Pressure washing has a low barrier to entry. A truck and a $1,000 machine and you can call yourself a pro. Most are great. Some aren't. These 8 questions tell you which is which before they show up at your house.
1. "Are you insured? Can I see the certificate?"
The most important question. General liability insurance ($1M coverage) is standard for legit operators — costs them $500–$1,200/year. A real pro emails the certificate to you in 5 minutes. An uninsured operator hesitates, tries to talk around it, or claims "I don't make claims so I don't need it." Walk away from that.
Why it matters: a broken siding panel, a cracked window, a slipped delivery driver — without insurance, you may end up paying for it.
2. "What's your typical price for [my specific job]?"
A real operator should be able to give you a range over the phone with basic info (address + scope). "I need to come out and look" for a standard residential job is fine but slower; pros quote off Google Maps satellite.
If the answer is "I don't know without seeing it" for a typical driveway-and-siding job, they're either inexperienced or stalling.
3. "Do you use a surface cleaner for the driveway, or just the wand?"
Surface cleaner = the round flat attachment that gives uniform pressure. Wand-only on a driveway = streaks. A pro uses a surface cleaner for any concrete over 200 sq ft. If the answer is "I just use the wand, gives more control" — that's a beginner answer. Run.
4. "How do you protect plants and landscaping?"
If chemicals are involved (siding, roofs), a real pro pre-soaks plants with fresh water, sprays a barrier on delicate ones, and rinses everything when finished. The wrong answer: "Oh, they'll be fine." Wrong. Sodium hypochlorite kills plants if not handled correctly.
5. "What's your soft-wash mix for siding/roof?"
Trick question to gauge experience. The right answer mentions sodium hypochlorite (bleach) at low concentrations + a surfactant. A pro knows this. Someone who says "I just use water at high pressure on siding" is going to damage your house — high pressure on vinyl strips paint and forces water behind the panels.
Vinyl siding ALWAYS gets soft wash, never high pressure. If they don't know this, hire someone else.
6. "Can I see before/after photos of recent jobs?"
A pro has dozens. They'll text you 3-5 within minutes. Stock images or "I haven't taken pictures" are red flags. The portfolio is the proof.
7. "How long will this take?"
A pro has a tight estimate: "Driveway is about an hour. Add the siding and we're at 3 hours total." A vague answer ("I dunno, depends") suggests inexperience.
This question also helps you plan your day — knowing if it's a 90-minute job or a 5-hour job changes whether you stay home.
8. "What happens if something gets damaged?"
The right answer: "Insurance covers it. Here's my certificate. Day-of, if anything happens — broken pot, cracked siding panel — let me know immediately and I'll fix or replace it." A pro owns mistakes.
The wrong answer: "Nothing's ever happened" or "Can't really happen." Things happen. The pro who's done 1,000 jobs has had a few mishaps and has a process for them.
Bonus: how they answer matters as much as what
A pro answers with calm confidence — they've heard these questions before. A panicked or defensive response on basic questions tells you everything about how they'll handle a problem on your property.
The bottom line
These 8 questions take 5 minutes on a phone call and save you from the 1-in-20 operator who'll cost you a $400 siding repair. Reputable pressure washers welcome the questions — they prove you're a serious customer who knows the difference.
Browse vetted pressure washing pros with reviews + insurance status visible upfront.