Illustration for Drone Washing Cost

Drone prices cover the whole job, while a lift crew pays for the lift before it washes anything. A week with an 80-foot-class boom rents for about $2,350 to $3,100 before delivery. On tall walls, domes and steeples, that gap often decides the bid. This guide is for the property manager, HOA board or church facilities team holding a drone quote. If you’re the washer writing the bid, start with bidding your first commercial job.

Published drone and lift prices

Who publishes it (area) What it covers Published price
Vista Drone Cleaning (South Florida) Commercial facade or roof, by drone $0.12–$0.25 per sq ft; a 20,000 sq ft facade $2,400–$4,500
Drone Wash LLC (operator Q&A) Drone cleaning, by area or by day $0.50–$1.50 per sq ft, or $1,000–$3,500 a day
Drone Precision Solutions (Eastern Virginia) Homes: windows or soft wash, with contract From $347 (windows), from $397 (soft wash)
BigRentz (national) 60 ft articulating boom, machine only $339 a day
Rent1 (Texas) Genie Z-60 boom, machine only $400 a day, $1,280 a week
Rent1 (Texas) Genie Z-80/60 articulating boom (80-ft class), machine only $747 a day, $2,347 a week
American Rentals (Los Angeles area) 80–85 ft diesel boom, machine only $1,000 a day, $3,100 a week
American Rentals (Los Angeles area) 125–135 ft diesel boom, machine only $1,850 a day, $5,000 a week

Two things to notice:

  • Drone prices include the wash. Lift prices are the machine alone. One rental yard charges delivery, fuel and the damage deposit separately. Labor, chemicals and water come on top.
  • Drone prices spread widely. The operator with the higher range says its rate depends on the market and how dirty the surface is.

A quick worked example

Say your building has 20,000 sq ft of facade. One drone company’s own example prices that at $2,400 to $4,500. A lift crew that rents an 80-foot-class boom for a week pays $2,347 to $3,100. That’s for the machine, before anyone picks up a wand. At the other drone operator’s $0.50 to $1.50 a foot, the same wall would run $10,000 to $30,000. So the method doesn’t settle the price. The bids do.

For a real project, a national drone company run by the same founders reports a senior-living high-rise in Coral Gables. The 130,000+ sq ft job took 7 days and came in at $0.20 a sq ft all in. That’s about $26,000.

When a drone beats a lift

Domes, steeples and curved roofs. These are awkward to reach with a lift basket. On a trade subreddit last October, a washer posted that a building’s dome took 1 hour to clean by drone. A rig on the ground shot 70 feet up to tackle the cornices and edges. That’s the poster’s own account.

Height. One company says it reaches up to 200 ft, about 18 stories, from one position. Another washes the first two stories from the ground and flies the rest, up to 15 stories for windows.

Occupied sites. One drone company’s project page touts zero lifts, scaffolding or closures on a 7-day job.

When a lift or rope crew still wins

  • Detail work. One operator says glass with heavy mineral stains needs restoration by hand. The drone only maintains it afterward.
  • Low buildings. One company washes the first two stories from the ground, so a low building may not need a drone at all.
  • Very tall glass. The same operator says you can barely see what you’re doing at 12 stories.

FAA rules to know

This isn’t legal advice.

  • Part 107. The FAA says a drone under 55 pounds can be flown for work under Part 107. The pilot needs a Remote Pilot Certificate and must be at least 16. Recurrent training is due every 24 months.
  • Over people. Pilots may fly over people without a waiver only if they meet the FAA’s operations-over-people rules. Otherwise they need a waiver. Ask how tenants or worshippers will be kept out from under the drone.
  • Spraying. The FAA says Part 137 covers using aircraft, including drones, to dispense or spray substances. Not all substances fall under it. Drones under 55 pounds that do need an exemption, among other approvals. Ask the company whether its cleaning solution counts, and what it holds. Some states also license the person applying algae and mildew killers. See soft wash pesticide licensing.

For anything you’re unsure about, read the FAA’s pages or ask the FAA directly.

What to ask before you sign

  • The pilot’s Remote Pilot Certificate, plus any Part 137 certificate or exemption.
  • A certificate of insurance that covers drone work. One company lists $2 million in general liability.
  • Which parts get done by drone, from the ground or from a lift.
  • Where the runoff goes. Our parking garage guide covers wash water capture.
  • A fixed price after a site survey, and what’s excluded.

Boards hiring for several buildings should also read how HOAs hire a washer and our questions to ask a washing company. Our methodology page explains how we check these numbers.

Sources

Based on 13 sources · How we price