Local Pressure Washing in Malibu, CA
Grime on the stucco, black spots on the patio, a deck gone gray? Each surface gets washed back with the pressure it can take.
Salt film on the windows, green on the north wall, a driveway that's gone the color of old gum. That's what most calls for pressure washing in Malibu sound like. We wash houses, driveways, patios, walkways and decks, and we pick the pressure for the surface instead of blasting everything at full power.
Stucco, painted trim and wood siding get a soft wash: low pressure plus a cleaner that does the heavy lifting. Concrete and pavers can take a lot more. Wood decks sit somewhere in between, and that's where most of the damage from cheap washing happens.
Send a few photos and tell us what's bugging you. If a garden hose and a stiff deck brush will handle it, we'll say so.
Signs It's Time for Pressure Washing in Malibu
Green or black streaks on stucco
Mildew and algae love the shady side of a house. Left alone, they stain the finish and hold moisture against the wall.
Salt haze on siding and trim
Coastal air leaves a dull film that paint and caulk don't like. A gentle wash takes it off before it builds up.
Slick, dark patio or walkway
That slippery green layer on concrete and pavers is a fall waiting to happen, especially by the pool or the side gate.
Gray, fuzzy deck boards
Weathered wood turns gray and starts to splinter. A careful wash shows you which boards are sound before you stain.
Oil and tire marks on the driveway
Drips and tire scuffs set into concrete over time. A degreaser and a surface cleaner lift most of it.
Prep before paint or stain
New paint won't grab a chalky, dirty surface. Washing first is part of any decent paint or deck stain job.
Pressure Washing for Homes and Rentals
Homes
Most wash jobs are the house itself plus the flatwork around it: driveway, entry walk, patio and pool deck. Just one problem area works too, like the side yard that never sees sun.
Rentals & small business
Property managers call us to wash a rental between tenants or clean up an entry before a showing. Small sites only, like a duplex, a single storefront walk or a small office patio. No parking lots.
Our Approach to Pressure Washing
Walk the surfaces
We look at what each surface is made of and check for loose stucco, cracked caulk and soft wood. Anything a wash could make worse gets pointed out first.
Cover what can't get wet
Outdoor outlets, light fixtures and door thresholds get covered, and delicate plants get wet down. Windows get closed and the weatherstripping checked.
Wash with the right tip
Soft wash for walls and trim, a spinning surface cleaner for concrete and a wide fan tip held back from wood. Top to bottom, always, so dirty water never runs over clean areas.
Rinse and walk it
We rinse plants and glass, then walk the job with you. Any rot or failed caulk the wash turned up, you'll hear about straight.
The Hard Part: Wood Decks, Old Stucco and Second Stories
Wood is the trickiest thing we wash. Too much pressure raises the grain and leaves wand marks that show through any stain. We go low, use a wood cleaner and let it sit, and we'd rather make two light passes than one heavy one. Composite boards are a different animal, so check the maker's care guide before anybody points a wand at them.
Older stucco has hairline cracks and patches that don't always bond well. Hit them hard and water gets in behind the finish, or a weak patch pops right off. That's why stucco gets a soft wash from us. Every time.
Second-story walls and eaves get reached with extension wands from the ground, not by someone leaning off a ladder with a trigger gun. We don't wash roofs. Walking a wet roof is a bad idea, and a roofer should tell you how their material wants to be cleaned.
Soft wash for stucco and siding, real pressure for driveways, patios and pool decks. Send a photo and the address, and you'll get a straight answer.
(333) 333‑3333What's Different About Pressure Washing in Malibu
All of Malibu sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so your vents may have metal screens to keep embers out. CAL FIRE recommends 1/16- to 1/8-inch noncombustible metal mesh on vents and gutters kept clear of plant debris. The wand stays off those vents, since water forced into an attic vent lands right on the insulation. A torn screen or one packed with leaves gets pointed out too.
Then there's the ocean. Malibu has 21 miles of coastline, and salt air is rough on everything outside. It films over glass and siding and speeds up rust on screws and hardware, so a yearly wash is pretty much routine upkeep here. Our hose hooks up to your outdoor spigot, so check that the hose bib doesn't drip before we come.
Can You Pressure Wash It Yourself?
Sure, a lot of it. A store-bought electric washer handles a small patio or a walkway fine. Use a 25- or 40-degree tip, keep the wand moving and stay a foot or more off the surface.
Where people get hurt (or hurt the house) is the zero-degree red tip, ladders and wood. That narrow tip etches concrete, cuts grooves into deck boards and can drive water behind stucco and window frames. If you're about to wash a second story from a ladder with a gas machine, stop. That's the one to hand off.
Wash Jobs We Handle and When We Bring In a Partner
California lets a handyman without a contractor's license take a job only when the total price for labor, materials and everything else is under $1,000. That same law says the limit doesn't cover work needing a building permit, work that's part of a bigger project or a job chopped up to stay under it. A house wash or driveway cleaning sits well inside that line.
But if the wash shows rotted deck joists, failing stucco or a railing that needs rebuilding, that's past what we take on. We'll point you to one of our trusted licensed partners and stay your first call while they handle it.
What to Expect
- How long does it take?
- A driveway or patio is usually a few hours. A full house plus the flatwork can take most of a day, longer if the deck cleaner needs time to work or the walls are two stories.
- Will there be a mess?
- Wet ground, some runoff and loosened dirt in planter beds. Plants get rinsed before and after, and debris gets swept up. Plan on the patio staying slick until it dries.
- What does it cost?
- Cost guides put pressure washing a house at $170 to $360 and a deck or driveway at $100 to $260. Size, height, how stained it is and whether wood needs a cleaner all move the price. You get a firm number after we see it.
- Do I need a permit?
- No. Washing is cleaning, not building work, so there's no building permit involved. Repairs the wash turns up, like rotted deck framing, can need one, and we'll say so.
- Do I need to be home?
- Not for the whole thing. Leave the water on, the side gates unlocked and the yard open. Most people meet us at the start and come back for the walk-through.
Pressure Washing FAQ
Is pressure washing in Malibu safe for stucco?
Yes, if it's a soft wash. Stucco is porous and often has hairline cracks, so we use low pressure and a cleaner that breaks down mildew and dirt, then rinse gently. High pressure can push water behind the finish or knock loose old patches. Stucco that's already crumbling gets flagged before we start, with a repair suggested first.
How often should a coastal house be washed?
Once a year works for most homes near the water. Salt film and mildew build up steadily, and a yearly wash keeps them from staining paint or eating at hardware. Homes up the canyons with less spray can often go longer. Shady north walls and anything under trees usually need it first.
Will washing strip my deck stain?
It can, and sometimes that's the goal. A light wash cleans a sound finish without taking it off. If you're restaining, we wash harder with a stripper so the new stain soaks in evenly. Tell us your plan before we start, because the setup is different for each one.
Can you get oil stains out of concrete?
Usually most of them, but not always all. Fresh drips come out well with a degreaser and a surface cleaner. Oil that has soaked in for years often leaves a faint shadow no matter what anyone does. We'll test a corner and show you the result before we do the whole driveway.
Do you wash windows or roofs?
No to roofs, and windows only as part of the house wash. The glass gets rinsed so it isn't left spotty from the siding work, but we don't do detailed squeegee cleaning. Roofs we skip because walking a wet roof is dangerous and many roof materials don't like pressure.
Need pressure washing in Malibu?
Text Zacharias a few photos of the dirty spots. He'll say what it needs and what it doesn't.