Will Pressure Washing Increase My Water Bill? How Much Water It Uses

Yes, pressure washing can increase your water bill, but usually by a small amount. The water comes through your metered outdoor tap, and you pay for the litres that flow. A single wash uses hundreds of litres, and a large job can pass a thousand, depending on the machine's flow rate and how long the water runs. Here is how to estimate it for your own home.

Does pressure washing increase your water bill? The short version

It does, because outdoor water is metered like any other. The Region of Waterloo says water and wastewater charges are based on consumption measured in cubic metres, and one cubic metre is 1,000 litres. Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge issue their own bills on those charges. Guelph explains that its meter measures the total water you use, and that it has no separate meters for water that never reaches the drain. So a wash shows up in the same total as a shower or a lawn sprinkler.

The scale is the useful part. The Region gives an example: watering a garden for 20 minutes every other day with a hose nozzle uses about 4,500 litres a month. That works out to roughly 15 litres a minute. One wash of a driveway or house runs for a fraction of that time, once, not every second day. For most homes a single visit is a small line on one bill, and a summer of sprinkling is the bigger habit.

How much water does pressure washing use? A three-step estimate

You can estimate it before the crew arrives.

1. Find the flow rate. Pressure washers are rated in litres per minute or in gallons per minute (GPM). Many machines fall somewhere between about 5 and 15 litres a minute. Multiply US gallons by 3.8 to get litres.
2. Estimate the minutes with water running. Count the time the trigger is pulled, not the time on site. Ask the company for its guess for your driveway, house or deck.
3. Multiply, then convert. Litres per minute times minutes gives litres. Divide by 1,000 for cubic metres, then multiply by the water and wastewater rates on your bill.

This table uses made-up round numbers to show the range, so swap in your own.

Even the top corner of that table is less than half of the Region's monthly garden example. Flow rate and time matter far more than the size of the house. A surface cleaner can cover a flat driveway faster than a bare wand, which cuts the minutes the water runs. The guide to electric versus gas pressure washers explains why machines differ in flow.

Do pressure washing companies use the homeowner's water?

Often, yes. A washer needs a steady supply, and the outdoor tap is the usual source. That means your tap, your meter and your bill. Some crews bring their own water in a tank instead, particularly where no tap is available, so it is a fair question to ask rather than assume.

Before the visit, check these basics:

• The outdoor tap works and gives a good flow. A weak tap slows the job and can starve the pump.
• The crew asks permission before connecting. A neighbour's tap is not theirs to use without a yes.
• Any leaking tap or hose connection is fixed first, because a drip wastes water on every visit.
• You know whether the quote assumes your water or the company's.

If the company brings its own water, ask whether that changes the price. If it uses yours, the water cost is yours, and the estimate above shows how small it usually is.

What if the tap is off for winter, or you are on a well?

Tap shut off for winter. Many Ontario homes close the outdoor tap from inside before the freeze. Do not reopen it in freezing weather without a plan. The easy answers are to wait for spring, to have the crew bring water, or to reopen it for the visit on a day that stays above 0°C and drain it again afterwards. Hoses should be disconnected and drained too.

A private well. A well pump and pressure tank supply a limited flow. A machine running for an hour can outrun them, which can leave the house short of water or make the pump cycle hard. Tell the crew you are on a well, ask what flow the machine needs, and agree to pauses if the supply drops. If your well water carries iron and leaves orange stains where it dries, mention that too, since it can mark siding and concrete.

Neither case rules out a wash. Both change how the crew sets up, which is why they belong in the conversation before the quote.

Summer water rules in Waterloo Region

The Region's Water Conservation By-law is in effect from May 31 to September 30 and applies to municipal water. The Region says you can wash a deck, house or driveway with a hose or power washer before applying treatments or paint, and that weekly or regular washing and hosing of these areas is not allowed. From October 1 to May 30 the by-law does not apply.

In practice, if a wash is booked in summer, ask the company how the job fits those rules, and check the Region's page or contact the Region if you are unsure. Residents of Guelph and other municipalities should check their own city's outdoor water rules.

How to ask about water use in a quote

A good quote makes the water question easy. Ask:

• Which machine will you use, and what is its flow rate?
• About how many minutes will the water run on my property?
• Will you use my outdoor tap or bring your own water?
• What do you need from me, such as a working tap and clear access?
• How do you keep runoff from reaching the storm drain or a neighbour's property?
• How does the job fit the Region's by-law if it falls between May 31 and September 30?

These are standard questions, and the guide to questions to ask an exterior cleaning company adds more. For a sense of what moves the price itself, see why pressure washing quotes vary. Runoff and cleaning products are covered in the eco-friendly exterior cleaning guide.

D&D Home Services pressure washing starts at $350 for a typical Kitchener-Waterloo home, with a written quote confirmed before work begins. Put the water questions to any company you are considering, and expect a clear answer.

Pressure washing and water use questions

Does power washing use a lot of water?

Not compared with everyday use. Many machines run at roughly 5 to 15 litres a minute, so an hour of spraying is a few hundred litres up to about 900. The Region of Waterloo's example of regular garden watering uses 4,500 litres a month. One wash is a fraction of that, though bigger jobs and higher flow rates use more.

Do pressure washing companies use your water?

Often they do, connecting to your outdoor tap because it is the easiest steady supply. Some bring a water tank instead. Ask which the company plans to use and whether it changes the price. A crew should ask before connecting, and should never use a neighbour's tap without permission.

Will I pay a sewer charge on the water too?

Usually, because wastewater charges follow metered water use. The Region of Waterloo bases its water and wastewater charges on cubic metres consumed, and Guelph says its meter measures total use, with no separate metering of water that never reaches the drain. Check your own bill for the combined rate per cubic metre.

Can I ask a company to bring its own water?

Yes, and it is reasonable to ask when your tap is off for winter, weak, or on a well. Some companies can, some cannot, and the price may reflect the extra equipment. Ask before booking, so the quote and the plan on the day match.

Devon Moore, Operations Lead Co-Founder & Operations Lead, D&D Home Services

Devon Moore is the co-founder and Operations Lead at D&D Home Services, with hands-on experience cleaning hundreds of homes across Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph.