Pricing, Honestly
No mystery math. Here's how the number gets built.
Commercial soft washing typically runs $0.15–$0.60 per square foot of facade. The wide range is driven almost entirely by access — and access is the line item the drone deletes. Every driver is explained below. Your exact number arrives in writing within one business day.
Ballpark It
Estimate your facade
Cleaning is priced on the surface being cleaned, not floor area. A quick way to estimate yours: building perimeter × height. Ballparks are for websites — for your actual building we scope remotely from the address and return a written price, no site visit needed.
- Soft-washing range only; other services are priced per project after a remote scope
- Assumes typical staining; heavy restoration trends toward the top of the range
- Under three stories with easy ground access, a conventional crew can be cheaper — our proposal says so when it's true
Facade ballpark
Facade area: —
Soft-wash ballpark: —
Math: perimeter × height × $0.15–$0.60/sq ft. A ballpark, not a bid — get the real number.
The Access Math
Drone vs. lift vs. rope
On taller buildings you're often paying more for the equipment to reach the dirt than for removing the dirt. That's the industry's dirty secret, and it's the line item we attack.
| KYROCK drone crew | Boom lift / swing stage | Rope access | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workers at height | Zero, ever. The drone does the climbing. | Crew elevated for the duration of the job. | Technicians suspended by the drop. |
| Access equipment | None rented. The aircraft is the access. | Lift or swing-stage rental — often the largest line on a mid-rise bid. | Rigging and anchors set per drop. |
| Sidewalks & entrances | Stay open. Crews stage from a parking space. | Staging areas and closures are common. | Drop zones cordoned below the work. |
| Schedule | Buildings that took crews a week take our flight team a day or two. | Days to weeks, plus equipment delivery windows. | Priced and paced by the drop. |
| Risk profile | No one on your property is above the ground floor. | Work-at-height liability sits on your job site. | Highest-skill, highest-exposure access method. |
By Service
What drives each price
Soft Washing
- Facade square footage (perimeter × height), not floor area
- Height and access: the line item the drone mostly deletes
- Surface type and staining severity (EIFS with years of algae takes more chemistry and dwell time than metal panel)
- Site logistics: landscaping protection, water source, occupied ground floors, work-hour restrictions
- One-time restoration vs. a 12–24 month maintenance cycle: recurring cleans price lower per visit
Pressure Washing
- Surface area and soil load (gum, grease, and tire marks price differently than atmospheric grime)
- Access: high-reach concrete without scaffolding is where the drone changes the bid
- Traffic control: on roadway and infrastructure work, avoided closures are often the biggest saving
- Water recovery and containment where regulations require it
- Add-ons in the same mobilization: sealing, striping prep, rust treatment
Window Cleaning
- Glass area and pane count, plus frames and sills (rinsed in the same pass)
- Building height: rope access and swing stages price by the drop; the drone doesn’t
- First clean vs. maintenance cycle: quarterly and semi-annual programs price lower per visit
- Obstructions and setbacks that shape the flight plan
- Post-construction detailing needs (hands-on work we scope honestly)
Graffiti Removal
- Structure type and substrate: concrete, painted steel, and masonry take different removers
- Traffic control avoided: no lane closures, MOT plans, or crash trucks in most cases
- Single removal vs. standing rapid-response program (programs price per structure class)
- Full-panel cleaning where a ghost shadow would remain
- Documentation requirements: before/after photo packages are included
Programs
Stay clean for less than getting clean
The most expensive clean is the one after five years of neglect. Buildings on a 12–24 month soft-wash cycle (or quarterly to semi-annual window programs) never look dirty and price lower per visit — the grime never gets a head start, and the flight plan is already written.
Managing a portfolio? Ask about regional multi-property scheduling: one proposal, one point of contact, consolidated cadence across your buildings.
Why publish a range instead of a rate card?
Because access, surface, and site logistics move the number more than square footage does, and a rate card would be wrong in both directions. We publish the honest range, explain every driver on this page, and put an exact number in writing within one business day of a quote request.
Is the drone always the cheaper option?
No. On buildings under three stories with easy ground access, a conventional crew can be cheaper, and when that is true for your building our proposal says so. The drone wins where access equipment, closures, and schedule are big line items: mid-rise and up, busy sites, and hard-to-reach structures.
How do maintenance programs change the price?
First-time restoration cleans cost the most. Buildings on a 12–24 month soft-wash cycle, or quarterly to semi-annual window programs, price lower per visit because the grime never gets a multi-year head start. Managing several properties? Ask about regional multi-property scheduling on one proposal.
Get a written quote in one business day.
Or see it fly first: book a free live demo before you commit to anything.