Pressure Washing in Fairfax, VA

Driveways, walkways, patios and other hard surfaces at City of Fairfax homes and businesses are what we pressure wash here, dispatching crews from the Sterling office. We handle commercial properties as well. Every estimate is free and takes place on site.

Call (703) 723-7770 for a free on-site estimate.

What the City’s historic-district guidelines say about washing

The City of Fairfax’s Design Guidelines for the Old Town Fairfax Historic Overlay District include several passages on cleaning old buildings. Everything in this section is the City’s guidance for that district. It is not city-wide, and it is not a description of our settings, our equipment or our method.

For unpainted brick, the guidelines call a low-pressure wash of no more than 200 psi the best method, and they say a mild detergent may be added when necessary. The same passage says not to sandblast masonry, use high-pressure water blasting, or chemically clean with an inappropriate cleanser, and that brick should be cleaned only when necessary to remove heavy paint buildup, halt deterioration or remove heavy soiling.

On wood siding, the guidelines say not to use high-pressure power washing, because the pressure may force moisture behind the siding. For stucco, they say to clean with the gentlest means possible, preferably a low-pressure water wash and a soft bristle brush. The overview also quotes the federal preservation standards, which say cleaning the surfaces of structures should, “if appropriate,” use the gentlest means possible.

Those figures and phrases are printed guidance for historic buildings. That is guidance for buildings in the district, not a rule for every building.

Does cleaning need City approval?

The City’s Board of Architectural Review information sheet lists painting, lighting, doors or windows, awnings, shutters and other exterior changes as projects that can need review, and says repairs and in-kind replacements do not. Inside the historic overlay district, houses need approval to change their appearance, and for commercial property any change to appearance anywhere in the City requires it. The sheet is silent on pressure washing. Nothing we found from the City says whether washing a building needs review.

The City’s definition of an illicit discharge

The City’s stormwater program page defines an illicit discharge as any discharge to a storm drain system or waterway that is not composed entirely of stormwater. Its examples include car wash wastewater, household and yard chemicals, and leaves and yard waste, and residents can report a suspected discharge through Fairfax City Resolve. The page does not mention pressure or power washing, and nothing on it bans washing. It is the City’s rule about what may enter a storm drain.

Fairfax County is a separate government from the City, and it has its own sheet aimed at pressure washing. The County’s Public Works pollution-prevention sheet says letting wash water or debris from washing go into a storm drain pollutes local streams and violates local, state and federal law. That is the County’s guidance, not the City’s, and neither sheet describes how we work.

Call (703) 723-7770 for a free on-site estimate in Fairfax, or request one online.

Where we work in the City of Fairfax

We work across the City of Fairfax, including Mosby Woods, whose association’s history says the neighborhood was originally split between the City and the County and that the association worked to unite it within the City. The City and the County share a name and are governed separately.

Questions from City of Fairfax customers

Does the City’s printed pressure figure tell me what you will use on my brick?
The figure quoted above is the City’s printed guidance for unpainted brick in the historic overlay district, not a statement about our settings. Surfaces vary, and we look at yours during the free estimate.

Are your crews insured?
Yes. Their work falls under general liability and workers’ compensation coverage, and our crews are our own employees. Upon request, a certificate of insurance is available.

Clearly Amazing — Northern Virginia
43676 Trade Center Place, Suite 140, Sterling, VA 20166
(703) 723-7770

Request a free estimate · Pressure washing across Northern Virginia · How our pressure washing works