Pressure Washing Client Intake Form

A good pressure washing quote starts before you calculate the price. It starts with the questions you ask.

If you skip the intake, you're guessing. You miss add-ons. You underprice roofs and soft washes. You show up to a property with a koi pond ten feet from the work area and no plan to protect it. The customer thought the gutters were included. You thought they weren't. Now somebody's unhappy.

None of this happens if you ask the right questions before quoting. A client intake form is the easiest way to make sure those questions get asked the same way every time.

Basic client information

Start with the contact basics. Boring but necessary:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email
• Service address
• Preferred contact method (some people hate phone calls)
• Requested service date
• How soon they need service

That last one matters more than people think. A customer who wants service "this week" is a different buyer than one who's "just gathering quotes."

Property and surfaces

Property questions tell you how big the job is. Get specific:

• Approximate square footage of each surface
• Number of stories
• Roof type and pitch (if a roof wash)
• Surfaces to be cleaned (driveway, siding, roof, deck, patio, fence)
• Type of property (house, townhome, commercial)
• Is there room and access for the rig and hoses?
• Gate, fence, or yard access restrictions?
• Where is the nearest water spigot?

If the customer doesn't know the square footage, ask for the year built and the footprint. You can ballpark from there.

Service type

This is where most quotes go wrong. The customer says "power washing" and you assume a flat driveway. They were thinking the whole house and roof. Or vice versa. Ask explicitly:

• House soft wash (siding)
• Roof soft wash
• Concrete and flatwork (driveways, sidewalks, patios)
• Wood restoration (decks, fences)
• Commercial flatwork and storefronts
• Recurring or contract service
• One-time wash

If the customer isn't sure which one they need, that's useful information too. A walkthrough or photos will tell you. For more on why mixing service types up costs you money, see pressure washing pricing mistakes.

Frequency

Frequency changes the price and the workflow. Ask up front:

• One-time
• Monthly route
• Quarterly
• Semi-annual or annual
• Not sure yet

Recurring and contract properties take less time per visit because they stay in better condition between washes. That's the reason recurring clients usually get a discount.

Condition of the surfaces

"Normal" varies. One person's normal driveway is swept weekly, another's has a decade of oil and lichen growing in the cracks. Get the customer to commit to a condition tier on the intake:

• Light condition
• Average condition
• Heavy organic growth (algae, lichen, moss)
• Oxidation on siding or metal
• Rust or battery-acid staining
• Oil or grease
• Hard-water and mineral staining
• Post-construction residue

If they pick "average" but the photos show heavy growth, you have a polite conversation before you commit to a price. Easier than having that conversation when you arrive.

Add-ons

Walk through the add-ons one by one. Make them check the boxes themselves so there's no ambiguity later about whether the gutters were included:

• Gutter face whitening
• Roof soft wash
• Rust or oxidation treatment
• Oil-stain treatment
• Gum removal
• Concrete sealing
• Screen and window rinse
• Patio, deck, or pool surround
• Fence
• Detached garage or outbuilding

Pets, people, and the work area

The "anything we should know" section. The questions that catch the things customers forget to mention until you're already there:

• Are there pets that will be in the yard during the wash?
• Will they be secured while we work?
• Will children or others be outside the home during the visit?
• Are there vehicles, grills, or outdoor furniture we should move or cover?
• Any windows or doors that must stay closed?
• Any irrigation, low-voltage lighting, or exposed electrical near the work area?
• Gate or entry instructions for the day of service?

Damage concerns and before/after photos (worth raising up front)

This is the part nobody likes to bring up. Property-damage accusations are the single most common liability issue in pressure washing (per published industry insurance data), and even when nothing is actually harmed, an oxidized patch of paint or a pre-existing crack becomes a hard conversation. The cleanest way to handle it is to surface it before the first visit, in writing.

• Is there any pre-existing damage, oxidation, or failing paint we should document first?
• Are you OK with us taking before-and-after photos of the work area? (Recommended for both of us.)
• Are you OK with us recommending soft washing where high pressure would risk damage?
• Are we insured? (If yes, mention it; general liability coverage is the industry-standard protection.)

Framing this as "easier for both of us" rather than defensive works. Most clients appreciate it.

Water source and site access

For recurring and larger jobs, site access and water become real ongoing questions. Worth confirming before you load the truck:

• Is there a working outdoor spigot, and roughly where is it? (We may bring a buffer tank if not.)
• Is the water flow and pressure adequate, or should we plan to supply our own?
• Is there safe access for the rig, hoses, and ladders to every surface?
• For gated or fenced yards, how do you want us to access on the scheduled day?
• For recurring service, will anyone need to be home, or can we work unattended?

Surface and method compatibility

The single largest source of accidental damage claims in pressure washing is the wrong method on the wrong surface, usually high pressure where soft washing was needed. A 30-second walkthrough question catches most of it before it becomes a problem.

• Any painted, stained, or bare wood we should hand-treat or soft wash only?
• Any older or soft mortar, stucco, or EIFS we should keep at low pressure?
• Roof material (asphalt shingle, tile, slate, metal, cedar)? Each needs a different approach.
• Any oxidized or chalky paint that may lighten when washed?
• Any surfaces we should not touch at all? (Light fixtures, vents, low-E windows, solar panels, electronics.)

If the customer doesn't know, that's useful information too. The walkthrough catches what the intake misses.

Plants, runoff, and surroundings

A real third-party and property-damage claim category in pressure washing, not a nice-to-have. The chemicals that clean a roof can harm plants and water features if you don't plan for them. Asking up front lets you pre-wet, cover, and rinse, and it reduces callbacks.

• Any sensitive plants, gardens, or new sod near the work area we should pre-wet and cover?
• Any koi ponds, water features, or wells nearby?
• Any vegetable beds the runoff could reach?
• Storm drains close to the work area, and any local runoff rules we should follow?
• Shared walls or neighboring property the overspray could reach?

If there's a koi pond or a vegetable garden in the splash zone, plan the protection into the quote and note it for every recurring visit.

Water, power, and supplies (who provides what)

An easy thing to forget. Surprise on visit day either way.

• Will you provide water, or should we bring a buffer tank?
• Is there an outdoor power outlet if we need one, or do we bring a generator?
• Any product preferences or restrictions we should plan around?
• Anything we should not use on your surfaces under any circumstances?

Photos or walkthrough

Ask the customer if they can send photos. Most will. For larger jobs (anything over a couple hundred dollars), offer a walkthrough. Photos help validate the things customers usually downplay:

• Actual condition vs. claimed condition
• Size and layout of the surfaces
• Growth and staining level
• Special surfaces (cedar, tile roof, stained wood)
• Scope you may be assuming wrong
• Add-ons they didn't think to mention

Budget and expectations

The questions everyone forgets to ask. These tell you whether you're the right operator for this job:

• Have you had pressure washing done before?
• What's most important to you in the result?
• Are there problem areas a previous company missed?
• Are you looking for the lowest price, or the best fit?
• What would make this service successful?

If someone is shopping purely on price and you're not the cheapest in your market, you've saved both of you a wasted quote.

A simple intake structure

If you want a template, copy this. It captures everything that affects the price:

What to do with the intake

Once you have a complete intake, turn it into a quote. Our pressure washing quote template guide covers exactly what to include in the estimate: scope, deposit, expiration, and follow-up.