Exterior painting in Atlanta
Pressure washing and soft washing in Atlanta homes, before paint or on its own
Green algae on the north wall, black mildew under the eaves, a yellow film of pollen and orange clay splashed up the foundation. Atlanta houses get dirty in very specific ways, and the wrong washing method can do real damage.
We clean siding, trim, brick and stucco with a low-pressure soft wash and clean driveways, walks and patios with a surface cleaner at higher pressure. It's the first step of every exterior repaint and a standalone service too. A typical house wash takes half a day to a day and runs $345 to $785. Call (470) 458-0461 to set a wash date.
Pressure washing is the wrong name for most of what a house needs. High pressure strips paint, forces water behind siding and into window frames, and etches soft brick and wood. For the house itself we soft wash: a cleaning solution applied at low pressure kills mildew and algae at the root, and a gentle rinse carries it away. The walls come clean and stay clean longer, because the growth is dead rather than just blasted off the surface.
Hard surfaces are different. Concrete driveways, sidewalks and pool decks can take real pressure, and a rotary surface cleaner gives an even result with no wand stripes. Red clay that has soaked into concrete often needs a pretreatment and a second pass before it lifts. Every exterior repaint we do starts with a wash, since paint will not bond to pollen, chalk, or mildew. Plenty of homeowners also call us just for the cleaning, to freshen a house before listing it or to clear a winter of growth from the shaded side.
When to call
Signs your house or driveway needs a wash
Green film on shaded walls
Algae shows up first on north-facing siding, behind shrubs and under deep eaves. It starts as a faint green tint and thickens into a slick coating that holds moisture against the wall.
Black speckles under eaves
Mildew tends to collect along soffits and the top of walls where air is still. Wipe a spot with diluted bleach; if it lightens, it's mildew and needs to be killed, not just rinsed.
Chalky residue on your hand
Rub your palm on painted siding. A white or colored powder means the paint is chalking. It needs a thorough wash before any new coat or the paint will not stick.
Orange band at the foundation
Clay splashed up by rain and gutters stains the bottom foot or two of siding and brick. On porous surfaces it soaks in and needs a targeted cleaner.
Dark streaks on concrete
Driveways and walks under trees collect tannin stains, mildew and tire marks. A surface cleaner pass brings back the original gray and removes slick algae from walkways.
Yellow coating after spring
Pine pollen settles in a waxy film on every horizontal ledge and window sill. Rain moves it around rather than removing it, and it feeds mildew once summer humidity arrives.
Scope of work
What our house wash and flatwork cleaning covers
- Soft washing siding, trim, soffits and fascia with a mildew and algae cleaner
- Pre-wetting and covering plants, then rinsing them again after cleaning
- Gentle cleaning of brick and stucco with pressure matched to the surface
- Pretreating red clay and rust stains on foundations and lower walls
- Surface cleaner on driveways, sidewalks, patios and front steps
- Rinsing window frames and screens without forcing water into seals
- Clearing loose debris from gutter faces and downspout outlets we wash past
- Final rinse and walk-around to catch spots missed on shaded walls
How the job runs
How we wash a house without damaging it
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| A1 | Survey the surfacesWe note siding type, old paint condition, window seals, outlets and lights, and anything that should not get wet. Loose or failing paint changes our pressure and spray angle. |
| A2 | Protect plants and fixturesWe soak beds and shrubs with plain water so they don't absorb cleaner, cover delicate plants, and seal outdoor outlets, lights and doorbells with plastic and tape. |
| A3 | Apply soft wash solutionA diluted sodium hypochlorite and surfactant mix goes on from the bottom up at low pressure. It sits for several minutes to kill mildew and algae, but we never let it dry on the wall. |
| A4 | Rinse from the top downWe rinse with clean water at low pressure, working from the roofline down so dirty water never runs over finished sections, and we flush plants again as we go. |
| A5 | Clean the flatworkDriveways and walks get a pretreatment for clay and organic stains, then a rotary surface cleaner pass, then a post-treatment for any leftover dark spots. |
| A6 | Dry time before paintIf paint is next, siding dries at least 24 to 48 hours, longer on shaded walls. We check with a moisture meter before primer goes on, not by touch. |
Atlanta conditions
Pollen, clay and canopy: washing an Atlanta house
Timing matters here. Washing in early March only to have the pine pollen land a week later wastes money, so for a standalone house wash we usually suggest late April or May, once the yellow dust has finished falling. For a repaint the wash happens right before prep, whatever the season, and we rinse again if pollen settles between washing and priming. In shaded neighborhoods like Chastain Park or across much of Cobb County, mildew comes back faster, and an annual soft wash keeps it from building up.
Red Georgia clay is its own problem. It's mostly fine particles of iron-rich soil, and on bare concrete or brick it acts almost like a dye. Fresh splash usually rinses off. Older stains need an oxalic or citric cleaner made for rust and iron staining, applied and agitated before rinsing. We also check for synthetic stucco on 1990s homes, since EIFS must never be hit with high pressure that could drive water behind it.
Where we do this work most
Built pages for neighborhoods and cities we cover, with ZIP codes.
Typical costs
Pressure washing and soft washing costs in Atlanta
Wash pricing depends on the size and height of the house, how much growth is on it, and how many square feet of driveway and walkway get cleaned. Steep lots and three-story backs take longer to rinse safely. Ranges below are typical for Atlanta in 2026, not quotes. When the wash is part of a paint job, it's built into the painting estimate.
| Work | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Soft wash, single-story home up to about 1,750 sq ft | $345 to $585 |
| Soft wash, two-story home, 2,250 to 3,250 sq ft | $465 to $785 |
| Driveway and front walk with surface cleaner | $0.18 to $0.39 per sq ft |
| Red clay or rust stain treatment | $85 to $245 per area |
| Deck or patio wash only | $165 to $415 |
Typical Atlanta ranges, not a quote. Your written estimate follows a free walkthrough. Compare other jobs on our painting price guide.
What moves the price
- House height and wall square footage
- Amount of mildew and algae
- Square footage of concrete
- Clay and rust stain removal
- Steep or tight access around the house
- Whether painting follows the wash
Cleaners and equipment we use for washing
Our soft wash rig runs a low-pressure pump that applies a measured mix of sodium hypochlorite, water and a biodegradable surfactant so the cleaner clings to the wall instead of running off. For concrete we use a hot-capable pressure washer with a 20-inch rotary surface cleaner and fan tips for edges. Clay and rust spots get an oxalic acid cleaner. Before painting, we use a TSP substitute on chalky trim and a degreaser on kitchen vents. A pin moisture meter tells us when siding has dried enough for primer.
Paints, primers and stains our painters work with every week, from Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore to PPG and Romabio.
Questions
Pressure washing questions from Atlanta homeowners
Will the bleach solution in a soft wash kill my plants?
Not if it's handled right. We soak beds with plain water before we start, so the plants are already saturated and don't absorb runoff, then rinse them again during and after the wash. Fragile plants get covered. The cleaner is also diluted well below what you'd use in a bathroom. A little leaf browning can happen on very sensitive plants, and we point those out beforehand.
Can you pressure wash brick without damaging the mortar?
Yes, at the right pressure and distance. Older soft brick and sand-lime mortar from early 1900s homes can be scarred by a narrow tip at high pressure, so we use a soft wash solution and a gentle rinse on brick, and only add pressure on newer, hard-fired brick. If mortar joints are already crumbling, we'll tell you before cleaning, since washing will expose it.
How long does a soft wash keep mildew and algae away?
On sunny walls a soft wash usually keeps a house clean for a year or two. Shaded north walls under heavy tree cover can start to show growth again within a year, especially after a wet summer. Because the cleaner kills the roots rather than just knocking off the top layer, it lasts longer than a pressure-only wash. Many homeowners schedule a light wash each spring.
Can red clay stains really come out of a concrete driveway?
Most of them, yes. Fresh clay rinses off easily. Older stains have soaked into the concrete pores, and those need a rust and iron cleaner that sits for a few minutes and gets scrubbed before rinsing. Very old or deep stains may lighten a lot without vanishing completely. We'll test a small spot first so you know what to expect before we clean the whole driveway.
Is it safe to wash a house with EIFS synthetic stucco?
It's safe with a soft wash and dangerous with high pressure. EIFS is foam board with a thin finish coat, and a pressure tip can gouge it or drive water behind it, where it can rot the wall framing without showing on the outside. We identify EIFS during the walkthrough and wash it with low pressure only, paying close attention to sealant joints around windows.
Related work
Jobs that often go with this one
Exterior House Painting
Full exterior repaints on wood, fiber cement and mixed-material Atlanta homes: wash, scrape, sand, caulk, spot prime and two finish coats.
Deck Staining & Sealing
Deck cleaning, brightening and staining in transparent, semi-transparent or solid colors, timed around Atlanta pollen and summer storms.
Brick Painting
Painting brick with breathable mineral or masonry coatings after mortar repair, for Atlanta brick ranches, Tudors and fireplaces.
Stucco Painting
Painting traditional cement stucco and synthetic stucco (EIFS) on Atlanta homes, with crack bridging and elastomeric options where they fit.
Talk through your pressure washing job
Call any time. We will ask a few questions, set a walkthrough time and put the scope and price in writing.