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We still go door to door and hang door hangers. This is the first marketing we ever did and although we have grown from other sources we refuse to quit what work for us in the beginning. "Never forget where you come from" It is not easy but in my opinion it is a great source for new business! Internet is an excellent choice as well! We have NOT successful with EDDM, and for that reason have discontinued it. If you don't mind doing a little extra work take a look at sendjim, https://sendjim.io/home they have some great marketing ideas at affordable pricing.

Just a couple of pics of a project I am working on, this was some really old shakes that needed two fat coats of amber. you can see on the front where i left off on the second coat.

Support local charities and help people in your community who need it. Keep it between you, them, and God.

There is no drawback from doing the right thing. The drawbacks come from when people want to do the right thing for the wrong reason. Personally I think it goes against what god wants people to do to brag about how you donate or help out a service organization and expect to get positive exposure or a tax credit. Do it because you want to and be done with it. If you recieve a donation letter from them so be it but don't go looking for it.

My only "guarantee" is to turn up & do my best (results as explained)

I find that customers like you described are often ones that have been either taken by another contractor or were given unreasonable expectations. I have won these types over by setting the expectations and when possible over delivering. Then there are ones that just can't be pleased no matter what and they expect miracles. These often have conditions that can't be reversed and likely induced by either the homeowner/diyer or a hack. Some people are so difficult that I will intentionally bid it high to deter their acceptance but in the case they become desparate set a very low expectation. In the case of excessive questions, I find it that they are insecure and often a bit squirrelley to begin with. I try to be patient but sometimes find I have to control the narrative and leave them with either yes or no responses because they don't understand aspects about the project/scope/technology/chemistry etc. This helps them to find a path to a decision but I often have to leave a comfort line at the end, something to the effect of....if you have any further questions you can call me at... Guarantees. What is to guarantee in our line of work? That the dirt will come off? That the results will last 'X' years? I offer none where this is concerned even if I am the first one on the job because there are things I have no control over. I don't make the sealers, chemicals, stains etc. that are being applied. I didn't get the substrate dirty and have no idea of what it has been subject to and no way to tell until AFTER the work begins to reveal what was hidden or obstructed/disguised. What are your thoughts on Guarantees? Rod

New or return customers? If new customers, how did they hear about you? Referral? You'll likely have several different figures depending upon how they got your info. New customers who just found me online I'm about 40%, but that's only because I try and pre-qualify them before ever considering a site visit. I get a description from them over the phone or email, then I'll provide a brief explanation of the service I'm proposing as well as a price range. I let them know if the price range sounds reasonable to them, then we could meet to discuss & finalize the details. New customers who were referred to me from someone I've serviced in the past would be about 65%. Return customers about 90-95% When I first started my own biz in 1998, I thought I was killing it because I got most of the jobs I went and bid on. Come to find out it was only because I was offering my services way too cheap, (that's typically because many of us don't truly understand our total operating costs when starting a business). Although situations vary, I'd say that if you're closing % is much more than 50% from people who don't know you and just found your info online or in print, then you need to reevaluate your pricing.

We use both M5 X-Jet for House washing and we use a 12 volt 7gpm Fatboy or Shureflow Pump for Roofcleaning. We like the X-jet because you can reach upwards of 3 stories. You can apply chemical without ladders and can also clean most vertical surfaces without ladders. The roof setup gets the right chemical on the roof surface at low pressure.

I also have done quiet a bit of work for Real Estate agents in my area. What has worked for me personally is developing a good working relationship with those top sales agents and reward them with small gifts after a few jobs that goes a long way especially when you do excellent work.

I will expound on what Guy was saying. There is a sliding scale that many contractor use towards pricing and it is representative of the time, labor and materials it takes to complete a job. Higher price/sqft for smaller jobs and a reductively lower price/sqft as the job gets bigger. ie; 1.00/sqft - up to 200 sqsft. .75/sqft - up to 500sqft. .50/sqft - up to 1000sqft.....etc. Find out what it takes to do jobs of various types and look into your costs. How much fuel does your machine consume in an hour? Factor that into the price. What is your travel distance and factor costs for ass time in the vehicle for each person and a service area radius to base your rates on. Compute for larger distances as an additional charge upon the regular area. What are your overhead costs you have to meet each month? Divide that total by the number of days you work to come up with a minimum per day you need to meet those expenses and learn to factor that into your hourly costs overall. Many companies here have stated that they have certain minimums they will need to make before accepting any job. That is another thing to consider but beware, it is also market driven and demographically sensitive. You can price yourself out of business if your area of business can't support your costs if they are too high. Let me know if you have any questions... Rod

We used to do Ice Damn removal as well. Cold work and a bit treacherous in the snow of yards you have not been on before and are trying to find good footing for ladders. God I hate getting snow down the back of my jacket... Rod

Thad, Nonsense. You and many others not mentioned in my post deserve credit. Going back in time, if I can remember, Mark Smith, Ken Fenner, Greg R., Jim B., Diamond Jim Foley, and others used this website and the old Delco board to get the wood restoration business recognised by the general public. It helped my small business and many others. So take a bow!

Okay I have a few.....

Va is actually very fair about the issue. On contracting work when they pull a permit for a job they put your contractors licence number in the system and if it pops as inactive,completely fraudulent, or registered to someone else they make the contractor obtain a valid licence before they will sign off on the work.

The big 4-0 was this past September. I spent the morning of my 40th birthday in the Emergency Room with a kidney stone. That went away after some convincing, and all is well. My boys are 14 and 9 now........which is hard to believe. I stopped pressure washing in 2005 and switched to the HVAC business. I am in sales of residential HVAC and doing very well. For a couple of years I was a technician as well, but I enjoy sales more. Jim, I recognize your photo.......I hope all is well with you.

Doing it for nothing is something I won't do. You are performing on someone else's property and if you aren't charging for it and it is not disclosed in a proposal, bid or estimate, you are liable for any and all damages that result. Hourly rates are for employee's and lawyers. Even plumbers and electricians don't give hourly anymore. They charge by the service. We don't give out an 'hourly' rate either. Due to the varying factors many projects will have, there is no way to really put an hourly rate on it considering there is so much more that go into costs. Rod

Tim , I take care of a lot of furniture . Teak , cedar , pt, redwood, something that begins with a J. All furniture that ends up with people like us has gotten out of control and sticky . Over application of product is the biggest issue. So knowing what you put on and how to care for the finish is the biggest issue with outdoor furniture and when to start over again. Last year I did about 20 pieces of teak at the end of the year as a trial for he next 20 pieces in spring ( I think more). The tables could not be extended and the chairs couldn't be sat on when the temps hit 90. What a freaking mess but they new it . It went beyond there painter, local hardware store , paint store, handy man, advice from the product they put on,. The estate manager went to a dinner at one of my clients and ate / sat on the furniture I have cared for the last ten years. What a great new client I have and estate to work on . All because of something that couldn't be sat on ! Who wood of thunk ? With furniture less is best.... What ever is used don't over apply . Wipe off anything that doesn't sink in in 30 minutes . Don't allow much on the undersides at all . Just enhance the wood. With furniture the first finish and when to do the second finish is the trickiest . You cannot treat outside furniture like inside furniture.

If the coating is not permeable.....RUN. Beth

I like forums better because there is much less politics and more networking and civil discussion by contrast. Rod

I have done work at a reduced rate for the Salvation Army, a women's shelter, and a Food Bank. Neither group cares who you are or what you do. Their only concern is if you need help. But if I am told that I owe a freebie, if they tell me I can take a tax deduction, if they pull the guilt trip, we are done. The other thing, is I do not help for free advertising or other b/s. I help because I like the org or their goals.

The fishing part is not important. The being together is the important part. Just as important, is his little friends who do not have a good father figure in their lives. You have a chance to make a real difference in some kids life. Don't screw it up.

Someone hook me up with a frubal, thanks.

Frubals Have you ever heard the phrase 'instant karma'? Frubals (sometimes known as 'reputation') are are a very close equivalent. Let's say, for example, you see a post that you really like. You can validate that person by clicking on the little square green icon (if using The Grime Scene skin) or the scale icon (if using TGS Lite skin) that appears in that post. (It's toward the right-hand side, up top). A pop-up message will come up, asking what you thought of the post and will have a blank space where you can write your thoughts on that post. The other member will have it noted in their "User CP" that someone thought that that post was worth "frubals", and if you enclosed a note, that will appear next to the notation. Sending Frubals with a note is also a nice way to say thank you to someone who helped you. In your posts you will notice little squares under your user name. Mouse over them, and it will give you a message based upon your number of frubals. This changes as you get to new levels. There are many terms used on the forums that denote giving someone frubals. Among them are "frubaling a post," "frubalizing someone," and "fruballed." Here are some configuration numbers for you: Register Date Factor: For every 365 number of days, users gain 1 point of reputation-altering power. Post Count Factor: For every 100 number of posts, users gain 1 point of reputation-altering power. Reputation Point Factor: For every 100 points of reputation, users gain 1 point of reputation-altering power. Minimum Post Count: How many posts must a user have before his reputation hits count on others? 10 Minimum Reputation Count: How much reputation must a user have before his reputation hits count on others? 10 Daily Reputation Clicks Limit: How many reputation clicks can a user give over each 24 hour period? Administrators are exempt from this limit. 15 Reputation User Spread: How many different users must you give reputation to before you can hit the same person again? (Administrators are exempt from this limit.) 5

yup. Still stopped here. Probably until mid may till uncle Doug lets us go back. We got a real problem here with long term care, and its getting worse. Stay the course. Be well all.

Hi all New to the forum I joined specifically because of COVID 19. I am building a 120k furniture warehouse in nor cal, I am looking for tips to keep my crew members safe. Currently we are staggering shifts so everyone is not in our job trailer at the same time and in our warehouse we are practicing social distancing. We are spraying bleach on all tools, gang boxes, entrances etc. I am reaching out to the cleaning pros for any helpful tips and ideas. Thanks in advance. Steve

I have done this when I started out now I do not do it anymore Mike

I'm a '64 model (if you want to know how old that is you can work it out yourself - I don't want to know) and this is definitely a young persons game, especially in summer. I've had a few injuries over the years and am not 100%, so only a couple of years left for me - but I do love working for myself, being outdoors & doing stuff for people.

Well I'm 51 going on 20 at 6:00 A.M. And 51 going on intention at 6:00 P.M. Lol Feel it in the hands and knees these days but otherwise no to bad.

I built my own as well and learned some SEO. It's starting to get some organic traffic.

Hello and welcome to The Grime Scene. #1 is a matter of demographics and preference. I will answer for the residential aspect as we found more problems in securing reliable cash flow from commercial due to many non-compliant companies always giving us 'their' schedule of when they cut checks etc. Got fed up with the hassle and concentrated specifically on residential. The only part the comes close to commercial is our relations with property managers which has been very successful and reliable. The details on how to charge vary on what you are washing and if you are going to offer any followup services for wood cleaning/restoration which involves some carpentry and sealant/stain applications. This part is highly weather dependent and I would not dive in until you have taken a certification course to help gain a basis of knowledge. I suggest PWNA for a start. The pricing has to do with YOUR business model and your pay structure. How long does it take you to wash 'X' and what does it cost you to wash: wages, insurance, fuel(s) including travel time and ass time for your crew, chemicals, payments for equipment and any rentals you may have to hire etc. You can price by sqft but you have some math to do. Figuring out what you need to stay afloat is a start combined with the previous paragraph will help guide you on your pricing. Rule of thumb: Raise your prices as the market will bear and only in relation to cost increases you have to pass on to your customers. Depending upon the job size we charge the customer a 1/3 to get started (upon booking) and balance upon completion. In cases where the job is very large and requires more than on trip, 2/3 upon completion of (specified phase of work completed ei; wash/stripping a deck) on the first trip. Balance upon completion of the rest. Some companies offer financing to those customers whose jobs exceed a certain dollar amount and allow payments over a period of time. That can work both ways positively and negatively on cash flow and making payroll if a number of customers are late on payments. #2. You already have a client base to start from and if you have some decent references from them the advantages save you the advertising. I would start by examining each customer you have and coming up with a sheet detailing the optional items you could wash: Patio, walkway, Siding, gutters, pool apron, wall(s), deck(s), fence etc. and how much sqft of each. Offer them the additional services at introductory rates while you are ramping up. At each customers location, pass out a flyer to each house next door and to all houses across the street as a rule. As you know, people talk to their neighbors and ask for feedback on the contractors they use. Great word of mouth. You just have to generate their attention. Landscapers/lawnmowers don't often get much attention but when a crew starts up a pressure washer, people become intrigued. Use that to draw attention to your services. #3. Consider a Sprinter van. They have up to 2 tons cargo capacity. I have a dual gun pressure washer installed at the back, a 200gal square supply tank just forward of it with a tool box on top (plywood table of sorts and a drawer/shelf system along side) and a 3 stack hose reel towards the front just behind the driver seat. Of course you will want a partition wall to protect the occupants in the event of an accident but the main point is all of what you need is on-board and enclosed from the weather and theft. #4. You will find many pressure washers and wood restoration companies won't get out of bed for less than $75.00/hr. Others are around 100-125. Depends on what your market will bear. Once you have done some research on other more established companies, you will find out what is competitive and what you can be profitable on. After 18 years in business, we are of the top highest priced contractors and with a good reputation and service can basically command your price. #5. Sounds reasonable to start if that is what you always book. In our experience, travel also plays a factor in how much you can get done. The jobs get more sporadic in locations as you may have guessed and this will factor into it. The size of the house(s), the type of surface you are washing, the landscape difficulties (plantings and such that get in the way, make access difficult to not possible), rinsing and diverting water to ground (gotta watch out for the water cops) [Clean water act] Plus you will have to check into local laws AHJ's (authorities having jurisdiction) as well. Another issue is water access and flow. Many homes don't always have water flow that can keep up with a pressure washer so that is another factor you will Have to consider in not only the equipment you purchase but if you may require a hydrant meter for tapping a water hydrant if the site doesn't have enough flow AND how to charge for that option as well. The size of the tank can be an issue if you have too many residents with low flow (<4gpm-Gal/per/minute). #6. Many of us 'Specialize' in a specific aspect and up-sell to other items as a rule. ie; we specialize in wood restoration and up-sell house washing and pressure washing services (detailed items according to what is present). We are aware of a number of people in your area that target specifically house washing, fence washing (species of wood specific too) etc. The rest are add-on services and it makes it easier for your crew to be able to sell them on the spot if you come up with a structured price list they can follow. I hope this helps provide some modicum of direction and sense of probability. Rod

Hey Dave a matter of fact you can clean both with 12v but run one tank for your roof mix an a seperate tank house wash doing only residential ! Just doing roofs your leaving a lot of cash on the table! It's a pain in the but using 2 tanks but depends on your cash! A small investment in a pressure washer an DS is the way to go .But for roof cleaning you would still need a tank an designated pump.Not to knock Xjeting. Do a little research on this forum an you decide whats best for you.

Same here website,FB,twitter,instagram,Referrals and any free classifieds where I can post a link back to my website really helps!

Sounds great Rod same here in addition word of mouth brings us a large amount of business. Mike

PWNA Convention 2016! Don't miss this year's PWNA Convention in SC! Rod and I will be teaching the Wood Certification class, so for those of you who have thought about becoming certified but have not done it, we hope to see you there.

Sorry about the delay in getting these pics uploaded. Couldn't do it with the van loaded from helping Roger and Celeste finish their log home. The first is of the 2-gun unit at the rear of the van. The second is a view into the side door showing the tank, accessory drawer, hose reel stack and tool box. Third is of the winterization port between the tank and the pw'er. Rod

The glycols take the stripping range into acrylics...if done correctly.... Beth

This Health Insurance Program is just off the charts....Another member just emailed me...She saved for her and her family over 300 dollars a month ! It's nice to be able to help members save real money.

Mosmatic swivels arrived yesterday. Tried it out this am......man, what a difference! I am as promised, 1 happy camper!!

Hello everyone, remember me? It's been a while since I.ve been by to say hello. No, I haven't been cheating on you with another website. I thought I finally learned everything there is to know about everything and I didn't need to stop by anymore. Guess I was wrong. ;) I've been very busy in the business, everything is going very well. Missed you guys. Actually a friend from Florida is in the painting business and he called tonight to ask me about roof cleaning. I told him all I knew (which only took a few moments) and advised him to join TGS. Then I remembered that it's been a very long time since I logged in. Thats about it. Business is good and the family is fine. Taking a trip to the Domician Republic tomorrow for I little vacation. Bye for now, Ricky.

This can also go into the residential. Set your machinery up where you can do commercial/residential work with high volume soap/rinsing!! To make max money in most cases is do you have the proper machinery to do the job and then do you have the will/gumption to do what it takes to get it done if your doing it or you employees are. Also build your setup to have heat in it. I learned this from my good pal David Olson who since passed away and was a previous org treasurer as I was, set yourself up to handle almost any job that comes your way. So are you setup for that?

This post is SPAM. If you want to dialog with other professionals, that is fine otherwise this sort of post will be removed in the future. Beth

Good thread John. Kudos to Beth & Rod for starting The Grime Scene. Back in those days, there were few internet resources focused on pressure washing, especially information on exterior wood care. This site has educated and helped an entire generation of contractors.

A big thanks to Shane for coming in and helping me with a pretty good sized wood project. It's been a stellar week and still am going strong. But I needed a little hudspa on this one. Suddenly my helper realized he forgot to insert his anal suppository and couldn't work, at the very last minute. So I reach a little farther into the abyss of contractors that have offered ( lets just say) their services in times of slower than usual prosperity, to no avail. Helpers think I take on some projects that are too big for my little company. I do just fine. However my work load has been uncomfortable to say the least with really weird weather lately. Whatever.... back to Shane. Made the call to Shane and he was just wrapping up his morning. He made the crappy drive to my customers house through our murderous Houston traffic, worked for an hour and helped me finish up. He knocked out around 60 remaining ft. and the gate return. You are a really good dude to help me get the wheels back on the rails. Right on!!!!

We completely restored this deck. We set all the exposed nail heads and screws, added screws where needed, stripped what was left of the old failed and inferior sealer, cleaned, brightened and brushed the furrs and lightly sanded the extremely weathered wood, replaced a few bad boards, added a new rail cap all the way around, added structural support to the poorly designed hand rails and finally finished with AC! This made for one happy customer! I learned so much about what to do, what not to do and how to fix mistakes on this project it is unreal! I still have another deck and a few hundred feet of shadow box fence before this entire job is complete so I will have more b4 and after shots when it is all done. Thanks to all of you who have helped me along as I have worked this job!

Those chairs...I just keep looking at them. Beautiful. Beth

^^^this. I agree, Rod. It seems like the orgs are always "at war" with each other. It seems kind of dumb to me. I came to this site due to the lack of name calling, bashing and all around "internet tough guy" knowitall crap that exists on a few other forums.

Static electricity is more common on cold, clear days. Possible factor? I think the cause is most likely the explosive language used because the code-compliant fuel cans leak fuel all over the equipment.

Excuse me, I need to climb on top of my desk and pull up my pant legs, it is getting deep in here.

Works great, looks great. and it has the little dudes again...... :rugby: :orange: :onthego: :offended: :numbness: :nonchalance: :nightmare: :nevreness: :panda: