Hey guys here again. Still trying to figure all this out, i got a lead from a buddy of mine who owns an asphalt compnay. The lead owns multiple motels. The sqft is 16,000. He only wants it pressure washed because my buddy is going to apply asphalt. I just want to know from your guys professional experince, how much would you quote it for and sqft. Any helps please. I dont want to over bid it as well and lose a potenial client and future opportunitys since he owns multiple ones. I came up with .30 cents per sqft but that comes out to 4,800 which he is already paying a hefty price on the asphalt already. So i give him a 20% off first customer discount which is 960 off? Or am i still charging alot. I can look at this for future jobs secruity but i still dont wanna cheap my self. Or even if i did .20per sqft but yet again i live in los angeles CA. I dont wanna lose money to make money.
You just asked the same question over in other thread. The answer is the same. None of us in LA, so we don’t have a clue what the market is out there. You need to figure out your time and cost to do and then add what profit you want to make, Talk to some other washers out in that area.
I was not sure if you guys would of been able to see it. But thanks . Ill figure it out my self
it doesnt matter if you think is too much or if your buddy think is too much.
what matters is if you feel confortable doing the job, and if you feel good with the profit you are going to pocket. that is the only thing that guarantees you will do a good job.
if not walk away, who cares what the market price or ongoing prices are. Everyone has diff costs and overhead.
or wheather he is paying a “hefty price”, that is the price of doing business.
you might as well do it for free is that makes you feel better.
If you are going to run a business and make your decissions based on fear then seek othe line of business.
Thank you. Appreciate the feedback
Maybe 16,000 sqft isn’t a great first job.
Why would he apply asphalt over concrete? You probably need to go look at it. Take pics. Post pics
I’m guessing there’s no concrete and he’s re-sealing the existing asphalt? Washing prior to that maybe?
Yes there is. Its pure concrete. The owner wants it pressure wash, for my buddy can out asphalt on it. You guys think i should use degreaser or sodium hypochlorite with mix or surfactant? Or just surfactant only?
It’s prep work only… you could lay down asphalt on a concrete base without cleaning.
I’ll save you some time.
By now, you should know what it cost to run your business, add it all up and figure out how much you need to make per hour to make it worthwhile, once you have that number figure out how long it will take you to complete and you have your price.
Pressure Washing In LA is a niche business, we don’t get mold or mildew like Florida for example, tbh homes don’t even really get dirty that much, commercial work is more abundant but they want to pay pennies- it sucks! You will starve out there if you can’t get companies quick on your books, its very difficult and a bunch of hoops to go thru
Don’t go adjusting your price based on other ppl, stick to your number and if they approve they approve and if they don’t keep walking. It’s real simple even if it seems tricky
It the other thread he started he said it was concrete
You are correct. Its concrete . Not asphalt . They want me to prep it for my friend can later on add asphalt or w.e his process is
They do this in the north a lot, they build a concrete road, then about 2 years later they cover it with asphalt. Supposedly it is cheaper to maintain that way, as the freeze/thaw and contraction expansion of mutliple winters with salt being applied and plows grooving it up, that it eventually turns them into garbage. The concrete is supposed to make a great base for the asphalt so it doesn’t sink/move. After many years they have to go back and redo everything, same process again.
I agree with Chesebro, only you know what it costs to run your business. I get multiple calls every year for HOA concrete work. I know what it takes and I’m not willing to discount my work to get a job like that. It’s all about opportunity costs, I would actually lose money by discounting too much. I know my desired hourly rate and I would be better off working 4 or 5 other jobs that pay my rates instead of the discounted HOA rate to win the bid. It sucks to lose, and the cheap guys always do a crap job, but that’s how it goes.
Talk to your friend and see if he knows what the average rate is for cleaning concrete prior to him applying asphalt. He may have some insight into pricing, maybe the two of you can come to an agreement and he includes the concrete cleaning with his bids. If you do, make sure it’s in writing and reviewed by a lawyer. CYA
