So I’ve got a couple jobs lined up, and I had been planning on having a basic rig up and running by now, but the winter hasn’t been kind to our bank account. So I was hoping for some input on what I need as a minimal setup to get through the first couple of jobs.
I’ve been scouring craigslist for a halfway decent PW’er, but the options are limited, and I may need to rent a machine (gasp!). The rental shops around here have 3.5 GPM machines (ugh, I know). I was wondering what other equipment I will need to get through those first couple jobs (which should easily pay for a more capable setup)? One of the homes is pretty large, I gave an estimate of $500 for just the siding, and the customer is already talking about extra’s like gutters and decks. Cost doesn’t seem to be a huge concern for her.
If you had a string of jobs lined up and could not afford to purchase equipment now, then I think renting would be a good idea as long as you have a few jobs lined up to keep expenses low. For a single job it may eat up too much of your profits.
Edit: Sorry Chris, I quoted the wrong post. I meant to quote Alex.
Go find out the specs of the machine. Both flow and psi. Find out what connector the tips use. Call PressureTek Bob and explain what you want to do. He will sell you everything that you need and not one more thing. I would think that a down streamer, tips, tip adapters, some eLemonator, maybe a gun and a thing or two that he suggests might cost you $150-$175. Go rent the machine, swing by your own house quick and figure out how to use it, go knock out a job or two and repeat.
Quit hating on the rental machines. They are likely be the start of your pressure washing empire. Embrace them instead, they are your friend. Use them and don’t worry what other so called experts may think of them. Nobody here is going to give you a hard time for not spending money that you don’t have. Go get 'em
Totally agree with what Tim’s posting^^^^ Do whatever it takes to get the job done even if it means you have to rent a machine. Go from renting a Powerwasher today to renting sweepers,lifts,bobcats or whatever you need to get future jobs done. Good luck:)
alex, you can make a lot of money with a 3.5 or 4gpm machine. i used a 4gpm last year, invested about $2500 into pw equipment and did about $15k in business just adding it on with my current window cleaning clients. averaged at least double the dollars per man hour vs. window cleaning.
it was a good experience, i learned a lot about the equipment and techniques and now i’m ready to step up to a dedicated trailer and some better stuff.
i would do what tim said and also get the best surface cleaner you can afford, 18" or 16". that thing will make you a lot.
Thanks guys for your input. Thank you [MENTION=6510]Tim4[/MENTION] for the reassuring words on renting. I guess my main concern right now is getting all of the equipment working together properly, when I won’t have a lot of time to tinker and tweak before getting to my first job. The machine available at the shop across the street from me is a Honda/Simpson direct drive unit, 3.5gpm, and I believe 3500psi. Their rates are $64/day, $256/week.
A couple other concerns/questions are about flow rate vs. the water supply. The guys at the shop seemed concerned that I might not have a sufficient flow from some well systems. All of my customers have wells. Do many people really get less than 4gpm from their well? Does this seem like a reasonable question I can ask customers: “Mr. Jones, I was wondering if you could tell me, how many gallons per minute do you get from your well?”
I’m also guessing I’m gonna need more pressure hose than they supply with the machine in order to reach all the way around these homes. What is a good minimum to have? I was thinking I maybe should have about 200’. Will that cause an issue with back pressure and using a DS injector?
All of the jobs so far are residential (well, except for a municipal building that has gotten a hose wash every year, and I’m not sure if they’ll accept my bid for a professional washing). There’s vinyl siding on the resi jobs, and wood siding on the municipal building.
on most resi jobs you should be fine with 100’ of pressure hose and 100’ of supply hose. that’s what i used all year last year and was fine. it will be annoying moving the machine around but you can handle it. the injector will work just fine with that. you could buy 100’ of good hose to add to the rental, and then you’d be ahead of the game when you start buying your own equipment. just make sure it’s rated for 4000psi.
i can’t imagine even a weak well not being able to put keep up with a 3.5gpm machine. if it can’t…well then you just can’t service that property. you can check really easy, just see how long it takes to fill a five gallon bucket and do the math.
I completed my first commercial jobs with a rented unit. As for the hose I just asked to rent a couple of extra 50’ hoses and they had no problem with it. I think it cost me like $8 per day per hose
Go find out the specs of the machine. Both flow and psi. Find out what connector the tips use. Call PressureTek Bob and explain what you want to do. He will sell you everything that you need and not one more thing. I would think that a down streamer, tips, tip adapters, some eLemonator, maybe a gun and a thing or two that he suggests might cost you $150-$175. Go rent the machine, swing by your own house quick and figure out how to use it, go knock out a job or two and repeat.
Quit hating on the rental machines. They are likely be the start of your pressure washing empire. Embrace them instead, they are your friend. Use them and don’t worry what other so called experts may think of them. Nobody here is going to give you a hard time for not spending money that you don’t have. Go get 'em[/QUOTE]
Started my business with a Lowes machine. 3300 PSI and 2.8 GPM.(Yes, GPMS are a little low, but its working right now.) I paid $400 for it(it was out front, a return, bought as is). 100’ pressure hose and 125’ supply hose. and tips, wands, etc…paid about $850 for everything and started working. I made about $7,000 in two months. Then it got so stinking cold I couldn’t do anything for 2 months. Just now getting going again. But bottom line is, don’t hold back! Get after your dream and make it happen. You gotta spend a little to make a lot. It will pay off.
If you gotta rent you gotta rent but if you have decent credit get a card or two with no interest for a year to a year and a half and buy you some quality equipment. I maxed out 4 credit cards to get the equipment I needed that would get me going and a month after I bought my equipment I made around 10 grand and didn’t have to waste a dime on rental but it goes back to you credit because the good thing is it sounds like youll be able to get work so it wont be a big risk.
Update on this thread: I ended up doing two homes for the first customer, and they both turned out great. $1k between those two. Renting is a pain in the neck- but not being acquainted with better machines, I didn’t find it painfully slow.
Now I’m prepping the proposal for the municipal building with painted wood siding. It’s a pretty big building, but it’s been hosed down a couple times a year, and isn’t in terrible shape. It’s located right at a busy intersection, so the majority of the buildup on the siding is from truck exhaust and road salt. So my concern is how do I portray the advantages of a professional pressure washing? I’m sure their budget is tight, but I believe that if I can pitch this the right way, they’ll sign on for having this done yearly. I’ve been cleaning the windows in this building since our business started.
Municipal building on a busy intersection… Be sure to fill their heads with all the safety precautions you will be taking. Safety, OSHA etc etc. Hard hats, hi visibility clothing, safety glasses, cones, caution tape. Little stuff like that can show them you are a pro. That sort of thing can really set your proposal apart from the competition.
Will you need to block off a sidewalk? Also have a plan for high traffic areas. Most of this would only take a few minutes to write up but it shows them that they will have nothing to worry about with your company on site.
I started with renting from HD, purchased a 2.3gpm john Deere and picked up a whirlaway 12" surface cleaner that “revolutionized” my rig, hahaha. Now I’ve got a 4gpm 3500 cold water machine, Whisper Wash Classic, 200’ of non-marking hose and 150’ supply hose so I can leave the machine in the bed of my truck most jobs… that sucka’s heavy!! I just ordered the Bandit from Bob and it should ship soon… baby steps will get you where you are going, no shame in that. Keep pushing!
