Power Washing...anyone doing it?

[Exess100]

I'm thinking about power washing as well. I'm looking for some advice about the do's and dont's and the in's and out's, what i can wash and what i can't. . I'm sure theres a bit more to it than just picking up a power washer and spraying whatever.
Thanks for ur advice in advance Guys

[celltech]

Excellent post because next year I would like to start offering the same thing to current customers, then the following year advertise for it.......so I will be keeping an eye on this thread!!

[Del9175]

I do a little power washing from time to time. Down in FL I do tile roofs, pool cages, houses, and walks. I do most of my cleaning in the winter time. Most of my work is done for existing customers. If your just looking for a little time filler, I would just let the customers you currently have know about this additional service you offer. There are some sites similiar to this one that deal only with pressure cleaning.

I considered getting into this full time, but I didn't like the fact that I would have to spend so much time and money trying to keep myself busy and making money. I figured I would have to line up about 12-14 jobs a week. Thats a lot of phone call returning and running around giving estimates. With lawn care I know how much money is coming in every month. If I had to line up work for every week, I might go hungry some weeks.

[PMLAWN]

I looked into it. Hard work to do houses. Lot of selling not a one time stop for a season of work. Checked with my insurance agent. Lots of money to do houses. Not much to do driveways or sidewalks so now all I do is drives and on the ground stuff. It fits well with Landscape anyway. Easier on my back and arms.

[Exess100]

What kind and how big of a machine do you need. Obvisouly it's not gonna be the one you use for your car. lol

[tinman]

I do it on the side as well. Houses are the easiest to me . Decks are a little more dificult. More money at one stop is the advantage over Lawn Care. I usually make enough at one stop to cover the day. As opposed to riding all over town to cut grass.

Downside is the chemicals to clean with. Hate the bleach smell. Need to find a good chemical supplier. One here in GA is good. Email if you need the website. They ship.

[PMLAWN]

I use a Hotsy 4000 psi 4.5 gpm, The gallons per is the important measure. You need to wash the dirt away after you break it loose. I use a belt drive instead of a direct drive. It is better at pulling water from a tank and at 4.5 gpm most house water taps will not supply enought water. Keep a 30 gallon tank filling all the time and just draw from the tank. Hotsy is nation wide and has good chemicals. Look in the phone book. Be very careful with them as most will kill or brown grass or plants. Power is 13 Honda and it has worked well for me. Check with your insurance, most want more money to do houses. Its very easy to do damage to them. Easy to pressure water through windows and under siding, also vented soffit is open to the insulation and can get wet. Not a happy homeowner when 2 days after washing the ceiling has water stains. I'm in North Carolina with the red clay. I do a lot of walks and drives. My insurance covers that and I dont have to hold a wand over my head all day. For me now decks are ok but it takes a lot of pratice to not tear up the grain. Go easy to start. As far as money, the full house job will pay the best. Tinman is right, one stop and work all day. Always stop 1/2 way through and bring out the customer to show the line where you are working. They will be shocked by the differance but if you wait till the end and there is no visual comparison they might not remember how dirty it was. Good luck with the venture. Try renting one first and do your house. It will help teach you how much to charge.

[JarrodsDad]

I don't know if this is a query of any use as I know very little about fertilizing or weed control application but-

Since you mention that you use a separate tank to keep a steady reservoir of water for your power washer, why can't you apply fertilizer or weed control using a power washer?

Once again..forgive me if this is a stupid question...

[PMLAWN]

You can draw soap or cleaner into the line, after the pump, but I don't think you want to run a solid through the line. Also the water jet is very thin and it would take for ever to cover the whole yard. The water in the tank or from the hose goes into the pump and there is no way you want to run anything through the pump. But I think the biggest problem is the over spray that happens. Your weed control will go everywhere. This is best answered in 3 words . Don't do it.

[PMLAWN]

Jarrods Dad, By the way, there are ways to spread liquid fert and chem. that are safe and right. When you study for your Chem lic. you will learn them. Applying Pesticides and Herbicides in a dangerous way will only harm our industry. It will only give more ammo. to the people trying to outlaw all of it. Do yourself and all of us a favor and get a lic. before doing any application.

[JarrodsDad]

Originally posted by PMLAWN
Jarrods Dad, By the way, there are ways to spread liquid fert and chem. that are safe and right. When you study for your Chem lic. you will learn them. Applying Pesticides and Herbicides in a dangerous way will only harm our industry. It will only give more ammo. to the people trying to outlaw all of it. Do yourself and all of us a favor and get a lic. before doing any application.

Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't venture into anything like this without doing my research and getting hands on experience first.

Thanks again..

[meets1]

We offer the service. We do a fair amount of decks and houses with vinyle siding. I run a 3500 psi waher, 8 hp honda, but look at the pump. That is main. Our pump is doing 4 gpm, which is good flow of water if the house can supply, or else use a tank. We offer the services as a service, do a deck, let it dry for a couple days, if they ask, we'll apply a sealer or paint. Vinyl - ladder work, no matter the amount of ext. we always use them. We wash concrete for stains, spills, removal of parking lot striping, like anything else, possiblities are endless! All what you want to make of it!

[JarrodsDad]

Originally posted by JarrodsDad
Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't venture into anything like this without doing my research and getting hands on experience first.

Thanks again..

So what kind of rate per hr or job can you charge? Is there a demand for the service or is it easy to sell to customers? Up here we get caterpillers and worms on the houses with webs that people would want wasahed off. Would it be sellable here?


Your thoughts..

[PMLAWN]

You have read this before on this site---how much does it cost you to be in business, how much do you pay yourself, how much profit do you need / want to make. Add that up and now you know. Also what will the market bear. One thing to remember is that all your equipment is always costing you money. Take a ZTR. If it lasts 3 years ( 8000 by 3 = 2666) and you work 40 hours a week x 40 weeks= 1600 than 2666 by 1600=1.67 If you are cutting grass than you are covering that 1.67 if you are pressure washing than the mower is costing you and not working for you. This is all very simplified but the point is if you are a solo or just 2 man and you have 10 pieces of equipment than at any given time only 1 or 2 are working for you , the rest are costing you money. Something to think about as you grow. A $2000.00 wash set up to do 9 $200.00 jobs in a year and you have not even payed for the unit. Add soap-gas-maintenance, and your labor and you are not making any thing and you mower is still sitting doing nothing. It might take 2-3 years to break even. It looks like you have a 6 x 10 trailer. you will have to remove all the lawn stuff and switch to wash stuff and that takes time. By your earler post it looks like you are just starting out. Look into a commerical walk behind or ZTR to invest in and improve your lawn maintenance before branching out. IMO that would be a better way to go. Yes, there is money to be made but just like lawn care it is a business with all the costs and overhead. Think it through and good luck.

[Exess100]

PM,
Thanks for the GOOD advice. I was thinking along the same lines as weather it would be worth it right now. The more i look into the power washing biz the more i see it's not just a 1-2-3 operation. My bro and i r just getting started with out lawn care biz this year so i think we are going to focus on that. But keep the good advice comming in. Thanks again guys.

[lpwhandyman]

Pressure Washing is my main meal ticket and have been doing it for the past ten years. Handyman services are second now including mowing this year. Pressure washing is very demanding work. Please do your research before you jump into it. You can do a lot of damage as I've seen it done by many homeowners attempting it. I've seen paint taken off aluminum siding, treated decks scarred by too much pressure and people getting burnt by chemicals. But it can be VERY rewarding if you know how to market and have the desire. If I can answer any questions, give a shout.

[Exess100]

[i]
If I can answer any questions, give a shout. [/B]


How do you learn the right way to wash stuff? Like decks,houses,ect. This might sound stupid but,is there a book or something out there to get the do's and dont's?

[MudslinginFX4]

To do pressure washing right it takes a lot of money for a "professional setup". Going out there with a cheapo pressure washer would make all of us scrubs in that business. I refer out all of my pressure washing customers to the pros and they refer their lawn customers to me.

[lpwhandyman]

www.dcs1.com Just like this site, more reading and learning then you can handle. One thing that site will give you that I wish this one had, is a "what to charge" average taken from contractors nationwide. Yes we all charge differently, but having a base to go from would be great to have on this site. Anyways, that site will help you tremedously if you want to get started. But just like all trades, a lot of learning comes with trial and error.

[amw]

we do P/Washing

We have 4,

2 of them are gas powered 16hp 4.0 gal. 3500psi
with diesel fired burners, (basicly it has HOT and cold water)
W/ float tank (they have cat pumps & key start)

the other 2 are 13hp gas 4.0gal 3500psi (cold water only)

and it all fits on its own little trailer, with hoses, guns..ect.. and gets pulled buy one of 2 trucks

we where going to get out of pressure washing but so far just this month we have 47 jobs we quoted and 41 of them have called back to say yes already (non of this is a current lawn customer.. i will offer it to them after i get cought up) about 20 are houses/decks, the rest are gas stations.

Glad i didnt sell off the units!

i have done this from basicly the begining, but i never realy pushed the pressure washing side.... wanted to build up some lawn customers first.... i probly should have started sooner!

If i am asked to do a job at a res. house and they have their lawn cut by another Co. I DONT try to get their lawn .... if they ask me i ask them whats wrong with the current co. and depending on what they say depends on wheather i would do it or not... i realy hate when they ask... as i hate taken biz from other lco's.

ins. is a must if pressure washing!

if you want abunch of good info check out
http://www.thecleanernetwork.com

[lpwhandyman]

AMW: Now that we know your equipment, your backlog and your "unwillingness to take away work", even if asked (which makes no sense to me) how does any of this help answer his questions? Not calling you out or anything, just wondering how any of your response would remotely help the guy.

As for the original post: I'm thinking about power washing as well. I'm looking for some advice about the do's and dont's and the in's and out's, what i can wash and what i can't. . I'm sure theres a bit more to it than just picking up a power washer and spraying whatever.
Thanks for ur advice in advance Guys

Do: Get a good brand name power washer, Like Landa, etc.
Do: Look for at least 4 gallons a minute with at least 3,000 psi.
Do: Get one that will generate hot water if you plan on taking on
all aspects of pressure washing and doing it for a while.
Do: Get insurance. Joe Walters Insurance Co. is a highly
reccomended Co.
Do: Find a local dealer that sells and services locally. A lot will sell
them but few know how to fix them correctly and quickly.
Do: Get a quote on what it's gonna cost you to start up. If I
remember correctly, the last washer cost around $5,000.
Do: Once you buy the machine (as corny as it sounds) call family
and friends and "sell your work", give them your bla bla bla
then go meet with them, give them a price, then do the
work either for free or at low cost to give you practice. Then
have them critique you on everything from sales to service.
(Take the criticism as a good thing)
Do: Take pictures of your work. I used to take one before, then
halfway through, then after.
Do: Get yard signs made up. After several years of cheap ones,
we finally had some metal ones made with reflective vinyl
lettering, costly but getting one job from the signs and PAID.
We keep track of how they heard of us and those signs
are the number one answer. Word of mouth is # 2.
Do: Something more then the other pressure washing guy would
Ex: I remember doing a rental property for a business owner
and I remember her saying she had gotten two
other estimates already. I wasn't going to lower my price,
but I did get a rag and some cleaner, picked the dirtiest part
of the double house and cleaned a foot wide circle. I
handed her the estimate, she said hmmm, "you're not the
lowest, but you're the only one that showed me what it
would look like". So a long story made short, I did the rental
property, later did her own house and scheduled to do her
daughter's house. She has the before and after picture (that
she asked for) displayed in her store, keeps my business
cards on her counter and she refers me to a lot of people.
All of that from doing a little extra.

Don't: Dont' be afraid to charge the customer the prices that you
see from http://www.dcs1.com/del/pricing.html
Don't: Wash from a ladder if at all possible to reach those high
spots. Get a good extendable wand that will reach from
ground.
Don't: wash near high power lines.
Don't: hit anything with too much pressure until you know how
it's gonna react. Wood will fur and paint will disappear.

I could go on but the flu bug has hit me. I'll try and answer any direct questions.