Who power washes??? Good Money???

UTfball68

UTfball68

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Location
Granite Quarry
So what exactly is it I'm missing as to why people are willing to pay so much to have their homes power washed??? I know a guy that's head of an hoa and it's time for the condos in the neighborhood to be power washed. He knows I have a power washer, so he asked me if I'd do a half dozen, two story duplexes for $7k. Thought maybe he was throwing me a bone or something, but he said that was significantly cheaper than the quotes they had gotten. So I figure the HOA has some money to burn through, and start asking around. My assistant lives in a pretty nice neighborhood on high rock lake...and she says people are easily paying $500/house and would be more than willing to take my card. Those numbers seem a bit high to me, maybe because of the clientelle...but other numbers I'm getting aren't that far off. I figure 4-6 hours per building/house on the conservative side. Do these numbers sound right, or what am I missing??? I think I only paid like $400 for my pressure washer at Sears a year or two ago, and people are willing to pay more for someone to do the job once than the tool itself costs, that just doesn't make sense to me. I understand licensing/insurance/tax implications...I can square that away. But for that kinda cash, doesn't sound like too bad of a side business.
 
It is called being lazy. My neighbors pay for everything around there house. Then he pump sprays some weed kill and acts like he did yard work :)
 
I paid like $150 to have my old house done before we sold it. I normally do it myself, but didn't have the time. I used to work with a guy who did it on the side and he sounded like he made good money at it.

Just remember it is season, too. Probably from Nov-April you will have almost no work.
 
Make sure they supply the water. a lot of bigger jobs require you to truck in your own supply. There is money there, but a good commercial quality washer will cost thousands. The residential work will be very much seasonal, but there will be some commercial jobs available year round depening on how far you want to travel.

need some help?
 
I did it in high school. We had about $10k in our set up( dylan style 3/4 van, 250 gallon alum tank, heater set up with 25 horse kawi water cooled motor and twin pumps) it was over kill for most jobs but we would make a killing in pinehurst washing new brick homes to get the tags off. We also had a postal contract for $4.50 per carrier truck in charlotte and carboro, high point, and chapel hill. We would get both washers going with a 4 man crew and wash 125-150 in a day!!!
 
Thanks for the info guys. Yes, the 'customer' is supplying water. Definitely understand it's seasonal work, but I'm not looking to give up my day job. If it's something I can do, with what I have, for those kinds of prices...I'm definitely interested. Does anyone see a problem using whatever Sears washer I have for the tasks at hand? Ultimately, what's the difference between what I have and 'commercial grade'? Pressure, nozzles, gph???
 
There was a pressure washing company across the street from us in charlotte that did mostly commercial stuff--most of their work is done after 10pm by a bunch of hispanics. Those guys were making some money though. If you can get the contracts and the loans for equipment, there is definitely money in it.
 
I would have to imagine an commercial washer can clean a larger area in one pass than a standard residential unit could, Using some of the residential machines Ive used I would hate to wash any large building with them. Seems Heated ones work really well but I've never used a commercial washer so I dunno. Time is money after all....
 
The big difference in equipment is going to be the speed and reliability. If I were in your shoes, I would agree to wash one of the duplex's for X amount of dollars to see how it goes. Then decide if it is worth continuing. Nothing wrong with starting out small using the tools you have and moving up as the cash flow allows.
 
braxton357 said:
There was a pressure washing company across the street from us in charlotte that did mostly commercial stuff--most of their work is done after 10pm by a bunch of hispanics. Those guys were making some money though. If you can get the contracts and the loans for equipment, there is definitely money in it.
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Is that on 16 Just north of 85?
 
strange1 said:
The big difference in equipment is going to be the speed and reliability.
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This. The biggest difference is in the pump. IMHO, I don't see much difference in motors,ie. Honda, Kawi, Briggs, but the pumps make the difference. I had a buddy that did pressure washing for a while, and I helped him do some jobs. It was RIDICULOUS what he got paid for some stuff. One of my favorites was a local dealership that paid WELL to have every car on the lot sprayed off, not washed, sprayed. IIRC, it was somewhere in the $10/car range, on a lot with 80+ cars and we used their water.
 
I pressure washed a whole driveway and side walk once with a common residential pressure washer, took ALL day and was soaking wet and tired.

Then a few years ago I met a guy that done pressure washing with the big commercial set up. He has this thing that resembles a push mover for driveways and side walks. He just strolled back and forth blasting about 24" with each pass, quick and easy. He made crazy money doing that work for a while. Just washing new homes, apartments, business store fronts and sidewalks. Had about 10k worth of equipment which was paid for + profit after 2 apartments.

I say go buy another $400 washer, get a buddy to help and knock out the apartment complex. Talk to them about doing it again next year and see what other places they own. Line up other work and use some of the profits from the first job to jump start this lucrative side business.

Then, call me and I'll tell you how to make another 7k in 2 days cleaning the dryer vents.

I charge anywhere from 5-7k to clean dryer vents twice a year at large apartment complexes. Takes 2 days. 3 days tops with less the $1000 worth of equipment.
 
77GreenMachine said:
I pressure washed a whole driveway and side walk once with a common residential pressure washer, took ALL day and was soaking wet and tired.

Then a few years ago I met a guy that done pressure washing with the big commercial set up. He has this thing that resembles a push mover for driveways and side walks. He just strolled back and forth blasting about 24" with each pass, quick and easy. He made crazy money doing that work for a while. Just washing new homes, apartments, business store fronts and sidewalks. Had about 10k worth of equipment which was paid for + profit after 2 apartments.

I say go buy another $400 washer, get a buddy to help and knock out the apartment complex. Talk to them about doing it again next year and see what other places they own. Line up other work and use some of the profits from the first job to jump start this lucrative side business.

Then, call me and I'll tell you how to make another 7k in 2 days cleaning the dryer vents.

I charge anywhere from 5-7k to clean dryer vents twice a year at large apartment complexes. Takes 2 days. 3 days tops with less the $1000 worth of equipment.
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Let me rephrase that...

My company charges that much. I only see a percentage of that.
 
Hope you don't have allergies.... most of the people whose houses need that kind of pressure washing have serious mold/pollen on them. Combine that with a lot of hot water and pressure and you have a cloud of nastiness.
 
77GreenMachine said:
Let me rephrase that...

My company charges that much. I only see a percentage of that.
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I was about to say...I think I just found a new business venture to dive in to, and you coulda been my partner...haha.

ManglerYJ said:
Hope you don't have allergies.... most of the people whose houses need that kind of pressure washing have serious mold/pollen on them. Combine that with a lot of hot water and pressure and you have a cloud of nastiness.
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Nah...no allergies to speak except those dern honey-do's...you know the list or this or that.
 
Ive wondered about this too because we have a hotsy pressure washer with its own tank and heater for cleaning equipment but people see me with trailer and ask if i can do thier house. iirc that washer was like 8k new but has had no problems in 6 years and we wash trucks weekly and equipment monthly
 
There is a guy local to me that does houses for $100/each.

I totally quit washing mine. For $100 by the time I buy the chemical and the gas he is making $40-$50...God Bless him it took him 4 hours this year.
 
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