I got a call from my Kelley Moore store telling me they are in a jam because one of their guys dribbled paint for about quarter mile in a brand new subdivision (read no water readily available) where the homes start at about $2.8M per home. The developer is not happy and KM needs it cleaned. It starts out as a small line of paint until he stopped and created a kitchen table sized pool. Once it spread all over the bumper it then made a 2-3 foot wide spray pattern for the rest of the distance. It will probably have to be done in the evenings to avoid construction traffic and I will have to have a helper. I am not interested in screwing them but I am interested in making this worth my time work in the evenings after a full day on my primary jobs. Thanks for any insight. I do have some ideas on this but I’m a rookie at the PW side of things.
Walk away
Charge em double or triple. especially if you will be running back and forth to get water. Or have them pay for a water truck to hook up to. Is the road asphalt or concrete?
brother Walk Away is your fav comment,
its a job it can be done, why do u say walk away? may i ask?
is there a Fire Hyd close by
He will have a hazardous material he is removing from a road. Run off will have to be contained and removed. Removing haz mat requires an additional endorsement on your drivers license. In addition it doesn’t sound like he has the equipment to remove the paint to begin with. Best plan is to walk away. Or be a redneck and go wash it into the storm drain and hope you don’t get caught and get stuck with the intial $7500 fine. My advice is sound.
guess I’m a Redneck for sure…
some rules people want to go by
some rules people don’t go by…
Can I ask why paint would be considered hazardous material? 90% of paint these days is all water based why would you be required to reclaim this? I have ZERO experience with a job like this just curious is all.
Latex or oil, all paint is a class 3 haz mat
It can’t be washed to the curb or down a storm drain. I don’t care what anyone else does. He asked for advice and I gave it. If you @Fatdaddy don’t follow the CWA that’s on you and all the fines that go with it. When you get busted it just makes it that much harder on legitimate contractors.
I don’t want to put words in Innocent’s mouth, but besides the waste factor, you can’t be everything to everyone. Figure out what you’re good at and like doing and become the very best at it. Typically generalists make less than specialists. Just ask any doctor. For example, in my case, I don’t do windows or gutters. Get asked every other day to do, and I can, but don’t like doing my own, sure as hell not going to do someone else’s.
Plus there’s the factor of having the proper equipment to do the job efficiently and profitably. Without, it’s a big PITA and you’re more likely to not do it correctly or profitably. If you want to specialize in paint removal, that’s great and soon you can learn all the in and out’s, have all the right equipment and be an expert. This is just my take on it, but since it’s free, take it for what it’s worth.
You speak much more pleasant than I do 
This is great to know thanks a ton for the info. #Bookmarked
I agree wholeheartedly with @Innocentbystander and @Racer, however, not being one to turn down an opportunity to have someone do work I’m not confident about and still get paid for it I’d find someone with a recovery system to subcontract it to.
My only stipulation with sub contractors (beyond license and insurance) on jobs like this is to let me pull hoses, carry buckets, whatever as long as they walk me through what they’re doing so I have at least a baseline familiarity with it.
Collect your check, pay your subs, and get back to washing easy stuff like vinyl and concrete.
When you get busted it just makes it that much harder on legitimate contractors.
There is that Blame Game sometime u can know to much…
so the city is going to come remove it from the street??
I bet the city would be glad you removed it…
Do this MDA call the city street dept and tell them you want to remove it and see what they say??
That is not the thinking of a business owner. I want to know all that I can about the business that feeds my family and the families of my employees. Have you studied the CWA? Do you know the fines? Are you aware insurance doesn’t cover ignorance? This isn’t a part time gig with cash on the side for me.
The “city” has nothing to do with the laws governing haz mat or CWA.
then the city says fine do it.
i bet the CITY DOES have something to do with has mat or CWA.
When it comes to paint being spilled on their city street,
jesussIrene,duuu huuu bro think about it
MDA please call the city and lets see what they say…
you tell them you been hired to remove it and lets see what the city says…
bet they have a vacum truck to suck up the water if it cant go in the draiins???
I’m taking my own advice and walking away. Grandma said don’t argue with fools cause bystanders can’t tell the difference. Good luck.
just curious do just send your men out work all day. you stay home on the computer?
we know your a high roller and you know the rules and regs of it all…
i like your advice some is good… just amazed how you able to do it all
MDA still call the city talk with them see what they say…
tell them what kind of paint it is…
I work from 4:30am til about 2 or 3 most days. Last week I was working in Alabama and put about 80 hours in. This week about 40. Crews work 7 to 4 when in town. This is my social outlet and I can use my phone to do it. I’m thinking you aren’t grasping that CWA supersedes any local gov. I don’t want to see someone get in a bind or lose money. Walking away prevents that. You do what makes you happy.
if local gov. tells you fine do it, I would say your covered…
