Why this list exists
Pressure washing has a low barrier to entry — anyone can buy a machine and print a flyer. The gap between a careful operator and a careless one shows up on your concrete, your siding, and sometimes your insurance claim. Here are the seven things worth checking before you hand over a deposit.
The checklist
Run a candidate through these. A real pro clears all seven without hesitation.
Ask for proof of coverage — a real operator carries it (ours is $1M through Hiscox). If a wand cracks a window or strips a soft surface, insurance is the difference between a fix and a fight.
Most operators hide prices behind a callback so they can size you up. Up-front pricing — on a website or a written quote — means the number you're told is the number you pay.
For driveways and patios, they should use a flat surface cleaner, not a handheld wand. The wand is what leaves zebra stripes and etching on concrete.
Ask how they'd clean your house or roof. The correct answer is soft washing (low pressure), never high pressure. If they'd pressure-blast siding, walk away.
They should pre-wet and rinse landscaping and protect fixtures. Cleaning solution that sits on plants kills them.
A local operator can come back if something needs a touch-up and actually answers the phone. A crew commuting from two counties over often can't.
You should know exactly what's included, what it costs, and what happens if you're not happy — in writing, before the deposit.
Battle Born handles driveway cleaning across the Loganville area with published, up-front pricing — the price you see is the price you pay. No callback runaround.
Two questions that reveal a lot fast
If you only ask two things, ask these. First: 'What do you use on my concrete versus my siding?' The right answer names a surface cleaner for flatwork and soft washing for siding — different tools for different surfaces. A one-method-for-everything answer is a red flag.
Second: 'Are you insured, and can I see your pricing?' A pro answers both in one breath. Hesitation on either is your cue to keep looking.
How we stack up to the checklist
We built Battle Born around this list: $1M insured, full pricing published on the website, surface cleaners on every flatwork job, an honest 'we're flatwork-only right now' on siding and roofs, plant protection on every visit, and a local Loganville truck. We don't expect you to take our word for it — that's why every one of these is verifiable before you book.