Your guide to pressure washing and exterior cleaning - building guidance for Adelaide and South Australia.
Content scope
This guide has been reviewed for South Australia (Adelaide metro + regional SA). Building licensing, warranty, stamp duty and approval rules differ in other Australian states — verify against your local authority before acting.
A new home looks sharp for the first year, then paths grey off, the driveway grows mould in the shade, and render streaks under the gutters. A pressure washer brings most exterior surfaces back fast, but used wrong it strips paint, carves lines in soft timber and forces water behind cladding. This guide covers pressure washing around an Australian home properly: matching pressure to the surface, what to never blast, the attachments that make the job quicker, and what to budget. Costs are 2025 and 2026 Australian pricing.
At a glance
Electric pressure washer
General home and suburban use
Petrol pressure washer
Large driveways, acreage and heavy jobs
Surface cleaner attachment
Driveways, paths and large paved areas
Read time
Including FAQ and supplier shortlist.
Key takeaways
Plain practical advice for Australian builds. No fluff.
Concrete driveways and brick paving handle high pressure, around 2,000 to 3,000 PSI, while timber decking, render and painted surfaces need far less. Start with a wider spray tip further from the surface, then move closer only if needed. Too much pressure permanently etches concrete and furs up soft timber.
Avoid high pressure on windows and seals, electrical fittings and outdoor power points, soft mortar, asbestos-era fibro sheeting, and anything painted you want to keep. Never point a washer up under cladding or eaves where water can get behind the sheeting. If a surface might contain asbestos, do not disturb it at all.
For mould, lichen and grime, a dedicated pressure-washer detergent applied and left to dwell for a few minutes does most of the work, so you can clean at lower pressure. This is gentler on surfaces and far more effective on organic growth than blasting with water alone.
A rotating surface cleaner attachment makes driveways and large paved areas quick and streak-free, a turbo nozzle cuts through stubborn spots, and a soft low-pressure tip or snow-foam lance suits render and cars. The right head turns a slow, patchy job into an even, fast one.
An electric pressure washer is quiet, light and plenty for paths, cars, outdoor furniture and general home use. A petrol unit delivers higher flow and pressure for big driveways, farm sheds and heavy jobs away from a power point, at the cost of weight, noise and servicing.
Pressure washing uses a surprising amount of water and the runoff carries detergent, so sweep first to reduce what you wash into the stormwater, and follow any local water restrictions. Catching and directing runoff away from garden beds protects plants from detergent.
“Never aim up under cladding or eaves, or blast seals, power points and asbestos-era fibro”
George Giannakakis
Founder
Quick compare
| Electric pressure washer | Petrol pressure washer | Surface cleaner attachment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $120 to $450 | $400 to $1,200 | $50 to $200 |
| Best for | General home and suburban use | Large driveways, acreage and heavy jobs | Driveways, paths and large paved areas |
A light, quiet unit that plugs into a standard power point.
Typical cost: $120 to $450
Pros
Cons
Best for: General home and suburban use
View a JET-USA electric washer· from $409AdA higher-output unit for big areas and off-grid jobs.
Typical cost: $400 to $1,200
Pros
Cons
Best for: Large driveways, acreage and heavy jobs
View a JET-USA petrol washer· from $489AdA spinning disc head for fast, even cleaning of flat areas.
Typical cost: $50 to $200
Pros
Cons
Best for: Driveways, paths and large paved areas
A capable electric pressure washer for a suburban home is $120 to $450, with the better units delivering around 1,800 to 2,200 PSI and a useful flow rate. A surface cleaner attachment adds $50 to $200 and pays for itself in time on the first driveway. Detergents and a snow-foam lance are $30 to $120. A petrol unit for large driveways, acreage or farm use is $400 to $1,200. If you would rather outsource the occasional deep clean, a professional exterior wash of a typical driveway and paths runs around $200 to $500, but owning a mid-range washer usually pays off within a year or two given how often paths, cars, outdoor furniture and the house exterior need freshening in Australian conditions.
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PROTEGE 1500W Submersible Dirty Water Pump Bore Tank Well Steel Automatic Clean
Pool Pump
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