Sup, so lately I’ve just been toying with the idea of switching over to pressure washing / soft washing (but probably won’t cause I don’t feel like starting a whole new biz from scratch).
There’s just much more per hour I can make washing a home, or deck, than cleaning windows on most days I feel (except for some commercial wfp work).
Since some / most of you do power washing as an add-on, my question is, why don’t you just do power washing 100% and offer… say exterior window cleaning as an add on?
I just feel like soft washing is much more profitable, am I missing something?
For me I do both, that being said I do more window than washing due to window cleaning is a more often repeat business than soft washing/pressure cleaning. Depending on your location will depend on the repeat business from soft washing/pressure cleaning, areas with higher humidity will be more frequent, but still not as frequent as window cleaning.
I guess it depends on your business model, most of my soft washing jobs are addons from my existing WC base customers or their referrals.
I really think for a 100% soft wash/ pressure cleaning biz you really need to have a lot more visibility and marketing.
There is also the part where its cold and windy and you don’t really feel like being wet and covered in soap and SH mix lmao.
TBH even though the hourly rate is better washing, I’d rather be cleaning windows, I really don’t have to do anything, the regulars book, then their referrals with the the occasional new customer. I am happy with the amount of washes I do and have recently removed roof cleaning as ICBF and I don’t need them.
Easy marketing… I prefer window cleaning because it is so simple and sells itself. Dude wakes up and sees dirt through his windows and says every day he’s gotta find someone to clean them. He doesn’t think the same thing with pressure washing his driveway or patio stones.
Simplicity… While I do pressure washing without a vehicle, window cleaning is simply too simple of a setup. Literally can make $1k’s per day on my own with a bicycle and heavy duty trailer…
Frequency… I have condo complexes that want window cleaning done twice to 3 times per year. Pressure washing only once, maybe only every few years. While I have a $250/hr minimum for wcing, pwing can easily hit $350/hr. However, the frequency totally wins with wcing, for me. Same principle I use for investing. Yes, I can get amazing returns on a cyclical stock but it’s more profitable over time to just stick cash in an index fund because it so regularly goes up at a steady pace.
It’s not bad to only do power washing since the hourly pay is good , but there’s many things to consider. Equipment cost more , equipment can malfunction and prevents you from finishing up the job . Repairs and accessories are more expensive. You need somewhere safe to park vehicle or trailer and equipment.
I think theres more low ball guys out there in residential PW, while window cleaning the low ball guys tend to do storefront/commercial.
We used to offer Pw , and it was just such a headache. It was a nice set up trailer , hot water the whole deal. We were about to start a job one time and the pump went out , another time the gas pump went out . Both time we couldn’t finish the job , had to pay for a pump and pay to have it installed. I learn a lot mechanically from owning that PW. After about 3 years of owning it I sold the PW, now I only do windows . I have a simple set up, we have over 100 repeat clients . Worst case scenario is my squeegee rubber gets knicked and I have to change the rubber , simple fix and I’m back working in 5 minutes. So much less stress that I don’t have to deal with that headache.
Worst I’ve had was one time the xero hose that connects from carbon filter to ro popped open on the job and I had to leave and order a replacement part.
Or a customer has bad water pressure. Windows doesn’t compare to what issues I’ve run into when power washing.
A bad o ring, injector doesn’t work, or washer starts cavitating. Or having to remove oxidation on siding cause I f’d it up. Funny enough that customer referred me to their friend and the friend I was washing had faulty wiring cause when some overspray from the sh hit it, it had an electrical smell and started smoking . God I was praying the house didn’t catch on fire
Smoke coming out of the side of the house would freak me out for sure .
But I’m sure if you go to the power washing forum and ask the same question you’ll get why they hate window cleaning . It’s all just perspective
. God I was praying the house didn’t catch on fire 
