House Washing Services
Compass Painting provides soft-wash house washing across Cape Cod from our Hyannis shop, cleaning algae, mold, and mildew off vinyl, cedar shake, stucco, and brick siding for homes that usually run $300 to $700 or more.
A house wash is low-pressure exterior cleaning. We apply a biodegradable cleaning solution to your siding, trim, and soffits, let it break down the organic growth, then rinse it away with water under 500 PSI. No blasting, no forcing water behind the siding.
Homeowners need it because Cape Cod salt air keeps exterior surfaces damp longer than inland homes, and that constant moisture feeds the green and black streaking you see creeping up shaded walls and north elevations.
This page covers what a house wash includes, what it costs on Cape Cod, the siding types we clean, our step-by-step process, and how to schedule.
Service Scope
A Compass Painting house wash covers the full exterior siding, trim, and soffits, plus spot treatment of mold, algae, and mildew, with landscaping protected before and after. Standard ground-level and second-story reach is included using extension wands. Roof soft washing, decks, driveways, and gutter interiors are quoted separately.
The method is soft washing, low-pressure application, under 500 PSI, paired with a cleaning solution instead of raw pressure. High pressure drives water behind siding laps and into window and electrical penetrations. A correct wash uses dwell time, the five to fifteen minutes the solution needs to sit and break down organic growth before rinsing.
| Included | Not Included |
|---|---|
| Full siding, trim, and soffit wash | Interior window cleaning |
| Landscaping pre-wet and post-rinse | Roof soft washing (quoted separately) |
| Spot treatment of mold, algae, mildew | Deck, fence, and driveway washing |
| Ground and second-story reach | Gutter interior cleaning |
| Final walkthrough with you | Repairs to damaged siding or caulking |
A job done right leaves no visible streaking and no white chalking residue once the siding dries. We hold the SH mix, the sodium hypochlorite cleaning solution, to roughly a 1–3% ratio matched to the substrate, rinse from the top down so water sheets away instead of driving inward, and wet the plants before and after so the solution never burns your landscaping.
Clear Pricing
House washing on Cape Cod from Compass Painting typically runs $0.25 to $0.40 per square foot, or roughly $300 to $700 or more for an average single-family home in 2026. An average two-story home usually lands in the middle of that range. The size of the home and the siding material drive the price most.
| Job Size / Scope | Typical Range on Cape Cod (2026) |
|---|---|
| Small single-story home | Lower end of $300–$700 |
| Average two-story home | Middle of the range |
| Large or combined house + roof package | $700+ |
A larger home and second-story reach add both material and labor.
Vinyl rinses fast; cedar shake and stucco take more care and time.
Heavier algae and mold means more solution and longer dwell time.
Tight landscaping, fencing, and close neighboring structures can slow the work.
Roof soft washing, gutter brightening, or a window rinse can raise the total.
Every project is quoted after an on-site assessment. Estimates are free, so you will know the expected scope and price before work begins.
Get a Free EstimateSiding Materials
Each siding material behaves differently under salt air, and each takes a different SH mix and rinse approach. This section is educational, no links, just how the four common Cape surfaces clean up.
Vinyl and aluminum are the fastest surfaces to clean and the ones that show green algae most on shaded, north-facing walls. A low-pressure soft wash lifts the film without cracking brittle, sun-aged panels. Best for most mid-Cape ranch and colonial homes carrying years of pollen and mildew.
Cedar shake is the Cape's signature surface and the most delicate to wash. It takes a gentler solution and a careful cold water rinse, a plain low-pressure water rinse, to avoid raising the grain or stripping stain. Best for weathered shingle homes where salt air keeps the wood damp and gray.
Stucco and brick are porous and hold organic growth deep in the texture, so they need adequate dwell time for the solution to reach it. Low pressure protects the mortar joints from erosion. Best for masonry and stucco homes with black streaking on shaded elevations.
The combination package soft-washes the siding along with the roof and gutter exteriors in one visit. Roof algae, the black streaking on north-facing shingles, gets treated at the same low pressure. Best for homeowners prepping for resale or repainting who want the whole exterior uniform.
| Option | Best for | Handles salt-air algae | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl/aluminum wash | Most Cape homes | Yes, fastest | $300–$700 |
| Cedar shake wash | Weathered shingle homes | Yes, gentle method | Varies by condition |
| Stucco/brick wash | Masonry & stucco | Yes, longer dwell | Varies by texture |
| Combination package | Resale / repaint prep | Yes, full exterior | $700+ |
Our Process
Our crew follows the same low-pressure sequence on every home, and the homeowner does not need to do anything but move a car if it's parked close. A small single-story home takes one to two hours; an average two-story home, two to four hours; a large home or combined package, half a day to a full day.
Ivan, Leandro, or a crew lead checks the siding material and the problem areas, shaded walls, north elevations, the corners where nor'easter rain drives moisture in, and writes an itemized estimate. This takes under an hour and the estimate is free.
The crew wets down every plant and shrub near the house and covers electrical and light fixtures. Pre-wetting is what keeps the cleaning solution from burning your landscaping, the step careless crews skip.
We downstream the solution, pull it through the pump at low pressure via a chemical injector, onto siding, soffits, and trim. This is soft washing: the chemistry does the work, not force. Held to a 1-3% SH mix matched to your siding.
The solution sits five to fifteen minutes to break down the algae, mold, and mildew at the root. Rinsing too soon leaves growth behind to return in weeks. Dwell time is what separates a lasting wash from a quick spray.
The crew rinses under 500 PSI, top down, so water sheets away from the siding laps instead of driving behind them. The downward pattern keeps water out of window and electrical penetrations.
Rust, tannin bleed from cedar, and thick mildew pockets get a targeted second treatment. This is the step that clears the marks a single pass leaves behind.
We rinse the landscaping one more time and walk the house with you, checking for streaking or chalking before we pack up. Nothing is finished until you've seen it.
Ready to schedule your house wash? Start with a free on-site estimate from Compass Painting.
Get a Free EstimateService Area
Salt air is the constant that sets Cape Cod house washing apart. Homes within a mile or two of the water take airborne salt that keeps siding damp, and that steady moisture is why algae and mildew return faster here than inland.
For a standard exterior wash, confirm any local requirements with the Town of Barnstable Building Division . Related work such as siding or window replacement can require a permit.
Our crew covers the Cape up-Cape and down: Hyannis, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich, Harwich, Chatham, Orleans, Wellfleet, and out to Provincetown. Compass Painting serves each with the same low-pressure method. See our Hyannis service area for local detail, or the full pressure washing services hub.
Need house washing anywhere on Cape Cod? Start with a free on-site estimate from Compass Painting.
Get a Free EstimateWhy Compass Painting
Our construction supervisor and home improvement contractor licenses are current and on every estimate. You can verify them before we set foot on your property. Learn more about us.
The fastest way to ruin siding is too much pressure. We match PSI and GPM, the water pressure and the flow rate, to the material, staying under 500 PSI so water never drives behind the siding.
Every job carries a one-year workmanship warranty. If our work fails within twelve months, we come back and make it right.
Reviews from customers of Compass Painting, published on Google.
“Amazing job! Our house never looked so good. Ivan & Leandro are professional, personable, punctual, and above all perfectionists.”
via Google ↗“Professional and fast crew, well worth the investment. Will definitely be hiring them again for other painting needs.”
via Google ↗“Ivan and crew were very good - professional, timely and efficient. They repainted our kitchen cabinets and entire interior of our house.”
via Google ↗House Washing Estimate
Get your siding clean before the algae works deeper into it. Compass Painting gives you a free, itemized estimate after an on-site look at your home, so you see exactly what the wash covers and what it costs, no surprises.
Every job comes with a one-year workmanship warranty in writing. Done right the first time, or we come back and make it right.
Call the shop in Hyannis, or request an estimate online and we'll get you on the schedule.
Compass Painting · 47-4 Warehouse Rd, Hyannis, MA, 02601
Every job comes with a one-year workmanship warranty in writing. Done right the first time, or we come back and make it right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Payment terms are set on your written estimate before work begins. Estimates from Compass Painting are free, and the itemized quote shows the full price after an on-site assessment so there are no surprises when the crew arrives.
We use a biodegradable surfactant blended with a sodium hypochlorite solution, held to a 1-3% mix matched to your siding. Plants are wet down before and after so the solution never burns landscaping, and no white chalking residue is left once the siding dries.
You do not need to be home during the wash, though most homeowners like to do the final walkthrough with us. The crew works from the driveway or street and asks only that you move a car if it's parked tight against the house.
Nothing, in most cases. We handle wetting down and protecting the landscaping and covering electrical fixtures. Just close your windows fully and move any vehicles or patio items away from the walls we'll be cleaning.
Every house wash carries a one-year workmanship warranty in writing. If our work fails within twelve months, we come back and make it right at no cost. We also walk the home with you before packing up to catch any streaking on the spot.
The difference is licensing, the correct low-pressure method, and a warranty. A cheap high-pressure wash can drive water behind your siding and strip paint. We hold under 500 PSI, are licensed under CSL #CS122588, and back the work in writing, so it's done once, right.
A standard exterior house wash is generally treated as cosmetic work, but requirements can depend on the project scope. Confirm with the Town of Barnstable Building Division before starting related work such as siding or window replacement.
Homes within a mile or two of the water hold moisture longer because salt air keeps siding from fully drying, so algae and mildew return faster. Waterfront and shaded north-facing walls often need washing every year, while drier, sunnier exposures can stretch to two.
