Pressure Washing Contract Template
Two agreements, free to copy: a one-time job service agreement, and a recurring agreement built for commercial and HOA accounts. Both written for pressure washing specifically, not adapted from a generic services contract.
A pressure washing contract needs eleven things: the parties and property, a scope with measured square footage per surface, exclusions, price and payment terms, the service window, access requirements, a surface-condition disclaimer, property protection terms, weather and rescheduling, cancellation, and your insurance. Below each template is a clause-by-clause breakdown of the specific failure each line prevents — because a clause you don't understand is a clause you'll delete the first time a client pushes back on it.
1 · One-Time Job Service Agreement
For a single job — residential or small commercial. Everything in [brackets] gets replaced with your details.
PRESSURE WASHING SERVICE AGREEMENT
[YOUR COMPANY NAME]
[Address] · [Phone] · [Email]
[License # if applicable]
Agreement #: [0118] Date: [Month Day, Year]
1. PARTIES
Contractor: [Your Company Name] ("Contractor")
Client: [Client Name] ("Client")
Service address: [Property Address]
Billing address (if different): [Address]
2. SCOPE OF WORK
Contractor will clean the following surfaces at the service
address, using commercial pressure washing and/or low-pressure
soft wash methods as appropriate to each surface:
1. Driveway (concrete) ................ [1,150] sq ft
2. Front walkway ...................... [180] sq ft
3. Rear patio ......................... [400] sq ft
Total: ..... [1,730] sq ft
Included: pre-treatment of visible stains and organic growth,
cleaning of the surfaces listed above, and rinse-down of
adjacent areas on completion.
3. EXCLUSIONS
The following are NOT included unless added in writing:
- Deep-set oil, rust, paint, and tannin stains, which may
lighten but not fully lift
- Sealing, sanding, or re-sanding of pavers
- Roof, gutter, or soft wash of siding
- Interior cleaning of any kind
- Repair of pre-existing damage
4. PRICE AND PAYMENT
Total price: $[250.00]
Deposit due to schedule: $[0.00]
Balance due: on completion of the work
Accepted payment: [check, card, ACH, Zelle]
Late payments accrue [1.5]% per month after [15] days, to the
extent permitted by applicable law.
5. SCHEDULE
Target service date: [Month Day, Year]
Expected duration: approximately [3] hours
Contractor will confirm arrival window [24] hours in advance.
6. SITE ACCESS AND CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Client will provide, at no cost to Contractor:
- Access to a working exterior water spigot and, if required,
an exterior electrical outlet
- Unobstructed access to all surfaces in the scope, including
moving vehicles, furniture, and planters
- Gate, alarm, or entry codes where access is restricted
- Closed windows and doors, and secured pets
If surfaces are obstructed on arrival, Contractor will clean
what is accessible and the remainder may be rescheduled at the
rates in this agreement.
7. SURFACE CONDITION
Cleaning reveals wear that dirt was concealing. Client
acknowledges that Contractor is not responsible for pre-existing
conditions, including but not limited to: loose or failing
mortar, spalling or previously damaged concrete, oxidized or
chalking paint and siding, failing sealer or coatings,
deteriorated wood, damaged screens, and leaking window or door
seals. Contractor will notify Client of any such condition
observed before proceeding on the affected area.
8. PROPERTY PROTECTION
Contractor will pre-wet and rinse landscaping adjacent to the
work area and will use methods appropriate to each surface.
Client is responsible for identifying any sensitive plantings,
outdoor equipment, or finishes requiring special protection
before work begins.
9. WEATHER AND RESCHEDULING
Work may be rescheduled by either party for weather or
conditions that would affect quality or safety, at no charge.
Contractor will offer the next available date.
10. CANCELLATION
Either party may cancel with [24] hours' notice at no charge.
Cancellation inside that window, or a locked-out or inaccessible
property on arrival, may incur a trip charge of $[75.00].
11. INSURANCE
Contractor carries general liability insurance of $[1,000,000]
per occurrence. A certificate of insurance is available on
request.
12. CHANGES TO SCOPE
Any addition to the scope will be quoted and approved in writing
(email or text is sufficient) before that work begins.
13. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Contractor's total liability under this agreement is limited to
the amount paid by Client for the services, except where
limitation is not permitted by applicable law.
14. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
This document is the complete agreement between the parties and
supersedes prior discussions. It is governed by the laws of the
State of [State]. Changes must be in writing and signed by both
parties.
ACCEPTED AND AGREED
Client: ___________________________ Date: ____________
Print name: [Client Name]
Contractor: _______________________ Date: ____________
Print name: [Your Name], [Your Company Name]2 · Recurring Commercial & HOA Agreement
For scheduled, repeating work at a property managed by someone other than the owner. This is the document that turns a one-off plaza cleaning into route revenue.
RECURRING EXTERIOR CLEANING SERVICE AGREEMENT
[YOUR COMPANY NAME]
[Address] · [Phone] · [Email]
[License # if applicable]
Agreement #: [C-0042] Effective date: [Month Day, Year]
1. PARTIES
Contractor: [Your Company Name] ("Contractor")
Client: [Management Company / Association / Business Name]
Property: [Property Name], [Property Address]
Authorized contact: [Name], [Title], [Phone], [Email]
Billing contact: [Name], [Email], PO/Vendor #: [______]
2. TERM AND RENEWAL
Initial term: [12] months from the effective date.
This agreement renews for successive [12]-month terms unless
either party gives written notice at least [30] days before the
end of the then-current term.
3. SERVICE FREQUENCY
Contractor will perform [4] scheduled services per year,
approximately [quarterly], on a schedule agreed in advance.
Service window: [between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM], to avoid
business hours and resident disruption.
4. SCOPE OF WORK — BY ZONE
Each scheduled service includes cleaning of the following zones:
Zone 1 — Storefront sidewalk ......... [6,300] sq ft
Zone 2 — Rear service walkway ........ [2,350] sq ft
Zone 3 — Dumpster pads (x[2]) ........ [flat rate]
Zone 4 — Parking and drive lanes ..... [18,400] sq ft
Total: ........ [27,050] sq ft
Zone areas are measured and are the basis of pricing. Additions
to the property or to the scope are handled under Section 10.
5. EXCLUSIONS
Not included unless added in writing: roof cleaning, window
cleaning, graffiti and paint removal, gum removal, sealing or
striping, interior areas, and remediation of pre-existing
surface damage.
6. PRICE AND PAYMENT
Price per scheduled service: $[1,650.00]
Annual total ([4] services): $[6,600.00]
Invoiced after each service. Net [30] days.
Late payments accrue [1.5]% per month, to the extent permitted
by applicable law.
Additional or emergency services are billed at $[____] per
[hour / sq ft], approved in writing in advance.
7. PRICE ADJUSTMENT
Pricing is fixed for the initial term. Contractor may propose an
adjustment for any renewal term with at least [45] days' written
notice before the renewal date. Client may decline and terminate
effective at the end of the current term.
8. SITE ACCESS
Client will provide access to the property and to a working
water source during the service window, including gate and
access codes, and will arrange for [parking areas to be cleared
/ vehicles relocated] where required. Areas that cannot be
accessed during a scheduled service will be noted in the service
report and cleaned at the next service, or scheduled separately
at the rates above.
9. NOTICE TO OCCUPANTS
Client is responsible for notifying residents, tenants, or
occupants in advance of each scheduled service.
10. CHANGES TO SCOPE
Any change in the property, the zones, or the frequency will be
priced by Contractor and confirmed in writing before that work
is performed. Measured square footage for any added zone will be
provided with the change order.
11. INSURANCE
Contractor maintains general liability of $[1,000,000] per
occurrence / $[2,000,000] aggregate, workers' compensation as
required by law, and commercial auto coverage. A certificate of
insurance naming [Owner Entity] and [Management Company] as
additional insured will be provided on execution and at each
renewal.
12. DOCUMENTATION
Contractor will provide a written service report after each
scheduled service, including date, zones serviced, before and
after photographs by zone, and any property conditions observed.
13. TERMINATION
Either party may terminate for convenience with [30] days'
written notice. Either party may terminate immediately for
material breach not cured within [15] days of written notice.
Client remains responsible for services performed through the
termination date.
14. SUBCONTRACTING
Contractor may use qualified subcontractors and remains
responsible for the work and for insurance coverage.
15. GENERAL
This agreement is the complete agreement between the parties and
is governed by the laws of the State of [State]. Changes must be
in writing and signed by both parties. Neither party is liable
for delays caused by events outside its reasonable control.
ACCEPTED AND AGREED
Client: ___________________________ Date: ____________
Print name / title: [Name], [Title]
Entity: [Management Company / Association]
Contractor: _______________________ Date: ____________
Print name: [Your Name], [Your Company Name]Not legal advice. These are working templates, not documents drafted for your state or your situation. Limitation of liability, cancellation rights on residential work, permitted late-fee rates, and lien language all vary by state and sometimes by city. Have a local attorney read your standard agreement once, before you send it a hundred times.
What Each Clause Is Actually For
Every line in those templates is there because something went wrong on somebody's job. If you know which failure a clause prevents, you'll keep it when a client asks you to strike it — and you'll know which ones you can genuinely afford to give up.
Scope with measured square footage
Prevents: Scope creep, and a price you can't defend"Clean the driveway" is an argument waiting to happen — does that include the apron, the walkway, the garage pad? Square footage per surface settles it in advance, makes the price arithmetic instead of opinion, and turns month-three additions into obvious change orders rather than awkward conversations.
Exclusions, stated plainly
Prevents: The one-star review about the oil stainMost disputes come from mismatched expectations, not bad work. Saying up front that deep-set oil may lighten but not fully lift costs you nothing, protects your reviews, and frequently sells the stain treatment as a separate line.
Surface condition disclaimer
Prevents: Being blamed for damage the dirt was hidingCleaning reveals failing mortar, spalled concrete, oxidized siding, and rotten trim that were invisible an hour earlier. Without this clause you are the most recent person to touch it, which in a homeowner's memory is the same as having caused it.
Access and client responsibilities
Prevents: A wasted trip you can't bill forA locked gate, a dead spigot, or four cars on the driveway turns a scheduled job into an unpaid drive. Naming what the client must provide — water, access, moved vehicles, codes, closed windows — makes the trip charge in your cancellation clause fair rather than punitive.
Property protection terms
Prevents: The landscaping claimPlants are the most common damage claim in exterior cleaning. Committing to pre-wet and rinse while asking the client to flag sensitive plantings puts the obligation where each party can actually meet it.
Payment terms and late fees
Prevents: Chasing a commercial invoice for ninety daysResidential is usually due on completion. Commercial runs Net 30 and will pay on your terms if the terms exist — and will pay on their own schedule if they don't. State the rate for late payment; permitted rates vary by state, so cap it with "to the extent permitted by applicable law."
Weather and rescheduling
Prevents: Being penalized for a forecastExterior work moves. A clause that lets either side reschedule for weather at no charge removes the pressure to wash in conditions that produce a callback.
Cancellation and trip charge
Prevents: Same-day cancellations that cost you the slotA 24-hour notice window with a stated trip charge is standard and rarely objected to. Its real value is behavioral: clients who know the number tend to give you notice.
Insurance stated in the document
Prevents: A round of paperwork before you can startCommercial clients will ask for a certificate naming them as additional insured. Putting your limits in the agreement and offering the COI up front removes a step that otherwise delays the start date — and signals you've done this before.
Change orders in writing
Prevents: Unbilled work you agreed to in a driveway conversation"Could you hit the back patio while you're here?" is how margin quietly leaves a job. Email or text counts as writing; the point is that a price exists before the work does.
Term, renewal, and termination (recurring only)
Prevents: Losing an account you thought was locked inA twelve-month term with automatic renewal and thirty days' notice is the commercial norm. Without it, a recurring account is a series of one-off jobs that can end without warning — and that's the difference between route revenue and a busy season.
When a Signed Estimate Is Enough
More paperwork is not automatically better. Sending a fourteen-section agreement for a $180 driveway reads as friction and can lose you a job you'd already won. The honest rule is to match the document to the exposure.
Signed estimate is enough
- One-off residential job under a few hundred dollars
- Concrete flatwork you've done a hundred times
- Repeat customer you already have terms with
- Same-day turnaround where paperwork would lose the job
Use the full agreement
- Any recurring or scheduled service
- Commercial, HOA, or property-management work
- Roof, wood, or anything with real damage exposure
- Jobs over a few thousand dollars, or with a deposit
- Anywhere a manager or board approves the spend
Estimate, Contract, Invoice
These get used interchangeably and they do three different jobs. The estimate is a price for a defined scope — it wins the work. The contract is the terms under which the work happens — it protects the work once won. The invoice is the request for payment after.
Plenty of one-off residential work collapses the first two: an estimate whose acceptance line makes the attached terms binding is a contract, and that's fine. Split them the moment there's a schedule, a property manager, or real liability exposure — because then the terms outlive any single price.
All three depend on the same underlying number. A scope line without square footage is a description; with it, it's a measurement both parties agreed to. That's what makes it defensible six months later when someone asks whether the rear walkway was in the original scope.
Getting It Signed Without Killing the Momentum
Send it with the price, not after
A contract that shows up once the client has already said yes reads as a new negotiation. Attached to the estimate, it reads as how you do business — and almost nobody argues with it.
Electronic signature is fine
E-signatures are valid for ordinary commercial agreements in the US under the federal E-SIGN Act and state UETA adoptions. A free e-sign tool, or a clear "reply APPROVED to accept" on a small job, both hold up better than an unsigned PDF.
One page for residential
Trim the one-time agreement to what actually applies. Scope, exclusions, price, access, condition disclaimer, cancellation. A homeowner who has to scroll for four minutes starts looking for reasons to hesitate.
Expect commercial to edit it
Property managers often have their own vendor agreement or will redline yours. That's normal. Know in advance which clauses you'll defend — condition disclaimer, change orders, limitation of liability — and which you'll trade.
Attach the COI up front
For commercial and HOA work, sending the certificate before it's requested removes a step that otherwise delays the start by a week. It also signals you've done this before.
Keep the measured scope with the file
Save the measurement alongside the signed agreement. When the scope is questioned a year in, the traced area and the square footage on the contract are the same number — and that ends the conversation.
Winning the commercial and HOA accounts these recurring agreements are written for is its own sequence — vendor qualification, sourcing, and the bid package are covered in how to win commercial pressure washing contracts, with the pricing math in how to quote commercial pressure washing.
Contract Questions Contractors Ask
When you need one, what goes in it, and how it differs from an estimate.
For a $200 driveway, a signed estimate with clear inclusions and exclusions usually does the job. A full service agreement earns its keep the moment a job gets bigger, gets repeated, or gets risky — recurring commercial and HOA work, anything on a roof or wood, jobs over a few thousand dollars, and any property where a manager or board has to approve the spend. The practical test is whether a dispute would cost you more than the ten minutes the paperwork takes.
Eleven things: the parties and the property address, a scope of work with measured square footage per surface, exclusions stated plainly, the price and payment terms, the service window, access requirements like a working spigot and moved vehicles, a surface-condition disclaimer covering pre-existing damage and stains that may not fully lift, property-protection terms for landscaping and openings, a weather and rescheduling clause, cancellation terms, and proof of insurance. Everything else is optional.
An estimate is a price for a defined scope — it wins the job. A contract is the terms under which the work happens — it protects the job once it's won. Many contractors merge them, sending an estimate whose acceptance line makes the attached terms binding, and for one-off residential work that's usually enough. The moment there's a recurring schedule, a property manager, or real liability exposure, split them: a separate signed service agreement, with each visit priced off it.
Add five things to the one-time agreement: a term (twelve months is standard) with a renewal mechanism, the visit frequency and an agreed service window, a per-visit price with the annual total stated, a price-adjustment clause tied to the renewal date, and termination terms with notice on both sides. Price each visit rather than the year — a board that can approve a per-visit number is easier to close than one being asked to commit to an annual figure it can't unpick.
Yes, per surface. It's the single most useful line in the document. Measured square footage turns the price from an opinion into arithmetic, which is what makes it defensible to an owner or a board. It also defines the scope boundary: when the client asks you to add the rear walkway in month three, a line-item area makes the change order obvious instead of awkward, and it settles any later argument about what was and wasn't included.
You can use one as a starting point, and most contractors do. But contractor agreements are governed by state law, and things like limitation-of-liability wording, cancellation rights for residential work, permitted late-fee rates, and lien language vary by state and sometimes by city. Have a local attorney read your standard agreement once, before you send it a hundred times. That single review is cheap relative to one unenforceable clause discovered mid-dispute.
The Rest of the Paperwork
Everything around the contract — quoting it, insuring it, and winning it.
Put a Real Number in the Scope Line
The clause that carries the most weight in either template is the one with square footage in it. Measure any property from satellite imagery in under a minute, then write the scope from a number you can defend. 1 free measurement, no credit card.