Who does house washing in Austin?
Live Oak Exterior Cleaning provides house washing across Austin, Dripping Springs and the Texas Hill Country. We soft wash vinyl, wood, fiber cement, stucco, EIFS, brick, stone and aluminum, matching pressure and solution to the material rather than running one setting across the whole house. Owner on site, landscaping protected, fully insured.
Why Austin homes need it more than most
Three local conditions do most of the damage, and they compound.
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Cedar pollen season
Every winter and early spring, mountain cedar coats everything. It is more than unsightly: the pollen feeds algae and mold, so a pollen season leaves the house dirtier than it found it.
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Humidity and shade
Properties near the creeks and lakes, or under heavy live oak canopy, stay damp longer after rain. North-facing walls rarely dry out at all, which is where the green and black growth starts.
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Summer heat
Austin summers regularly pass 100F, which bakes pollen, dirt and organic matter into the siding. The longer it sits, the more work it takes to lift.
Every siding type, cleaned its own way
Running one pressure setting across a whole house is the single most common way siding gets damaged during cleaning. These are the materials common on Austin homes and what each actually needs.
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Vinyl siding - soft wash, 100 to 500 PSI
Austin's most common siding. Soft washing lifts dirt, mold and oxidation without warping the panels or forcing water behind them.
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Wood siding - soft wash, wood-safe solution
Common in the older neighborhoods. Needs gentle handling to avoid splintering, etching, or driving water behind the boards.
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Fiber cement - soft wash, 200 to 600 PSI
Popular on newer builds. Durable, but the factory finish damages under excessive pressure.
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Stucco and EIFS - soft wash, 100 to 300 PSI
Very common in West Austin, Westlake and Bee Cave. Porous, so low pressure is what keeps water out of the wall rather than in it.
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Brick and stone - pressure wash, 800 to 2,000 PSI
Takes more pressure than anything else on the house, adjusted for the condition of the mortar joints.
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Aluminum siding - soft wash, 100 to 400 PSI
Found on some older homes. Dents easily, so the pressure stays low and the chemistry does the work.
How a house wash runs
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Walk the property first
Identify every siding type on the house, find the problem areas, check for existing damage, and decide the approach for each surface before anything gets wet.
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Protect the landscaping
Plants pre-watered, delicate vegetation covered, furniture moved clear. This happens before the first drop of solution, not after.
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Solution, dwell, agitate
Low-pressure application, then 10 to 20 minutes for the chemistry to kill the growth at the root, with stubborn areas worked by hand. This is the step that decides how long the result lasts.
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Rinse, detail, rinse again
The house rinsed at the right pressure for each surface, eaves and fixtures and trim hand-cleaned, then the landscaping rinsed through to dilute anything that reached it.
Pricing
Our house washing projects typically run $900 to $2,500
What moves it: square footage, number of stories, which materials are on the house, how much growth has taken hold, and how hard the property is to get around. A single-story vinyl home and a two-story limestone and stucco house are different jobs.
We are not the cheapest option in Austin and do not try to be. If the house needs more than a wash, bundling it into an Exterior Reset is usually better value than booking each service separately, because the setup only happens once.
What you actually get
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Method matched to material
Pressure and solution adjusted per surface, which is why nothing comes back warped, stripped or water-damaged.
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Growth killed, not moved
Soft washing treats organic growth at the root, so it stays gone longer than a surface blast that leaves the root structure in place.
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The whole exterior
Gutter faces, downspouts, window frames, doors and trim are part of a house wash rather than extras.
Excellent service! Jared and his team transformed our dirty siding and driveway. They were punctual, professional, and the results exceeded our expectations. Our house looks 10 years newer. Highly recommend Live Oak for any exterior cleaning needs!
David Thompsonvia Google
Common questions about house washing
How much does house washing cost in Austin?
Our house washing projects typically run $900 to $2,500, depending on your home's size, siding type, number of stories, and level of dirt or organic growth. We are not the cheapest option in Austin and do not try to be. Bundling house washing into an Exterior Reset with roof, window or gutter work is usually better value than booking each separately, because the setup happens once.
How often should I wash my house in Austin?
Most Austin homes benefit from professional house washing every one to two years. Homes with heavy tree coverage, near busy roads, or with established mold and algae growth may need it annually. Cedar pollen, high humidity and hot summers all accelerate buildup on Austin exteriors.
Will house washing damage my siding or paint?
Not when it is done correctly. We soft wash every delicate surface, including vinyl siding, painted wood, stucco and fiber cement. Soft washing uses low pressure, roughly 100 to 500 PSI, combined with cleaning solutions that do the actual work. Higher pressure is reserved for durable surfaces like brick and stone.
Can you clean all types of siding?
Yes. We clean every siding type common in Austin: vinyl, wood, fiber cement such as Hardie Board, stucco, brick, stone, aluminum and EIFS. Each material needs a different pressure and a different solution, which is the main reason this is worth hiring out rather than renting a machine.
Do I need to be home during house washing?
No. As long as we can reach an outdoor water spigot and get to all sides of the home, you do not need to be there. We text before we arrive and let you know when the work is complete.
Will house washing remove mold and mildew?
Yes. Our soft washing solutions kill mold, mildew and algae at the root rather than blasting the surface growth off temporarily. Because the organism is killed rather than displaced, results last longer than pressure washing the same surface, with how much longer depending on shade, humidity and how much growth the property gets.
Is house washing safe for my landscaping?
Yes. We pre-water all plants, cover delicate vegetation, use biodegradable solutions, and thoroughly rinse landscaping when the work is finished. Plant protection is part of the job rather than an add-on.
Let us look at your house.
Tell us what you are working with and we will scope it around the property.
Rather talk it through? 512-883-5420