Ok, so let’s change it up a little. If you already are doing pressure washing what would you recommend to the new guys starting? What would you have changed if you could when you started? Any advice?
I am so glad I went to the convention in Nashville '14! I finally bit the bullet and got into pressure washing when I got back. This year we are growing in part due to this service, and as of yet not marketing it heavy just up sales on current customers. This is a Trex/ cedar post deck we did yesterday while there to do the Windows. $675 add on? Yeah I’m liking this
so, who is still on the fence to add pressure washing? What are your concerns? What help can any of us offer (advice, chems etc.)?
Pressure washing is my bread and butter. Advice I would give is to make sure you are using the right chem/soap mix for the type of material you are cleaning. Just about every type of stain has a chemical or soap that makes it easy to remove. Figure out the appropriate percent SH required to clean different levels of stain and for each type. Write down those chem mixes in a notebook for future reference. Vinyl siding is easier to clean and requires less chemical than concrete, dryvit or other porous materials. Offer package deals to combine your services. Order the proper tip set and injector to soft wash with your pressure washer instead of using all the high pressure tips it came with.
That last one is probably the most important of all, downstreaming chemicals is the way to go if you aren’t already doing it. Bob at pressuretek.com is always ready to answer any PW related questions. PM me if you want to start up a dialogue, I’m always down to talk about it.
I’m a total hypocrite because I’m always telling people to get into other services.
Yet, I really don’t push Pwash overall.
I do IT, but it’s mostly a current cust thing.
I’m about 3-4% of total with Pwash.
I did 9.7% in 2012, but my reasoning for the jump was 85º days in March that year.
and I think I just got a ton of overflow from the “already booked up” guys.
Monetarily, these are actually good sums of money, enough I don’t want to see them go away.
But I have to be fair, this kind of money comes with tenure, as I’ve been doing this a really long time.
(Meaning, I could probably boast about customer retention, numbers over time, etc…
but could never claim to be a “PWashing Company.”)
I like the idea of expanding/growing…
And I’m trying to kick myself in the ass and “go there.”
But more than anything, PWashing is one of those separate jobs, that I have to re-arrange the trucks for.
And I feel like it deserves more commitment than I give it.
like, I need to have a dedicated trailer just for PWashing.
J is spot on here. You can very well throw a machine, some hoses, soap and a bucket in the back of a truck and call yourself a pressure washer. Having a dedicated unit makes you soo much more efficient and professional looking. Until I got my setup worked out I hated having to carry different equipment every day. I keep all the pressure washing stuff on a trailer now, pull it only on days that we are using it. All the window cleaning stuff in my truck at all times. Im going to be building out a Nissan sprinter soon with everything all in one. I lose out on a lot of PW upsells because I don’t always have it with me.
A couple more things, always have at least one extra hose and wand in your truck. Learned that the hard way, it really sucks having equipment failure get in the way. And invest in a quality surface cleaner like a whisper wash. They are a lot better than some of the cheaper models in terms of results produced and speed. Also get some 100% polyester shirts to wear while pwing, polyester doesn’t bleach like cotton so you wont ruin all of your other shirts.
so i want to start offering pressure washing, but i have very little money and no idea where to start, what do i /can i do with a hardware store bought unit? what do i charge?
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Depending on what unit you have, you may be able to wash houses perfectly fine. Surfaces are the issue with the cheaper equipment, they usually don’t have enough GPM or psi to sufficiently do the job. I’d keep my eyes peeled on craigslist. Look for 4k psi and 4.0 GPM, that’s good enough for everything residential. People are always selling good stuff for way less than you would buy new. I bought my first machine, a direct drive cold water machine, 4k psi 4.0 GPM for $300 it retailed new for 1200. You see trailers with a whole setup on there all the time as well, saw one the other day for a grande with literally everything you would need. Save up!
Don’t waste your money on a big box store pw’er. Rent the largest unit you can find (in terms of GPM, not pressure). Call Bob at PressureTek, he’ll get you setup with everything you need (and nothing you don’t). [B]My initial setup cost around $100[/B], including a gallon of detergent. Since then I’ve gotten a utility trailer, mounted a hose reel with hose, downstream injector, etc.
I still rent a machine as needed because I do so little PW’ing. All I do is put the rental machine on the trailer, hook it up to the hoses, and I’m ready to rock. Next spring we’ll probably be ordering a nice 5.5 gpm machine.
[MENTION=37932]PristineBrandon[/MENTION] [MENTION=1736]JfromtheD[/MENTION] nice points guys.
And your right about dedicated trailer etc. I have a small 4x6 trailer dedicated to pressure washing with a 5.5gpm 2500 psi from powerwash. If I get into more commercial I will get a hot water 8gpm. Currently this set up had allowed us to get a small 11k a year monthly account and do fences, so washing, decks along with rust removal and concrete. We do have a cheaper surface cleaner but would like to upgrade soon. So far learning from some guys like [MENTION=207]windowman[/MENTION] Charlie Laurie and PWRA guys like Josh Minx has been awesome!
The right chemical, acid, application so on makes all the difference from a hack to a professional finished product.
I had not even considered getting things set up and renting a machine when needed Alex, not a bad move. We spent almost 2k to start with, but had already lined up a $1,700 rust removal job with in the first month… So I can’t complain
Got any pics of your trailer setup? I’ve still got a ways to go with my trailer, especially once we get a larger machine that will require a buffer tank.
I’ll take a picture of mine tomorrow, its nothing special but I do have a 200 gal buffer tank with the unloader plumb to the tank to circulate water through the pump so it doesn’t get hot.
It’s nothing special, I’ll post one over the weekend. We have anew hire I’m training on WC still and will be with him all day tomorrow but I’ll get one off to ya bro
