awshucks

Forgive a couple of thoughts from a newbie...but how was the heat in July and August there, compared to the last few years? Betcha it was as sweltering there as it was here (mojave desert area)...but with mucho humidity. Folks don't do anything when that happens, much less consider having windows cleaned. What Jeff said also holds much weight. Being an independant thinker (G-d Bless You!) you already know that you're paying 33% more for gasoline this year, and that (regardless of how the Gov't spins the numbers) real inflation has to be keeping pace with both energy costs being passed on to the consumer in all other industries...and the unbelieveable rate of printing of fiat money. Folks are zapped by the heat and tapped out...not a great combination. On the bright side...Sept. is around the corner and the stock market is perking up. Bruda...I know how you feel. John D. Ceaseless City Cleaning 661-874-7532

Hey all...have been reading the postings with interest, and was looking for some input here. Our location is in Northern LA county, at the edge of the Mojave Desert. Have just started up here, and passed out 100 or so flyers with only 1 response to date. Pretty typical from what I read... 1-2% response. On the flyers I listed prices based on square foot of house, rather than number of panes. Figured to reward first few clients with a good rate and get word of mouth started. My quandery is this...it took us 5 hours to do a 2200 sq. ft. home. My son and I, tracks/screens/frames/windows...the whole shebang. Goodly amount of ladder work, plenty of glazing on this house. Of course, the customers were elated at the cost and not really perturbed by the amount of time taken (I would have been). Is this kind of time spent 'normal'? The place had not had windows cleaned in the six years the customer had been there. I had my boy pulling/washing screens and then cleaning frames/tracks while I took care of exterior and then we both tackled interior. While there were a couple of quality issues I was not satisfied with, the customer was happy. I know there is a learning curve, just wondering if anyone here can make it a bit less steep? Understand that one shifts from turtle to hare over time, was just surprised at how long the job actually took. Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions. John D. Ceaseless City Cleaning 661-874-7532

hahahaha - didn't jump to the final page to see you solved the issue yourself. Out of curiosity, what was the ballpark charge for the water truck?

jnoden - Your best bet is a private water truck driver. Call a couple of general engineering/excavation contractors and see who they know. Make sure you have accurate mileage to the location (common sense), one load (usually 4k gallons) will give more than enough buffer. Better safe than sorry, and your paying probably $60/hr for the equipment and driver, and then mileage on top of it. I may be off on the hourly...don't know demand right now in your area. Hope this helps.

Hey folks, newbie question here...what are some of your average daily mileages and fuel costs? Just trying to wrap my mind around 35 to 50 percent combined expenses with such relatively low capital investment and no consumables other than water,a little chemical, and fuel. Am I oversimplifying? I see margins better than that in excavation, and pay scale for operators/mechanics/parts is through the roof.

Tip from a newbie who's used to hydraulic oils and other chems on concrete and asphalt from his old Naval aviation days...next time use old style kitty litter/chem dry on the spill. Pour it on, let it set 15 minutes to absorb, grind some fresh litter in the really bad spots with the heel of your boot, then sweep it all away. Works wonders. It never hurts to help. Surprised there aren't some mechanics (shadetree or otherwise) here.