South Florida Newbie

Hello all, I’m new to the Pressure washing industry. I’m in the property management business, managing condos and Hoa’s. Started this business a month ago after doing a lot of research. My one area I’m stuck in is competitive pricing. I don’t want to be the new guy under pricing and killing the market. I’ve asked a few of my local suppliers and checked out Home Advisors, Angie’s list to find out the fair and competitive prices in this area for roof washing I’m doing. 15 sqft up to 2500sqft. I was told the market range is from. .10- .25 cents a sqft. So i had a 3000 sqft home in Parkland with a 20 year old tile roof. I quoted. 20 cents per sqft. I lost the job because the customer thought 600 was too much to pay. I didn’t offer to drop my price. I asked him how much he paid previously. He said $300. I asked him if they soft washed, he said, no it was pressure washed. Was i too high? South Florida is a different animal from the rest of the country. Any of you experienced fellows would like to share your experience and ideas? Thanks in advance for your responses.

Welcome to the forum! I’m typically at .20/sqft depending on pitch and single vs two story. Your quote was more than fair. Obviously, the $300 guy didn’t do it properly, hence being cheap. A lot of contractors spray it and leave it for the rain to rinse. I always rinse. I educate the customers on the process, to include preventative measures against vegetation and run off. If they still think it’s too high, that’s not your customer. Low ballers come and go…can’t really do much about it until the customers realize they got what they paid for. Good luck with your business!

An issue in my area is the range of prices. For example, my dad is on the board of his condo HOA and they had to get a few quotes to power wash an average sized wall on the property. He got everything from $300 up to $1200 for this job. It’s crazy. For roofs I try to get between .15 and .20 per square foot. Honestly, .20 is pushing it most of the time. There are so many guys doing it if the customer is getting a few quotes one of them is bound to be lower than you. Probably way lower. I just try to sell myself the best I can: Be clean, be nice, be knowledgeable, respond quickly to calls, and maybe most importantly, BE ON TIME. I hear it over and over again that Florida service guys are a nightmare to deal with. I just got off the phone with a customer who specifically asked if I would actually show up and it’s not the first time. You’ll be ahead of most companies if you answer your phone, return calls promptly, and be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there.

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Thanks for the responses guys. :+1:

It may be the first time you hear that but I promise it will not be the last. Just thank hime for his time and move on to the next one. Never ever work for free unless it’s your mama

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Thank you. I value my skills, time and the energy i put out. Also the wear and tear i put on my equipment. A 12v roof pump lasts 6 to 8 months if your are lucky. Thanks for your response. :+1:

Buy the warranty and let them replace it. At least that’s what I do

Very good idea :bulb:.