Hello everyone my name is Frank and I’m new to PWRA and I thought I’d see if you guys might could help me out a little.
I’ve been in business for a little over two months now and have been mostly cleaning vinyl siding houses (I’m in SC.) I’m starting to get people asking about driveway/patio cleaning and gutter cleaning. As far as driveways go if you are using a surface cleaner how much do you guys typically charge for this service and what kind of detergents are you using? I have a 3000 psi 4 gpm hot water unit and am thinking about getting a 16 inch surface cleaner.
For gutters do the pressure washer attachments work? Any recommendations/ suggestions would be great as well as technique. Also what is a good rate to charge for gutter cleaning?
Last thing, sorry!! How much do you all pay generally for 12.5% SH? And where are you getting it from?
A 16" surface cleaner is perfect for that size machine. A whisper wash is good and should be trouble free for a long time. I’ve never found a gutter cleaning attachment for the pressure washer that didn’t tear things up, make a mess or both. Univar is a national supplier for 12.5% but they deliver in large quantities. Have you tried to find a chemical supplier in your area?
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Thanks Jason for the info! How do you typically quote for cleaning driveways, patios, etc.? Is it by the square feet or do most do it by the hour? I do have a chemical supplier. The reason I was asking was it seems like some people are paying a lot for SH and I was wondering how much people were paying because I might have a way to get it along with other chemicals to companies and save you all some money. I can get it in 15 gallon or 55 gallon drums.
As far as pricing goes, i normally look at the job at hand, see what it will take to get it done safe and quick, and charge accordingly. We typically charge $100 and hour for 2 guys on site, but also have a minimum fee (for 20 minute driveways and such). So if you feel you are worth 60 an hour, then charge 60 an hour. But here in STL MO, people dont want to think and know you are charging 60 an hour, because they work 40 hours a week for only $10-$20 an hour, not $60… Thats why i charge per job. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the info on pricing! That helps a lot. I made the mistake of telling a guy I was going to charge him $50 an hour on a fence and he basically laughed at me! Not a good feeling, but this is a learning process and now I know and agree with what your saying and pricing by the job will probably work better. For house cleaning I have always priced by the job but now I know for the other stuff that’s probably the best thing to do also.
[MENTION=13290]aullclean[/MENTION] Great. I dont like to bid by square ft, as sometimes the set up time, or depth of the project can be longer as the job itself, an we are not in the business to go broke, haha. Never tell your hourly rate, always bid by what you feel you want for the estimated time you think it will take. Good luck
[MENTION=13290]aullclean[/MENTION]
Hey Frank, there is a Univar here in Spartanburg and I think a few in Charlotte that you can get 12.5% SH from. For pick ups its a minimum $250 at $2.69ish a gallon (in Spartanburg at least).
If you are talking about the outside of the gutters, where the black oxidation is, no pressure is needed. Just wipe it down with some Gutter Grenade from PressureTek: Pressure Tek Sales
Also, I like your companies name. Well played, sir.
[MENTION=13365]DickGarrett[/MENTION] Thanks for the info and compliment on the name! Maybe my post was a little confusing but I was asking about cleaning leaves, etc. out of the gutters. As far as the SH goes I was asking what people are paying because I can get it a very good price for you all. I also get 12.5-15%. Since you are in SC as well freight shouldn’t be too bad. Email me at faull@aullclean.com if you are interested. Thanks!
Welcome! I have a 4200 psi washer at 4 GPM combined with a 20" SC. The issues I have had have all been with overlap streaking… Most of the advice that I have received have been to use bleach before and after the job. Usually because of the high amount of water there should be no damage to the grass or plants. Does anyone else have suggestions for streaking?
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Welcome! I have a 4200 psi washer at 4 GPM combined with a 20" SC. The issues I have had have all been with overlap streaking… Most of the advice that I have received have been to use bleach before and after the job. Usually because of the high amount of water there should be no damage to the grass or plants. Does anyone else have suggestions for streaking?
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Somebody suggested to me to leave a small (like 1-2") gap instead of overlapping each pass and then going back with a wand to hit the gap…I’ve been doing that on sidewalks and driveways and it’s been working beautifully. Sounds time consuming, but it’s really not, in fact, it takes way less time than trying to get rid of streaks.
(That’s just my $0.02… There are lots of more experienced guys who will probably give you better advice.)
Jesse
Atlas Services
Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina www.CallAtlas.com
I have been using chems…Housewash mix primarily. What I do is put it on the concrete as soon as possible so it can sit and work for as long as possible.
The picture below is an example. I was doing a Housewash and the front sidewalk, so, as soon as I was done with the front of the house (which I did first) I went ahead and sprayed the sidewalk. That way, it had plenty of time to sit, plus I wasn’t tracking Housewash mix all over the grass, etc.
When I did this sidewalk I left about 2-3" of “gap” in the middle.
(For some reason the picture looks like I left a stripe, but it was actually something about the way the concrete was poured and it was almost in a pattern…hard to explain, but it would make sense if you saw the sidewalk in person…It was DEFINITELY NOT a SC stripe)
Jesse
Atlas Services
Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina www.CallAtlas.com
Very nice! My new 16" surface cleaner just came in last week. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet but am definitely looking forward to it. I never thought about leaving a gap but it seems like it works good for you. I might have to give that a shot.
