A power wash rental is a same day counter hire almost everywhere: about $75 to $110 a day for a gas machine at 3,000 to 4,000 psi, less for a small electric one, and near three to four day rates for a week. What is worth knowing before you drive over is what the yard hands you and what it expects you to bring.
What actually comes home with the machine
The pump and engine on a frame or cart, a high pressure hose of a set length, a gun and lance, and a nozzle set. Extra hose is a separate line, as is any accessory. Detergent is sold rather than included. Check the hose length against how far the work sits from where the machine can stand.
The nozzle chooses the surface, not the trigger
Nozzles are colour coded by spray angle, and the narrow ones concentrate the same pressure into a smaller area. Wide fan tips clean masonry and siding without cutting into them. A zero degree tip will carve timber, lift paint and take skin off, which is why yards include it and hope you leave it in the box.
Water supply is your problem and it stops jobs
The pump must be fed at least as fast as it discharges, and a slow tap starves it. Starving a pump makes it cavitate, and that damage lands on your contract. Check the flow at the tap first, use a large bore feed hose, and hire a tank and float if the site has no supply at all.
Half day, day and weekend rates
Many counters run a four hour rate at roughly two thirds of the day, which suits a driveway. A weekend rate that picks up Saturday and returns Monday is common and is usually charged as a day and a half. Fuel returns full. The surface cleaner attachment, roughly $25 to $45 a day, is the item that shortens a flat concrete job.
Questions people ask about power wash rental
How much pressure do I need for a driveway?
A gas machine around 3,000 psi with good flow handles concrete comfortably, and pairing it with a surface cleaner does the job faster and more evenly than a wand. Softer surfaces such as timber decking want less pressure and a wider tip, not more of both.
Can I rent a power washer for a few hours?
Most general rental counters have a four hour rate as well as a day rate. If the job is one driveway, the shorter rate is often enough. Bear in mind the clock includes your drive back, so allow for the return trip when you choose.
Is a hot water machine worth the extra?
Only for grease and oil, where heat does what pressure cannot. For dirt, moss and general grime a cold machine cleans just as well for a fraction of the rate. Hot units are delivered rather than collected and sit in a higher tier.