Exterior soft wash
Exterior soft wash cost for retail buildings in Chicago
A retail building is seen from the street. Storefront glass, entrances and the facade set the schedule and the price. Exterior soft wash for retail buildings in Chicago runs between $0.082 and $0.258 per square foot of exterior wall, most likely $0.154. These are the Illinois rates for retail buildings.
- Retail
- Chicago, IL
- Facade wash (drone)
- $0.154
- most likely, per square foot of exterior wall
- Range
- $0.082 to $0.258
- low to high, per square foot of exterior wall
- Drone reach
- 45 to 250
- feet, 4 to 20 stories
- Minimum job
- $5,000
- raised to it once, on the proposal
- Retail buildings on file
- 66,280
- public building records, as of October 14, 2026
- Retail with measured height
- 55,758
- public building records, as of October 14, 2026
- Median retail estimate
- $11,000
- most likely, per building, SkyPSI estimator, as of October 14, 2026
Rates by service
| Service | Low | Most likely | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facade wash (drone) | $0.082 | $0.154 | $0.258 |
| Facade wash with mold or growth treatment | $0.124 | $0.227 | $0.391 |
| Facade wash, conventional access | $0.154 | $0.278 | $0.464 |
Grade C: modelled from the Texas calibration and scaled by the state factor of 1.03. What the grades mean.
What moves the price
- Moderate: adds 10%
- High: adds 25%
- Extreme or first clean: adds 40%
- Minimum job value: $5,000
- Boom lift, up to 8 floors: $2,000 a week
- Boom lift, 9 to 12 floors: $3,500 a week
- Boom lift, 13 floors and up: $4,500 a week
- Lift fuel: $75 a day
- Access and permit costs
What the estimate starts from
A SkyEstimate for retail buildings starts from exterior wall area. How wall area is measured.
Methods
- Dronebuildings from 45 feet to 250 feet tall
- Boom liftany height
- Rope accesswork above what a pole reaches
Questions
What does soft washing a retail facade cost?
A drone facade wash runs between $0.082 and $0.258 per square foot of exterior wall, most likely $0.154.
What does growth treatment add to a retail facade?
A drone facade wash with mold or growth treatment runs between $0.124 and $0.391 per square foot of exterior wall, most likely $0.227.
What changes the price of exterior soft wash in Chicago?
Difficulty adds 10% for moderate access or soiling, 25% for high, and 40% for an extreme building or a first clean.
What is the minimum job for a retail building?
The minimum job value is $5,000. A smaller job is raised to it once, on the proposal.
Other building types
About these estimates
SkyPSI sets the exterior cleaning estimate for commercial buildings. Exterior soft wash is a service. Drone, boom lift and rope access are methods.
Related
Ask SkyPSI for a quote on your building.
Request a QuoteSources: USA Structures, Overture Maps building footprints, SkyPSI estimator, USGS 3D Elevation Program.
An estimate, not a quote. How a SkyEstimate is built.