I’m starting a pressure washing business in oklahoma and I am having a very hard time coming up with a price sheet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
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start with an expense sheet
Read read and read some more. You will find pricing threads all over the forums. It’s different for everyone and every state. You will pick up the basics, and will have to experiment in your area. Plus, every job is different. I have basic prices for house wash for 1 and 2 story homes up to 3000 square. Then add over 3000. Same with roofs. Then concrete is for me $.10 to $.25 a square foot. Get a feel for how long a job will take, and you should be doing $100 to $150 a hour. In some cases. More. Set a fixed price that you will not go under. For us it’s $135 or I won’t come out.
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I really appreciate the advice from you guys…I have done a couple jobs but feel like I have not charged enough. I was thinking around $55 cold water and $65 hot water but that seemed to cheap
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Like [MENTION=3162]JCinNJ[/MENTION] said, start with an expense sheet. If you are getting $55 an hour for a job then factor in gas to get there and to do the work, soap, insurance, WCB, the list goes on… You are probably making less than $20 an hour and for $20 an hour you might as well work for somebody else.
When I had my 3 GPM machine and just started out I was doing jobs for $50-$60 an hour because that’s the fastest that machine could work and I was on properties for far longer than expected which brought my hourly wayyy down even though the price was right. Now that I have my 8 GPM I’m in and out of jobs faster than even my expectations ever could imagined and I haven’t done a job for less than $100 an hour yet and that’s after expenses.
Every job gets faster and with the right equipment it can actually be fun and fulfilling when you know you make a killing and the customer is ecstatic.
I wish I had found this forum sooner to ease my learning curve. Keep reading and Good luck!
Britton Emerson
Emerson Exteriors
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[MENTION=8674]Emerson[/MENTION] I so agree on this site I made my homework on direct drive vs belt driven but I didn’t do my homework on different vendors I could’ve had got a 8 gallon a minute pressure washer for the Same price got a 3 .8 gpm from Landa belt drive so I did some family drive to test it out then I found out I needed a pump to pull from tank. Now I debating should I get a surface cleaner or just try to get out and get some jobs just using the gun @ 130 a drive way
Gatorpwashing LLC Phx Az
Surface cleaner with the appropriate tips will make jobs go way faster and give you a professional look and finish especially if you pre and post treat. Spend the money if you have it and you will be happy you did. Also unless every house has identical drive ways I don’t know how you charge a flat $130 for every one. Brick is way different and more time consuming than flat concrete and exposed aggregate has it’s challenges as well if it’s really bad. Now that I have my 8GPM I price jobs based on what I want to make an hour within reason. I go to a job, figure it’s going to take X amount of time and times that by X dollar amount (usually $125-$155) and add my expenses. I’m getting faster and my hourly is going up!
Britton Emerson
Emerson Exteriors
Well in AZ theres more concrete an black top not so brick but I’m just trying make a profit to get my skid I did some wit the gun two drive way wear me the hell
Gatorpwashing LLC Phx Az
Out an it was 90 outside
Gatorpwashing LLC Phx Az
How big are these drive ways? Also the surface cleaner will not be as tiring.
Britton Emerson
Emerson Exteriors
It various wrap around short different kinds did u do door to door
Gatorpwashing LLC Phx Az
I got desperate when I first started and went up and knocked on one door… They weren’t home and I felt weird about doing that, I’m no good at that kinda thing. I now deal mostly with Real estate agents and referrals from past work. Also teamed up with a local awning shop that I do all of their cleaning for them so it’s a great deal for both of us.
Britton Emerson
Emerson Exteriors
O how working wit the real estate agent working
Gatorpwashing LLC Phx Az
The regular ones I work for are getting to know me and my process and attention to detail so they just get me to do jobs and know I’m going to price it fair. At the start it was hard because they all have more ridiculous questions than a regular home owner and some don’t know much about a home in general. But it’s going good now.
Britton Emerson
Emerson Exteriors
Ok I may try that out I’m just getting started
Gatorpwashing LLC Phx Az
Forget about a price sheet. Accurate pricing only comes with experience and having a good idea of A) how long the job will take and B) how much you want to make.
Start at 10 cents/sqft and go up from there, with 10 cents being the minimum. Always, always, always do in person estimates…I learned this the hard way.
[MENTION=8127]tigerwash[/MENTION] what happened in the Past wit estimates
Gatorpwashing LLC Phx Az
I’ll toss my two cents in on this one. In person estimates build trust. Looking someone eye to eye when you speak leaves an impression that’s harder to dismiss than an impersonal phone call.
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yes I can very much understand that
Gatorpwashing LLC Phx Az
I would quit if I had to meet every tire kicker in person.
Tell them what they need, present a price.
They either trust themselves enough to make a decision or they don’t.
If they don’t trust themselves, what makes you think that they are going to trust me?
YMMV and all that.
