How Often Should You Pressure Wash Your House?

There is no single right answer, but most homes benefit from a full exterior wash every one to two years — sooner in humid, shaded, or coastal areas where organic growth takes hold fast. Waiting until the house looks obviously dirty means the staining has already set in and takes more work to remove.

Siding and stucco

Every 12 to 24 months for most homes. North-facing walls that stay damp and shaded green up first and often need it yearly.

Roof

Every 18 to 24 months, or sooner if black algae streaks appear. Roofs should be soft-washed, never blasted.

Driveways and concrete

Once a year keeps algae out of the pores; shaded, tree-lined driveways may need it twice.

What shortens the interval

Humidity, heavy shade, pollen, and salt air all speed up growth. In coastal Southwest Florida the clock runs fast — the crew we send Naples homeowners to keeps many waterfront homes on a yearly cycle to stay ahead of the salt film and mildew. For a fuller look at how the marine climate drives every upkeep interval down there, a Southwest Florida coastal-exterior field guide walks through it season by season.