It’s definitely good to have a plan. And, I agree with you in asking the pros on here for feedback. I have done the same thing. I’m no pro by any means - guys that have replied and others like Racer, Squid, IBS, and others have experience in the industry and are willing to help those that have done their research.
That said, I would echo others in saying do not buy that machine. I am one of those on here that swears my 4gmp/4200psi machine spins my 20" cleaner like a champ, BUT my machine is belt driven. I don’t know that I would try the same setup with a direct drive pump. Additionally, I don’t know that I would go into business (unless you are getting water straight fed from a homeowner’s residential water spigot under pressure) without a belt driven machine. If you were to setup to use a buffer tank, the belt drive primes the machine, pulling the water in so a regular gravity feed from the tank works. Also, the 20" surface cleaner I use is a GP Hammerhead w/ a greasable zerk. Around $400. Hope this helps.
I don’t want to discourage you. It can be done. You can start out out of the back of a truck with a unit like you listed in your op. I would absolutely look for a more reputable brand if saving/buying a direct drive, but you can still find a cheaper way in. You have to decide if the savings up front is worth it. Do not buy that rotary cleaner though. Get one that has a handle system and a qc that hooks to your hose. Check out John Lange, he started very modestly and has built a substantial business. I have watch a lot of his youtube videos. Worth checking out.
Squid also has a lot of stuff on youtube, and he is a significant contributor here:
You can spend hours and hours on those two channels alone. Good luck!
Yeah, equipment costs up front are a little steep, but that gets recouped very quickly, probably 2-3 weeks. Realistically you’re looking at about $3000 to get a proper setup, depending on how frugal you get with items like trailer, used/new machines etc.
ACTION! Nice touch POS universal cleaning brush? TRASH! That PW you’ve chosen needs to have a Honda GX390, and with that you can push a 20" Surface cleaner. A REAL MONEYMAKER, that… Buy professional tools, dude. ALSO, wouldn’t hurt for you to buy your PW from a reputable supplier.
Not trolling, i have been reading for a while and decided to make an account to post this. Either way, your right, it would be dumb to risk not having insurance.
There is a reason this is in the newbie category. You shouldnt be so quick to dismiss someone trying to get a better understanding.
The forum can be read without a person being logged in to their account, or without them even having an account, in which case the reading time is not counted. I have read countless hours on this and other forums without being logged in. It’s not even remotely an accurate measure of a person’s knowledge of the industry.
That’s true. Not having insurance can sink you faster than green grass goes through a goose. It’s a bad move to start a company without at least general liability or (GL) as it’s commonly referred to. Remember though that GL won’t cover your workmanship, only accidents. To get your actual work covered you need Care, Custody, and Control.
Another dirty little secret of the PW industry is that a lot of guys never notify their auto insurance company that they are frequently hauling around a PW trailer with their personal truck and therefore might not be covered in an accident when the Ins company finds out they are operating commercially under a personal vehicle policy. Don’t do that either.
I am from SoCal. 28 years. In my opinion, your best business move is to pack your stuff and leave. Washing concrete without reclaim and getting caught will bury you. Washing houses and not filtering drains will bury you. Most of your clientele will be stucco. You need softwash system for that. You need reclaim for drive thrus, gas stations. I know 10 guys that got in and got out in 1 year.
Not trying to discourage you, but possibly save you a ton of money and headache.
Now, if you want to work for yourself, I would suggest pool service. Good living, easy on the body, year around, cheap insurance. Build a route, sell it for 3/4 annual revenue, move to America somewhere, start a pressure washing service.
I would also add, if you truly wanted to wash in Ca, you could do ok if you were well funded and knew the right people. PMs, HOA Presidents, restaurant owners etc.
I was on here for about a month before i made a account. I wasnt finding the info i need because i was clueless of what to search for. Alot of guys here helped me realize what its all about. That is after about 3 people said use the search bar:joy:
Because thats all i know about the machine. Its on craigslist and the person selling it doesnt know much and all i can get from the picture is the 11HP and gx340
