Every spring, homeowners face the same problem: everything outside looks dingy after winter and you're not sure where to start. This spring outdoor cleaning checklist breaks it down surface by surface so you can knock it out in a weekend -- or know exactly what to hand off to a pro.

The Quick Answer

Here's your full spring outdoor cleaning checklist at a glance:

Gutters and downspouts -- clear debris, flush with a hose, check for damage
House siding -- pressure wash or soft wash the exterior
Driveway and walkways -- pressure wash, check for cracks
Deck or patio -- wash, inspect boards, reseal if needed
Fence -- pressure wash, check for rot or loose posts
Windows -- clean glass inside and out
Roof -- inspect for moss, algae, or winter damage
Garage and entry doors -- wipe down, clean hardware

Keep reading for what each task actually involves, what it costs to hire out, and when it's worth going DIY vs. calling someone.

Start With Gutters

Gutters are first on the list because clogged gutters can damage everything else. Water that can't drain properly runs behind siding, soaks into wood trim, and erodes soil around your foundation.

In spring, gutters are packed with leaves, seed pods, and shingle granules that built up all winter. Clear them out before the spring rains hit.

Scoop out debris by hand or with a gutter scoop
Run a hose through the downspout to check for clogs
Look for sagging sections, rust spots, or joints pulling apart

Pro cost: Gutter cleaning runs $100 to $250 for most homes. If you're hiring a pressure washer for your driveway or siding, ask if they'll bundle gutters -- most will for an extra $75 to $150.

Wash the House Siding

Winter leaves a layer of dirt, mold, mildew, and algae on almost every home's exterior. You might not even notice until you look at it on a sunny day and wonder when it got so gray.

Most siding types -- vinyl, fiber cement, brick -- clean up well with a pressure washer or soft wash system. Wood siding needs lower pressure (under 1,200 PSI) to avoid damage. Vinyl tops out at 1,300 to 1,500 PSI with a 25- or 40-degree nozzle aimed downward.

What to expect if you hire a pro: A full house wash runs $170 to $360 for a typical single-story home. Two-story homes run higher. Booking in March or early April -- before the spring rush -- can save you $50 to $100. By May, schedules fill up fast.

Clean the Driveway and Walkways

Driveways collect oil drips, tire marks, winter salt residue, and general road grime. Concrete especially looks stained and dull by spring.

A surface cleaner attachment on a pressure washer does the job without leaving the zebra stripe marks you get from a single nozzle. Use 2,500 to 3,000 PSI for concrete, no more than 1,500 PSI for asphalt.

Pro cost: Driveway cleaning runs $100 to $300 depending on size and staining. A standard two-car driveway at $0.15 per square foot comes out around $90 to $120.

DIY note: You can rent a pressure washer for around $90 per day. That's worth it if you're doing multiple surfaces in one session. For a single small driveway, the rental cost often comes close to what a pro charges.

While you're at it, check for cracks. Hairline cracks wider than a quarter-inch should be filled with concrete crack filler before water works its way in and freezes again next winter. Ignoring them for a season tends to turn a $20 repair into a $500 one.

Inspect and Wash the Deck

Decks take a beating in winter. Freeze-thaw cycles, snow weight, and trapped moisture all do damage you won't see until you get down and look.

Do this in order:

Inspect first. Walk the deck and look for soft spots, loose boards, and popped nails. Check the ledger board (where the deck meets the house) for rot -- that's the most common failure point.
Wash second. Use 500 to 1,200 PSI with a 25- or 40-degree nozzle. Too much pressure on wood splinters the grain and raises fibers that absorb stain unevenly. A deck cleaner applied before washing helps lift mildew and gray weathering.
Dry completely. Wait 48 to 72 hours after washing before applying any stain or sealer. Staining wet wood traps moisture under the finish and causes peeling within one season.
Reseal if needed. Do the water bead test -- sprinkle a few drops on the wood. If they soak in instead of beading up, the sealer is worn out and the deck needs a new coat.

Pro cost for deck washing: $150 to $400 depending on size. Bundle it with a house wash and most contractors knock 15 to 20% off the total. For a full wash-and-stain package, expect $550 to $1,200 depending on deck size and wood type. Learn more in our guide to deck cleaning and restoration.

Don't Forget the Fence

Wood fences turn gray and collect mildew through winter. Vinyl fences get algae growth and oxidation that shows up as a chalky white film. Either way, a spring wash makes a big visual difference.

Wood fences: 500 to 800 PSI. Follow the grain. Check posts at ground level for rot -- this is where wood fences fail first.
Vinyl fences: 1,000 to 1,500 PSI. A light detergent removes oxidation and green algae without bleaching the material.

Pro cost: $1.00 to $2.50 per linear foot. A 100-foot fence runs about $100 to $200.

Check the Roof for Winter Damage

You don't need to walk your roof to do a spring inspection. Binoculars from the ground or a look from a ladder at the eaves gets you most of the way there. Look for:

Black or green staining (algae and moss growth)
Missing or lifted shingles from wind
Ice dam damage along the eaves
Granule loss in the gutters -- a sign of aging shingles

Algae staining won't destroy the roof overnight, but it reduces reflectivity and shortens shingle life over time. Soft washing at 50 to 150 PSI with a diluted sodium hypochlorite solution removes it safely. Never use high pressure on asphalt shingles -- it voids manufacturer warranties and strips granules. Learn more in our guide on how to safely soft wash a roof.

Pro cost: Roof soft washing runs $0.30 to $0.60 per square foot. For a 1,500 sq ft roof, that's $450 to $900.

Timing Your Spring Cleaning

The best window for most outdoor cleaning is late March through May. Wait until nighttime temps are consistently above 40°F -- cleaning surfaces that drop below freezing overnight can trap water in cracks and make existing damage worse.

If you're hiring pros, book early. Spring is the busiest season for pressure washers, gutter cleaners, and landscapers. Most fill their schedules by mid-April. Calling in early March usually gets you better pricing and more date flexibility.

Bottom Line

A full spring outdoor cleaning -- gutters, siding, driveway, deck, and fence -- typically runs $500 to $1,200 if you hire it all out. DIY with a rental machine cuts that roughly in half but takes a full weekend. Most homeowners end up doing a mix: renting a machine for the driveway and hiring out the house and gutters.

If you want to know what these services would cost for your home before you start calling around, try QuoteSnap for free. Enter your surface sizes and get an instant price range you can use to compare any quotes you receive.

Complete Spring Outdoor Cleaning Checklist for Homeowners: 2026 Edition