What goes on a pressure washing invoice
- •Your business name and contact details.
- •The customer’s name and the job address — for rentals and commercial sites, the person paying is often not the person on site.
- •An invoice number, the invoice date, the date of the job and a real due date.
- •One line per surface or service, so the customer can see what each part of the total covers.
- •Any minimum charge or travel fee as its own line, and a note of any deposit already paid.
- •How the customer can pay, so nobody has to call to ask.
Billing by the square foot
Per-square-foot pricing works best for flat, uniform surfaces like driveways, patios, walkways and fences. On the invoice, name the surface, enter the area as the quantity and your rate as the price, and the generator multiplies them. Customers like seeing the area and the rate: it shows the price wasn’t invented on the spot. For a house wash or roof, a flat price per job is more common, since wall and roof area are harder for a customer to check. Use a quantity of 1 for those.
Minimum charges, travel and deposits
A small job still costs you the same loading, driving and setup. If you have a minimum service charge, use a single “Minimum service charge” line in place of the per-square-foot total whenever a job comes in under it, and tell customers about the minimum when you quote. A separate travel fee works the same way: name it the way you described it. For large or commercial jobs where you reserve a day or buy specialty products, a deposit can make sense. Invoice the remaining balance and note the deposit already received in the notes, for example “Deposit of [amount] received on [date].”
Photos, notes and getting paid
Use the notes field for anything that heads off an argument: what the quote covered, whether sealing or stain removal is extra, and your weather rescheduling policy. Then send the invoice while the surface still looks clean and the customer is happy with it. That’s when invoices get paid fastest. If one slips, these payment reminder email templates help, or set up automatic invoice reminders. Not sure how to set your rate? Read how to price a pressure washing job.
Frequently asked questions
How do I show square-foot pricing on an invoice?
Put the surface as the description, the square footage as the quantity and your rate per square foot as the price, for example “Driveway wash — 900 sq ft × your rate”. The generator multiplies them for you. Listing the area and the rate lets the customer see exactly how the total was reached.
Should I list each surface as its own line?
Yes. A separate line for the driveway, the house wash, the deck and the fence makes the total easy to follow, and lets you price each surface by the method that suits it, such as per square foot for flat concrete and a flat price for a house.
How do I add a minimum charge to a pressure washing invoice?
If a small job comes in below your minimum, bill one line called “Minimum service charge” for your minimum instead of the per-square-foot total. Tell the customer about the minimum when you quote, so it is not a surprise on the invoice.
Should I charge for travel, water or chemicals separately?
Only if you told the customer you would. Many pressure washers build chemicals and fuel into their rates and bill a separate trip fee for distance. If you do charge for them separately, give each its own line, named the way you described it when you quoted.
Should I take a deposit on a large pressure washing job?
It can make sense for large or commercial jobs where you are reserving a day or buying specialty products. If you take one, invoice the remaining balance and note the deposit already received in the invoice notes, with the amount and date.