My game plan

Newbie Questions
1

Hello,

I am planning to start my pressure washing business next year, around february/march. The goal is to get my foot in the door with residential driveways/house washing to establish my business and upgrade/expand.

I have spent a good amount of time researching, reading up, and looking for exactly what I need to get started, but I am still in the preliminary stages, so before I dive in head-first, I want to get opinions from the pros on here to REALLY cover all my bases. Who knows, maybe you guys will see some major flaws in this my plan. So here is what I have sketched out:

1. Buy my equipment (4200 PSI, 4 GPM gas direct drive, 15 inch 4 GPM surface cleaner)

and

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KQ17CKP/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1_1_1?smid=A3JUVJSDVN03ZU&psc=1

2. Practice and save: I am going to clean the sidewalks outside of my condo, the dumpsters next to our place, and friends/family driveways in exchange for reviews. In the meantime, I will be saving for insurance and money to file for an LLC. I will open a business bank account as well. I am toying with the idea of starting to pick up jobs without the LLC and insurance, just for a little to help save for the next step.

3. File for LLC, buy insurance and market myself: This is going to be around February or March. This gives me 2 solid months to get the previous two steps going. I want to get the bare minimum insurance just so I can get off the ground. My marketing strategy is to hang door knob flyers on the weekends, advertise on neighborhood apps, and maybe even invest in homeadvisor to get leads. I really want to go heavy on marketing because I am afraid that I won’t have any work coming in after dumping all my money in this business.

4. Weekend work and save: I want to just hit the pavement and get as many jobs under my belt as possible on the weekends. Get my experience and save money. once I see enough work and money come in, I am hoping I can quit my full time job and work as a power washer full time as soon as the end of 2019. Is it possible?

  1. Long term: I would eventually like to pick up commercial accounts. I feel like it will be better money and more consistent. That is too far off right now to worry about though…

So how does this sound? Am I on the wrong path? Thank you for all the info here guys, you have all answered a ton of questions for me just by reading this forum.

2

I don’t know much about that washer… I can tell you that surface cleaner wont last long. You also cant really change the tips in it. If you do some reading on here you will see that 4200 psi is far to high for washing concrete. With that surface cleaner and that machine you will likely cause some damage at some point. Spend the money on a decent surface cleaner or just forgo doing surface cleaning until you wash a few homes and can afford a better one.

I had one of those surface cleaners 3 or so years ago when I first started and it lasted me about a week. And I can tell you without a doubt it will damage concrete at that PSI because I have a few marks in my own shop that I left.

Just buy a decent washer and start downstream. Worry about house washing and get perfect at that before you open yourself up to more.

1 Like
3

Skip that surface cleaner, get a Whisper Wash 16" if you can afford it ($420). Also while the 4k/4gpm will do the job, try and get a 3000/5.5gpm belt drive now ($1500) and be done with it. You’ll also need various hoses, lances, spray guns (Suttner is good) and other odds and ends.

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4

The pressure washer says it is adjustable PSI. I figured i would just adjust it down. Could that work?

5

Use tips to adjust pressure

6

Do not waste $800 on that machine… Its not worth that at all! And it appears to have an unloader but you don’t use an unloader to adjust PSI… You set and forget unloaders and use tips to change PSI.

You can do better for $800

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7

I wouldn’t touch anything I didn’t personally own without insurance

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8

Where you located @TrueWash?

9

Dont waste your money on that stuff. Get you a 4k/4gpm belt driven pressure pro
20inch hammerhead surface cleaner
200ft of Goodyear grey pressure hose
200ft of flexzilla water hose
Suttner gun
M5DS adjustable tip
It would be better to buy a buffer tank but its not necessary. Same goes for hose reels.
Its all less than $2000.

2 Likes
10

Southern California

11

I have read you should only do 4 x your GPM for the size of your surface cleaner. Wouldnt my GPM be too low for a 20 inch surface cleaner?

12

If you get the machine i told you. Its really more of a 5gpm machine. We did a bucket test on racers machine and mine they both are more than 4gpm.

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13

A guy on here swears his 4gpm works with his 20", I don’t personally have experience with one as I’m only 4 months in. The local supply company here suggested no more than 16".

BTW, word of advice. Bring a 5 gallon bucket with you and before you do anything else, make sure the water source puts out at least whatever your machine is rated for. I almost killed a pump because their spigot only gave 2.5gpm.

14

But we was both running off of buffer tanks not a house spigot

15

I have a a 4gpm/4k belt driven pressure pro with a 20inch. Cleans good.

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16

Yeah, but you said it really puts out more like 5gpm. I don’t think my direct drive 4gpm would work.

17

Probably not. Do a bucket test and see what your getting. Do it with the DS injector on and then again with it off.

18

Why did no one comment on # 2 ?
Am I missing something ? LLC filing, insurance and bond can be paid in installments. DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THEM !!!
One little mistake and your personality responsible for the damage. Starting one month later after you save and set up your company will be one of the best things you ever did.

4 Likes
19

Funny, I never actually tested the GPM on my machine, and haven’t tried pulling from my buffer tank either.

20

Ive read you need a good gravity feed for a direct drive. I have a 65gallon horizontal leg tank. I love it.