Bigger or unusual job? Compare bids from local pros and you pick who does the work.
The service
What pressure wash & paint prep is, what a visit covers and where the line is.
The short answer
A pressure wash and paint prep package is a booking in which an independent local pro does only the preparation that comes before exterior painting. Pressure Wash & Paint Prep in San Francisco is booked through pros who cover its 28 ZIP codes, in neighborhoods such as The Mission, Noe Valley, and The Sunset. SF's microclimates mean fog, wind, and moisture vary dramatically by neighborhood. Providers account for this in material selection. Prep work is priced and warranted by the pro you select.
What a pressure wash & paint prep visit includes
What is included depends on the jobs you pick and on how each pro sets up their visit and timing. You see the exact scope with each pro's price before you book.
- Pressure washing of siding, trim and soffits
- Scraping and sanding of failing paint
- Caulking of gaps and cracks at trim and joints
- Spot priming of bare wood and repairs
- Masking of windows and fixtures
- A clean, paint-ready exterior at the end of the visit
Pick what is on your list
Tick what you want done, or add your own. Your list goes under the booking card and to the pro you choose, and you can describe anything else when you book.
Washing
Tick what you want done. One visit can cover several.
Tick jobs above, or add your own. Your list goes under the booking card and to the pro you choose, so they see exactly what you need before they arrive.
What shapes a pressure wash & paint prep job
These are the things that make one job different from another. Mention them in your notes so each pro can scope your job properly.
What is not part of pressure wash & paint prep
Knowing where the line is keeps the visit on track and keeps you safe. When a job belongs to a specialist, NorTech tells you before you book.
- Any job where labor and materials together reach $1,000 or more. A licensed contractor takes anything past that line, and you see this before you book.
- Painting or staining. This package ends at a primed, paint-ready surface, and the finish coats are a separate booking.
- Replacing rotted siding, trim, fascia or windows, or repairing roofs and gutters.
- Interior work, mold remediation beyond surface cleaning, and deck or fence staining.
- Dry scraping, sanding or high-pressure blasting at a home built before 1978. Older paint may contain lead and needs lead-safe handling.
- In San Francisco, sF DBI permit requirements are among the strictest in California. Smaller jobs stay within the handyman exemption; permitted work is bid on by NorTech-verified licensed contractors.
Plan your visit
How booking works, how to get ready, and what to expect where you live.
How booking pressure wash & paint prep works
Say what needs doing
Add your ZIP and a few words about the job.
Compare pros near you
Each pro sets their own price and warranty. NorTech does not pick for you.
Book the pro you pick
Add photos and details on their page. Your card is held and only charged after the work and the photos.
Photos and a warranty
Your pro backs the work with a workmanship warranty — if covered work is not right, your pro makes it right, free.
Before you book pressure wash & paint prep
Quick things that save a trip. Tick them off as you go; none of it is required to book.
Tell the pro who will paint and when
Share your painter, schedule and the paint system if you know it. The painter may want certain primers or surface conditions, and the timing of the wash depends on when they start.
Photograph every wall and trim detail
Take photos of each wall, the trim and any peeling, stains, rot or open joints. The pro can estimate the scraping, caulking and priming from them.
Close windows and secure the yard
Close windows and doors, remove screens that might be damaged, and move furniture, grills and pots from the walls. Cover or move delicate plants.
Check for rot with a screwdriver
Press a screwdriver into sills, the bottoms of casings and the lowest siding boards. Tell the pro where it sinks in, so repairs can be planned before the surface is primed.
Ask about the wash method
Ask whether the pro will use low pressure, soft wash or high pressure on your siding, and what cleaners they use near plants and pets. The method should fit the material.
Plan the gap before painting
Ask the pro how long the primed surfaces can wait before painting. Bare primed wood should not sit exposed for weeks, so line up the painter before the prep begins.
Say where in San Francisco you are
Add your neighborhood, for example The Mission, Noe Valley, and The Sunset, or your ZIP code to your notes. Pros choose the neighborhoods they cover, and it tells them how far they have to travel.
How where you live changes pressure wash & paint prep
Best time to book pressure wash & paint prep
Prep should be timed so surfaces dry before painting, ideally with a dry spell of a few days. Late spring and early fall suit most places. Do not prep so far ahead that bare primed wood sits exposed for weeks, and avoid washing right before freezing weather. In San Francisco, the dry season from late spring to fall is the easiest time for outside work, and the fall calendar fills before the first big rain.
Together
Book pressure wash & paint prep with your neighbors
Every home on the street gets the pro’s neighbor rate, and each one books and pays on its own.
Start a Street Day- Start one
Pick the job, your street, a day and a pro who offers a neighbor rate.
- Share the link
Send it to neighbors. Only the city is ever shown publicly, never your street.
- Neighbors join
Neighbors on your street book the same pro on the same day.
- Everyone saves
Each home gets the pro’s neighbor rate, a percent off the pro’s own price, and books and pays on its own.
Often booked together with pressure wash & paint prep
Book several services with one pro. Pros set their own bundle discounts.
After the prep is done, the whole house can be primed and painted for a uniform finish that lasts.
A prepped wall or elevation can be repainted in a targeted refresh without painting the entire house.
Additional sealing around windows, doors and penetrations goes well with the caulking done in the prep.
Damaged or rotted siding found during prep should be repaired before the paint goes on.
Around San Francisco
Where in San Francisco the work happens, and the cities close by.
Pressure Wash & Paint Prep across San Francisco
Pick your neighborhood to see what homes there tend to need. Pros choose the neighborhoods they cover, so enter your ZIP code to see who covers yours.
Cities near San Francisco
Pros often cover more than one city. The rings show 5 and 10 miles from the center of town.
Other services in San Francisco
Each one has its own page for this city.
Ideal for the long punch list of small fixes that pile up in older SF Victorians and Edwardians, from sticking doors to loose trim, with each pro's visit price shown before you book.
See pros in San FranciscoMany SF flats have original plaster-and-lath walls that crack with settling and seismic movement, and providers can patch both plaster and modern drywall cleanly.
See pros in San FranciscoTall ceilings, ornate Victorian moldings, and compact condo rooms all get a fresh, even finish that holds up to the city's damp, foggy microclimates.
See pros in San FranciscoPerfect for pre-sale punch lists and turnover on TIC units, condos, and rentals across high-turnover neighborhoods like SoMa and the Mission.
See pros in San FranciscoOriginal SF doorways shift on steep-slope foundations, so providers re-hang, adjust, and weatherproof doors that stick or no longer latch in older homes.
See pros in San FranciscoA fresh front door is the highest-return upgrade there is — prepped, primed, and finished.
See pros in San FranciscoTrust and answers
What backs the work, who is licensed and insured, what customers say, and your questions.
Backed by your provider’s warranty. If covered work fails, your provider makes it right, free.
San Francisco homeowners
Pressure Wash & Paint Prep reviews in San Francisco
Verified pressure wash & paint prep reviews from San Francisco homeowners will appear here.
Be the first pressure wash & paint prep review in San Francisco
Your pro backs the work with a workmanship warranty — if covered work is not right, your pro makes it right, free. Book with confidence and tell San Francisco how your pro did.
Book Pressure Wash & Paint Prep in San FranciscoFrequently asked