In a recent entreprenaur topic they suggest pressure washing. I called a few cities nearby and there does not seem to be any actual people doing it as a business, even though there are part stores. Would something like this be profitable on the small scale?
Pressure Washer biz - good idea?
Justin Reyes
Dylan James
Damn she has nice feet
Lucas Cox
>manual labor
>Outside = melanoma
>Maybe $1k takehome a week
Good luck kid
Jaxon Adams
There's one around my town where you pressure wash the car yourself. It's pretty much just a roof with some hoses coming down. Seems like a low overhead kind of business
Dylan Nelson
lol you would be wearing a water proof suit silly
Jackson Hernandez
To be clear I mean washing houses/driveways, just found that pic.
Tyler Jackson
Yes, only in commercial. Res is too much work, too much can go wrong (h/o kills some plants after you leave and sues for 20k for some rare exotic flowers), and homeowners are all broke jews.
There used to be good forums and info 8-10 years ago when I was interested in it. I know they made some sort of accreditation.
Can be frustrating in an area with spics and "ill have my nephew come do it for 20 bucks and a 12 pack", followed by "well he did half the work, can you do it for half your price?".
The required hourly is pretty steep for profitability, you run into too many boomers (fuck you dad) that think PW is worth 12/hr plus tip for a "good job". NPCs dont understand the 30 mins of phone (pre quote, post quote, pre job, post job, followup), the hr of driving to quote, the hr of driving to job, 2 legally employed workers @15.00-18.00 + comp/insurance, Truck and trailer. insurance, lawyer/tax services....etc etc.
I bailed because in CA they actually give a fuck about EPA and wastewater (20k a day fine...no cap). Plus the aforementioned beaner menace.
Kayden Wood
I've worked in the biz. It's not a get quick rich scheme, and finding competent employees can be a pain for the amount that can go wrong. Can make alright money if it's a solo gig. I wouldn't go back though.
Justin Scott
SAUCE
Oliver Bailey
I would eat her toe jam and invest in her little piggly wigglies.
Dominic Adams
This. I need a higher resolution so i can fap to her delicious toes
Luis Walker
Res isnt fun. its spraying chlorine on yourself and into your lungs all day. Plus having to tape off all electrical, bag plants, constantly water those plants, burn plants, replant plants. Move people's dumb shit like patio furniture and kid's toys they obviously wont for you. Neighbor complaints.
Roofs can be ok in places that get moss (no exp in this, but you should be rigged to walk on them...or spray from a ladder). Driveways can be ok if you're not going to eat shit for washing oil down into the stormdrain...and of course doing the entire neighborhood. Most guys that like driveways end up doing more concrete re-seals or paver work...and end up specializing in that. Concrete coloring work and shit is pretty cool.
Hustling out 10 driveways a day for slightly over minimum wage (after fuel and flyers) isnt as nice as 5k 2 day warehouse bi-annual contracts.
Tyler Taylor
Florida girls are best girls.
Owen Allen
How do you get warehouse/commercial contracts?
Josiah Hill
In the summer? It would be like a sweat suit. Not a bad idea though.
Noah Martinez
This.
Julian Ortiz
Imagine being this fucking stupid. Do you know why so many people are dying from cancer? Lack of vitamin d and lack of detoxification. The human body needs to sweat. Being in the sun is not going to kill you faggot. Melanoma is the most treatable form of cancer, id rather get that shit than kms from depression or die of colon cancer at 50
Thomas Cook
would not recommend image searching, she traits schools just like she does races :(
Connor Parker
Concrete sealing work is great cause you can just water down the product with 2 parts sealant 1 part water 1 part PVA glue before you get there to inflate your margin and setup a plan with cutomers where you'll show up each recurring year for 75% of the cost. If they take you up on it your assistance is covered cause you'll redo it before it washes off, if they don't youre still good cause if they call you up again you just say it's meant to be reapplied yearly.
James Rodriguez
Cold calls and contacts. I figure this probably works better in the friendly (white) states. CA most of the property managers dont speeka da englush 2 good.
Convenience/corner stores are always raped by gum spots and cig stains. Good place to start is just ask the pajeet working if his uncle wants his shit cleaned. Im terrible at sales, but it's obviously a tax write-off, makes it look less like shit, etc etc tell them what they need to hear.
Same thing with food. Back areas are INSANELY dirty/greasy and that's big bux for a slip and fall. Sell that shit all day, get one or 2...you do a good job, and they'll refer you to their other GM/DM golf buddies.
The info is out there on the forums, it takes some reading. Keep in mind I quit after a few months when I was 19-20...so im not some dude grossing 7 figs in PW by any means. But thats the general gist of it.
Gotta figure out the prices that work for you, used to quote commercial by the sq/ft but I have no idea (and can vary significantly by competition in area) of what you can get nowdays.
Jayden Evans
based as fuck
Luis Wilson
Die. Although I am jelly of your no fucks given, my autism would cripple me too much to say it's the sealant's fault not my application of it.
Austin Jenkins
Looks like Jenna Haze
Luke Reyes
Unfortunately I don't do contracting work anymore, I'm posting from my wage cage. I was a real piece of work when I did it though. I remember once I broke this old ladies window by dropping a roofing hammer off a ladder so I took the outside pane off a different window and put it there so she had two single pane windows instead of one double pane window and one single pane. When she complained to her daughter that the workers were messing the house up I convinced the daughter that her mom was just getting a bit senile, who in their right mind would just start moving people's windows around after all?
God I kind of miss those years. Construction is great for your college years, builds character and grit as much as that sounds like a boomerism.
Landon Carter
I used to setup at a local truck stop and do trucks and trailers..pretty good money til my partner wrecked the van we used to transport the PWer and equipment (which was also destroyed in the wreck)
Oliver Thomas
much better gig. I'm thinking of going into washouts once I get done with OTR.
Full trucks, these faggots will complain too much about missed this spot, or scratched this. Been looking to find land near reefer loading spots...kinda put it on hold now that I just went all-in on ETH/LINK.
35-55 (fucking the only place in Boston charges 75-95 and uses a 100 dollar store machine), truckers don't care because the company pays for it...plus it's just a writeoff. 10 mins tops. No one would even blink an eye at it just being a dirt field and an RV you/your 1099 lived in.
With a profitable enough spot (that's the key) you could eventually "splurge" on a pole-barn/ metal prefab.
Jack Bailey
Looks asian in the thumbnail. I was duped!
William Allen
yikes
Oliver Taylor
He's not talking about a carwash, he's talking about surface cleaning. Gas station blacktops, driveways, home siding, decks, patios, sidewalks etc.
It's a good business OP and you can make a good living owner operating. 10k month should be attainable
Ethan Davis
suky suky 5 dorrah, I make you good babby wite maan
Caleb Moore
>my 9/10 Asian gf with a smoking bod
You incels actually believe this
Brandon Reyes
Sunscreen causes skin cancer. Think about it. Only people who use a ton of sunscreen are said to be susceptible.
Jeremiah Peterson
I'm in the flyover states. No competition as far as I can tell, but there are repair shops in the area which is weird.
Noah Moore
Why not? Id be thinking about going solo
Why not just use reg water and no chem? Ive washed houses just water before.
How do you get into contracts?
Levi Powell
most pw repair places are just small engine/lawnmower repair that do them. Hydrotek is based in SoCal and there was like 2 PW mom-pops that I knew of for all of greater LA's 6+ grillion people (the maintenance companies do shitty halfassed PW work). You might find more, boomers just cant into SEO and internet presence. But yeah, going on CL and whatever is a good sign there's little competition.
No-chem doesn't "wash" anything. Also why houses is dumb, you can only do as much as the paint allows....it's not alchemy or magic. Plus, in most of the non-desert country the only real selling point to house washes is MOLD. Water only just spreads it further, you'll have a pissed off h/o call you a month later. Chlorine + dishsoap + whatever special ingredients you chose (dudes use streak free shit to stop water spots on the windows, etc) does work. There might be better/real products developed by now idk, do your research. You're not actually using pressure to pressure wash residential/fencing....its just a glorified hose to make you look more legit for the hundreds you're charging to remain profitable.
Contracts is just word of mouth, calling around, and luck. Lots of walk-ups just from inquisitive boomers not even realizing PW was a real thing. Being a former PM or having contacts is probably waaay more important than actually doing work/efficient operating costs.
Juan Cox
to elaborate, if it's 30 year old paint...you're not going to make it bright and shiny again, at least not up to the standards of the cheap-ass that hasn't painted it ever/is trying to flip their dead parent's house and sees the 600 you're charging as cutting into their profits.
pressuretek.com
PT has some decent, albeit sometimes pricey chems that actually work.
PT's forum and Ron Musgraves' forums looked a little dead, but the info is still good...maybe they moved over to boomerbook or something.
Michael Jones
So I just cant roll up to someones house and spray that shit off with just water? What about driveways?
Josiah Butler
Same thing, mold will just spread/re-grow instantly.
Driveways, use some pressuretek.com
and possibly follow it up with the f-8 if they prefer brightened (oxalic makes dudes sterile, dont spay in sandals like I used to).
or I see some new stuff EBC concrete cleaner dudes are using.
Also want to bring in Hypochloride (chlorine, household bleach is too weak) again, to kill all the mold/bio growing on it.
Pros/larger concrete dudes use caustic (sodium hydroxide) and muriatic acids. Shit burns.
Keep in mind you need to water the surrounding lawn as much, if not more, than the actual workspace or else you'll be replacing tons of grass and kill all your future work in the area. And the looming threat of EPA or local water treatment fucking your shit up for improper disposal (or do it "right" and spend 10k in vaccum pumps/berms, and have a HazMat certified hauler, and disposal site LEL fuck u CA).
As you can see, its not really "worth it" doing 30 dollar driveway splash and dashes, unless you're just a tweaker or a juan that can disappear afterwards and doesnt give a fuck about repeat business/laws.
Aiden Murphy
sector - saturation = margin
Samuel Allen
Damn, I was hoping I could buy a washer and just start spraying houses. WE live in a dry area so mold is not an issue, but people may not need the service.
Daniel Perez
Do your research. Of course you can just start scamming old people...but doing things correctly, buying the right equipment/insurance/business licence etc isnt as easy.
In SoCal theres no mold, but smog/exhaust coats the stucco. It's a bitch to get fully off, because using too much f-18 takes off oxidation/paint and makes it look shitty...then you're going back over it with f-13 trying to balance it out....all the while the paint was shit to begin with and now you/re going to get sued by some uppity liberals that *own* a 2 million dollar (150k in 1980) house but are too cheap to spend 20-50k on an actual paintjob.
If your area is all vinyl siding and painted wood...just find a solid housewash (chlorine, soap, surfectant, rise agent) mix you like and go for it, But again, dont use pressure...use chems, dwell time, and rise. 0 degree tips will fuck shit up. PW is a meme, if you're blasting something hard enough that only straight pressure takes it off..you're going to end up damaging something and getting sued for it.
Dominic Sanders
If I was going to do it again i'd do 95% flatwork (concrete). Just need a hotwater machine and as much GPM as possible. Less dumb shit to deal with/complaints. More possibility of good contracts or referrals.
But depending on area flat is like .05-.10 sq/ft. Just walking behind the surface cleaner. Better to have employees do that boring shit, so you can keep selling the amount needed to make that profitable. Then it just ends up as a sales gig, no washing, and my autism and disdain for having to BS other office drones would kick in an make me hate it.
Jaxon Robinson
ever since i learned that most of those types of bikinis are actually just normal bikinis with fake knots on them they are forever ruined for me. if the knot unfolds nothing will happen.
Ryder Barnes
It takes hustle, and it's real work. You won't sell to everyone. You gotta basically do cold calls all day.
And for most places, once you cleaned the building, it's gonna be a few years before they need you again.
But you can do pretty good. Better to have multiple angles, something else you can sell in addition, or instead when business is slow.
Hunter Gonzalez
Florida man here
oh god no
Nathaniel Anderson
For contracts you mean?
Aiden Scott
probably not.
you would need bigger jobs such as new construction in order to make good money.
problem is with newer concrete that 1st little bit flakes off then the scumbag contractor is blaming you for destroying the concrete and back charging you to get it replaced. Concrete is not cheap.
Ayden Brown
>California
Welp... There’s yer problem right there.
Caleb Davis
I once decided to ride my bike around the perimeter of Manhattan island. I'll never fucking forget this. I was in Spanish Harlem and I turn the corner on this kinda industrial area and i see a paper sign handwritten for $10 for carwash by some spic playing spanish music using a pressure washer then i look further and as far as the eye can see it's pressure washing spics. Best part was most single every car was some riceburner or classic car that the owner clearly put wayy too much money into given the neighborhood.
Ayden Thomas
It's not bad. I know a couple guys that do it. Pretty simple and there is a forum for it.
Just research your chemicals and truck setup online before buying your stuff. Some products are better than others.
Then just get your truck wrapped with a name, set up an llc, get some business cards. I recommend a website as well.
If you post on next-door, and facebook, and put your cards in people's mailboxes, you'll get customers in no time.
Julian Cook
This is too harsh read my above post.
It's not THAT hard.
My buddy makes like $400 a day, after expenses.
Not bad for driving around and spraying shit down.
Carson Wright
Are you 10 years old?
Josiah Nguyen
>not using a pressure washer
heh fucking pleb
Landon Bennett
9
Read the topic faggot
James Rogers
> "my buddy"
> "like"
> every day
Doubtful in res as a solo newb. Unless you're in some loaded retirement community fleecing diaper wearers...or fucktons of mold.
You wont make that "driving around"...or you'll go broke underestimating operating costs when something breaks and all your "net" has been going to beer and dale earnhardt collectibles.
And if you become established, the browns and trailer dwellers will come out of the woodwork to underbid you. Homeowners give zero fucks about anything besides cost.
Nolan Cook
Uh. I'm tile user. It's a close friend and I have been over his numbers.
A typical residential job will pay $250 and he can get it done in about 3 hours. He can usually do 2 in a day. And he built his business well enough that he gets lots of calls.
So that's $500 a day minus some cleaning shit, gas and vehicle maintenance. It ends up being about $400 per day. And he does some commercial work where he charges more.
Most bids he can just talk over the job with the customer or have them text photos. So he doesn't waste time going to their house for nothing.
Besides you sound really angry about cheapskates. Once you've been contracting for long enough you can usually tell a cheapskate is one almost immediately, and once they make it clear just tell them to call someone else.
My reputation is so good, I put zero effort into getting customers and I get like 2 or 3 calls per day in my line of work. That's the norm for a quality tradesman.
In this time period trades are booming. I would tell any guy looking for something to do, to give it a shot.
Bentley Cruz
Those numbers are about right, in upper middle flyovers 250-300 with addons. It's just going to take 2-3 seasons to get a steady workflow for the season. Notice I said season, not year...because anyplace where it can theoretically snow, people only call spring-early fall.
Now deduct a bit more for commercial vehicle insurance, your umbrella policy of 1mm to 3/5mm if dabbling in commercial, equipment repair costs (hoses, fittings, nozzles, batteries, oil, on and on), a backup rig so you dont look like an asshole when yours breaks, couple hundred in spare chem supply. Easy money right?
40% self-employment tax. Health insurance where you pay for 10 obamacare freeloaders too. The 2-3 unpaid hours a day of drive time and daily prep/shop time, the occasional light switch/outlet that you fry and the cost to send an electrician out to repair it legally,
Works out to just over what you'd make as a forklift operator at a warehouse, with no investment and no legal hassles.
But just wait till boomerdad shells out 300 bucks to get the mcmansion washed...and realizes he can have his NEET son "make like" 250 a job for only 5k startup and a truck.
Not saying its not doable, but its a rough business. Good news is that 30k you made working 10-12 hours a day all summer goes a long way for the 6 months of winter.
Isaiah Lewis
You could probably make more as a birddog/lead generator to painters. Plus get to do a paint prep housewash for double.
Just convince the h/o their shit is too far gone and needs a fresh coat. Same with driveways, do sealing/coatings instead of 40 dollar cashgrabs.
Im a truck driver now, so I just sit on my ass in A/C for middle 20's hourly. But if OP has the charisma and brains (lol) to do it, more power to them.
Joshua Phillips
this is why boomers call millenials lazy
Christian Richardson
Yeah Jenna Haze much hotter
Adam Sullivan
Damn an, OP here and all your talk makes me think its not possible to go small time with this.
Connor Robinson
I love when people use Jow Forums for its intended purpose and it just ends up being a bunch of autistic neets. Op. Start your fucking business. What's the worst that could happen? If it doesn't work you have a pressure washer.
Jaxon Thompson
There's obviously dudes that do it, but more that include PW into their other work or have side businesses. Landscaping, painting, snow removal, whatever that do residential when they can. Used to be quite a few guys that only did decks and fencing, but only got into cleaning/paint/sealing because they originally did the construction.
Guys like firefighters and nurses doing it as a gig on their days off, etc. You have to be in a unicorn area with perfect weather and rich lazy home improvement types to clear a legit 6 figs in residential.
Land a couple contracts doing the whole regional fast foods and hook up with someone that owns a bunch of strip malls... you've got a couple trucks and employees and you're just doing lunches and golf with upper management all day for 100-200k.
Samuel Diaz
FYI, don't go into blue collar work unless you want to destroy your body by the time you're 50
also, "industrial" chemicals aren't well regulated and will cause higher rates of cancer if you're regularly exposed to them. I NEVER change my own oil because I worked in the chem field for a while and learned about the engine additives they put in motor oil.
Daniel Russell
genuinely good thread, thanks for insight
Eli Bailey
Melanoma is only treatable if you catch it very early stages, which is not often the case. After just a 2-3 months, it's an extremely deadly cancer that very quickly metastasizes.