No list can tell you which company suits your house, and a ranking of businesses by name is closer to advertising than advice. What works is a short, repeatable check. Use this seven-point scorecard, the phone questions and the red flags below on every company you call.
In This Article
The seven-point scorecard
| Check | What good looks like | How to verify it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Liability insurance | Current general liability cover that suits work around your home | Ask for a certificate naming you or your address, and read the dates and the limit |
| 2. WSIB | A current clearance certificate, or a clear written reason none is needed | Ask for the certificate before the crew arrives |
| 3. Written scope | Each surface listed, with its method and exclusions | Read it. A price on its own is not a scope |
| 4. Work you can see | Their own before and after photos of surfaces like yours | Ask for interlock, softwood or siding examples if that is your job |
| 5. Independent reviews | Steady, specific reviews on more than one platform | Read the middling and negative ones and how the owner replied |
| 6. Wash-water plan | Plants protected, detergents kept out of storm drains, debris swept up | Ask how they handle it, and what they do near a street drain |
| 7. Access and schedule | A clear rain plan, arrival window and crew size | Get it in writing with the quote |
Phone questions, and what a good answer sounds like
- "What pressure and tip will you use on my patio or deck?" A good answer names a different setting for each material and offers to test a small hidden patch. "Same as everything else" is a warning.
- "Will you use pressure on my siding?" Painted or vinyl siding usually calls for a gentler wash. Listen for that option.
- "What is not included?" Sealing, staining, rust removal and repairs are common exclusions. An honest crew says so up front.
- "What happens if something gets damaged?" Expect a calm, specific answer about insurance and how a claim would work, not a promise that damage never happens.
- "Who will be at my house?" Employees, subcontractors or the owner? Whoever it is, the insurance and WSIB answers should match.
- "Can someone look at it first?" For a large or unusual job, a site visit or a few photos should come before a firm price. A number given blind is a guess wearing a suit.
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Red flags worth walking away from
- No written quote, or a quote that changes once the crew is on site.
- A firm price for a complicated job without any photos or a look at the property.
- Pressure to book today, or a cash-only discount with no invoice.
- Promises to remove every stain or guaranteed results before anyone has seen the surface.
- Reluctance to show insurance paperwork.
- A price far below every other quote. Ask what was left out before you celebrate it.
Reviews deserve the same scepticism. A cluster of near-identical five-star reviews posted within a few days tells you less than a modest run of specific ones spread across seasons.
Turning three quotes into one fair comparison
Line the quotes up by surface, not by total. For each one, note the surfaces covered, the method, the exclusions, the insurance proof and the rain plan. Two totals only mean something if they cover the same list. The reasons prices differ are set out in why pressure washing quotes vary so much in Kitchener.
Then rank the answers, not the prices. The company that explained its method, showed its paperwork and wrote the scope down has already done most of the work of earning the job. If two companies tie on those points, let the rain plan and the arrival window break the tie.
How D&D answers the same scorecard
Judge D&D Home Services by the checks above, not by its own description. The facts you can test: it is Kitchener-Waterloo based and has operated since 2018, carries $2 million in general liability insurance, and its crew members are Working at Heights certified. Quotes are free and confirmed in writing before work begins, and service covers Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph plus nearby towns.
Ask for the insurance certificate as you would from anyone, read the reviews page alongside independent platforms, and see the pressure washing service page for the scope. More warning signs are collected in how to spot a bad exterior cleaning contractor.
Key Takeaways
- Score every company on the same seven points: insurance, WSIB, written scope, visible work, independent reviews, wash-water plan and schedule.
- A good answer to the pressure question names a different setting for each surface and offers a hidden test patch.
- No written quote, no insurance paperwork or a price far below the others are reasons to keep looking.
- Compare quotes by surface and exclusions, not by the total at the bottom.
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