Anyone do pressure washing....thinking about getting into it.

[BigSweezey]

Once I get done over here in the sandbox, I was thinking about opening a small pressure washing business. Nothing too big, residential, driveways, ect...something part time. Anyone into this, or done it?
Mainly looking for something to fill up some of my time, and give me the freedom to spend some time with the kids, and my woman, and make a little bit of pocket change while I go back to school, or figure out what I wanna do...I'm changing career fields....done with computers/communications.

 

[5spd07gt]

you can practice on the one side of my house. the siding could use a good wash

 

[SNCBOOM]

Don't most people own a pressure washer?

 

[Camaro_94]

My father owns a powerwashing/window cleaning business. I've worked with him many times throughout the years.

You can make good money doing it, just make sure you buy decent equipment though, and do some research on different soap products. Make sure theyre not harmful to plants/trees/other objects.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a PM. :beer:

Good luck!

 

[JMD0346]

Been thinking about it myself. Just to pick up some beer money on the weekends.

There are several "getting started" articles on google.


The main thing I see is getting a good/powerful machine with long wands. Also learning what chemicals are safe on what materials. As well as what PSI is safe on different materials.


What I learned is more to it than buying a $400 washer from lowes and going at it.


I have a 3000psi Troybuilt unit and Im not sure it would get the job done efficiently. I did my deck and the front of my house and it took a while. I didnt use chems though and Im sure that slowed the process.

 

[Camaro_94]

Been thinking about it myself. Just to pick up some beer money on the weekends.

There are several "getting started" articles on google.


The main thing I see is getting a good/powerful machine with long wands. Also learning what chemicals are safe on what materials. As well as what PSI is safe on different materials.


What I learned is more to it than buying a $400 washer from lowes and going at it.


I have a 3000psi Troybuilt unit and Im not sure it would get the job done efficiently. I did my deck and the front of my house and it took a while. I didnt use chems though and Im sure that slowed the process.

My father spent a few thousand dollars on his power washer. He started out with one that was a few hundred dollars 20 years ago, but since then, has really grown his business. He can make his power washer spray hot water at the push of a button, which really helps take off some of the hard to get stuff. Everything will eventually pay for itself... My father will charge $300-400 for your average house, which includes cleaning the windows (inside & out) and powerwashing the house, which can all be done in a matter of 3-4 hours.

He just recently bought a bigger 24ft x 8ft trailer to carry all his stuff around in... And invested in a window blind cleaning unit too.

 

[oldmodman]

Here in Los Angeles most of the really efficient companies are using diesel powered washers that are mounted in a trailer along with a big tank of de-ionized purified water. They are specializing in washing windows on office complexes. They make a LOT of money. It's the smaller companies that do any job that crops up.
Another specialty is sidewalk cleaning in business districts. Those guys use hot water or even steam to remove gum from the sidewalks. I just watched a crew clean the sidewalk in front of an electronics store. They cleaned 400 feet of sidewalk, twenty feet wide in about two hours. When they finished not only was the gum gone, so was painted graffiti, spilled ice cream goo, and general dirt.

 

[FL-Orange]

Decide up front whether or not you'll do roofs and if so get insurance for it.

 

[BigSweezey]

thanks for the input guys....we'll see how it turns out once I get back to the states. So far it looks as tho I'll be getting into sometime in 2010.

 

[gump]

Once I get done over here in the sandbox, I was thinking about opening a small pressure washing business. Nothing too big, residential, driveways, ect...something part time. Anyone into this, or done it?
Mainly looking for something to fill up some of my time, and give me the freedom to spend some time with the kids, and my woman, and make a little bit of pocket change while I go back to school, or figure out what I wanna do...I'm changing career fields....done with computers/communications.

good luck with this.

I've noticed that some of these guys that have this business have to work the night shift by times when they get the busy retail centers. They can't do it in the daytime due to the high traffic of customers. These are the guys who do the sidewalks.

 

[pho_phizzat]

Their are companys here that steam clean/ power wash large mining equipment. itll take 4 or 5 people 12 hours+ to wash one shovel but they makes thousands and thousands of dollars doing it