I have been invited by the owner to quote them for pressure washing this property. This will be my first job and quote, so would really appreciate some help. I’m in Vancouver, BC, if that helps at all.
I understand that this is way too much work for my first job, so I plan on finding someone more experienced to go with me if I do land this job by some miracle.
Thank you guys! 
Pressure washing what?
Pavement and house. He said he would give me more details when I get there.
If there’s asphalt for a driveway, do not apply pressure to that.
The roof could use a soft wash on the rear.
Can’t see much else.
I’d quote whatever you feel it’s worth to you. Some people try to make “x” dollars per an hour, some multiply square footage by “x” amount. And, various surfaces (like vertical vs. flat, or stucco vs. wood vs. vinyl vs. brick, etc) will usually require different amounts of effort to clean - not to mention different cleaning solutions or ratios of solutions.
Ultimately, if you are happy making $400.00 on that job or $4,000.00 on that job, it’s completely up to you. Your operational costs will be different than everyone else’s. Some people’s equipment is paid for, others are being financed monthly. Some people have insurance to protect their businesses and others don’t.
I know this isn’t truly helpful, but you’ll be hard pressed to find out what others are pricing, especially if we don’t know what all you are doing to the property. There may be rust stains running down the side of the house they want treated. Perhaps they have a special stone on their patio that would require extra protection from SH getting onto it and would require a different chemical.
You can always go and meet him like you’re planning to do, take a bunch of photos and then let us know what you are up against. Pricing will still vary, but you’ll at least be able to get some insight about any struggles you may encounter.
Also, don’t be afraid to say “no” to a job if you don’t think you can do it. That is one of the hardest jobs things for a new entrepreneur to figure out.
Thank you for your detailed reply and I definitely appreciate your input. You’re absolutely spot on, that this is a job I should not be taking on on my own. I did visit the customer and got a ton of pics, which I’ll be adding here in my next reply. My plan is to work with an established company, or at least someone with more experience and not do this alone. I’m even planning on taking someone before I send a final quote.
If Canada has temp companies look into that too. Theyllbe covered under their workers comp and it’s usually around 1.5x the wage you see being offered.
Worth it if its a big enough job.
Ps I’m also a noob but if you measure your chems right and take out enough for taxes you can see if the profit is still worth it
Pss I also had to tell myself I’m rushing it and go prep a few things and be fully ready from all angles before I do something. Rather miss a job then mess up my reputation instantly or make a mess financially.
Hope you end up doing well though with your business!!!
I just had to tell myself I was rushing it and say no to a potential job that would have really jump started me well 
. The right move though.
What were your first gigs like when you were the owner, if you don’t mind me asking? Like houses in neighborhoods or did you do smaller commercial places?
Want to start with a hot pw but 6gpm is crazy $$ on top of everything else… and 4gpm I can swing but would want to eventually upgrade to be able to Match a larger SC … so not sure where to start.
Want to have the option to do a good job commercially though so maybe just go w the hot water 4gpm and 16 inch SC will have to do.
That just needs a flamethrower, looks like some alien species took over their house
That’ll make for some good before and afters
Lots of guys start out with 4/4000 and 16” surface cleaners, add in hot water and you’ll be fine. Like you said anything bigger is $$$ and you aren’t even sure if you’ll make it in the business or have any jobs landed yet… buy what you can afford without going broke or taking out a loan and work your way up.
We had the window washing contract for our local 4 story hospital. They asked me if I also pressure washed, I asked what did they have in mind…………Pressure wash the entire hospital.
I told them I would get back to them by the end of the week. I made a few calls to my insurance agent, asked a friend who fleet washed for advice, bought a 4/4 belt drive, hoses, etc. worked up a bid. Obviously I had no clue what I was doing.
LEARNED A LOT on completion, But the they were very happy with the results and we finished on time. Myself, my 19 year old son and a lift- took one week.
They are now one of my best customer s and we wash all their property’s (13 of them) annually, and still do their windows.
My experience taught me some early valuable lessons:
-don’t be afraid to say yes if you feel competent and know how to work safely.
-Learn how to communicate clearly with your customer and set proper expectations
-be willing to perhaps lose or not make as much money starting out for the sake of learning, experience and on the job training.
-NEVER TRY TO WASH A 4 STORY HOSPITAL WITH A 4/4 
Because it’s too much machine? What you really want is a 1.7-2gpm right? 
I set out to just wash a few houses a month to make some extra cash. First job I did was a house that was approximately 1800 sq ft, vinyl, and I was doing just the house itself. Took me two whole afternoons to get it done because I had to go back the second day after renting a 28-ft extension ladder to reach up to the peak on the front of the house. I certainly didn’t have the right equipment, or chemicals, but I got it done and made my whopping $180.00. Customer was happy though. Learned a lot from that job.
that looks really good, had to feel amazing getting it that clean (and a great before/after pic) on the very first gig 
.
I think I’m going to try and get a job with a place 30 40 min away to get more professional experience so I don’t look like a boob setting up or anything troubleshooting wise.
Realized how much plumbing is involved and have been reading more into that too. SC has to be feeling nice right about now !! Fla is already 90, but better than shivering
