mildew at the root instead of blasting the top layer off. The dead growth rinses away, and because the organism is actually dead, the siding stays clean far longer than a pressure-blast job. Full comparison here: Soft washing vs. pressure washing.

If a company quotes you a “house pressure wash,” ask what PSI they plan to put on your siding. The answer tells you everything.

What’s included in a professional house wash?

• Pre-wetting and covering sensitive landscaping
• Soft wash application on all siding, soffits, and fascia
• Dwell time so the solution kills growth, not just moves it
• Full low-pressure rinse, top to bottom
• Windows rinsed as part of the wash (a dedicated window cleaning is a separate, more detailed service)
• Final walk-around with you if you’re home, photos if you’re not

Can I DIY a house wash?

A rental pressure washer is about $90 a day, and it’s the wrong tool for this job. Rental units don’t do proper low-pressure chemical application, so DIYers end up either blasting siding at damaging pressure or spraying store-bought house wash that never gets rinsed properly above the first story.

The second-story problem is the real blocker: you can’t soft wash what you can’t reach, and working a wand off an extension ladder is how siding gets gouged and people get hurt. For a ranch with light mildew, a garden-hose siding cleaner and a brush can hold you over a season. For real algae on a two-story, hire it out.

How to vet a house washing company

1. Certificate of insurance, no exceptions. Soft wash solutions and ladders around your home mean you want their general liability policy standing behind the work — not your homeowner’s policy. Details in our insurance post.
2. Ask how they treat siding. “Soft wash” should be the answer. “We turn the pressure down” is not the same thing.
3. Check Google reviews for repeat customers. House washing done right gets rebooked every year or two. Look for reviews that mention a second visit.

How long does it take, and how long does it last?

Most house washes take 2 to 4 hours. You don’t need to be home — we need water access and windows closed.

Results typically hold 1 to 2 years in central Iowa. North-facing walls and shaded sides regrow first — that’s just Iowa humidity and shade doing their thing. (Why the north side? We wrote it up: Why is the north side of my house green?)

What about brick, stucco, and painted wood?

Vinyl gets most of the attention, but the metro has plenty of everything else. Brick is porous — it drinks solution and holds moisture, so it needs thorough pre-wetting and a longer rinse, and the price reflects the extra time. Stucco and EIFS are soft-wash-only surfaces; pressure will scar them permanently. Painted wood and older siding, common around Valley Junction and Beaverdale, gets a gentler mix and a careful test spot first, since aged paint can be chalky. If your home mixes materials — brick front, vinyl sides, wood trim — a good quote treats each surface on its own terms rather than pricing the whole house like it’s one material.

Is house washing worth it?

Two ways to look at it. As curb appeal: exterior condition drives first impressions, and strong curb appeal has been tied to sale-price bumps of up to about 7%. A $300 wash before listing is the cheapest prep dollar you’ll spend.

As maintenance: algae and mildew hold moisture against your siding through every freeze-thaw cycle of an Iowa winter, and established growth slowly stains and degrades the surface. Washing every year or two keeps siding from needing replacement years early. That math is why a lot of our customers move to a recurring plan.

Get a number for your house

Send your address and we’ll quote it from aerial measurements, usually same week. Service details on our house washing page. We wash homes across the metro — West Des Moines, Waukee, Ankeny, Grimes, and everywhere between.