Mike W

I think you gave him a dirt cheap price. That is a sweet deal you have with the storage though. If it were any other residential customer the price would have been 900+. Although I do wash my mothers and mother inlaws houses each year for some fresh baked cookies. :winking: When I have to do the decks I get paid cost of material plus a little extra for my time.

I have to agree that quality should remain a top priority. I have been taking the impala instead of the truck to do most estimates. There is a huge difference in gas mileage. Inventory levels are also kept to a minimum. This way money is not tied up in excess chemicals and spare parts. I have also changed my advertising to more effective focused groups. I am not saying I cut back on advertising, just making it more effective. Many little cuts and streamlining procedures are in place to make this a good year. Deciding not to purchas a new computer and other office equipment is another huge cost saved. I want them, but I don't need them.

That's pretty bad. I would start my truck for that much and maybe do a small house. Did he use the homeowners machine, gas, and chemicals too? lol

I haven't had much luck canvassing the hood with fliers. I definitely would not target the homes that are filthy, because these people usually don't care. A lot of the homes I wash are in high dollar neighboorhoods. They are usually not that dirty because these people care about the investment and have it done every 1-2 years. Those are the customers you want. I don't think you are going to get work from them with fliers though. A lot of small time contractors and various hacks walk these neighboorhoods because they think since the peopple have money they should spend it on xyz service. Maybe change up your campaign and target these discerning customers with top notch service.

There everywhere here too. Every year more of them pop up, then they are gone the next. I was talking to a lawn service guy and he swore up and down that his insurance covered power washing because he was an LLC. I'm not sure how that works, but his insurance only cost him $250/year. He better hope he doesn't damage anything with his pw'er because I don't think the lawnmower insurance covers it.

I learned the hard way washing the walls of a moldy basement. We had two fans trying to exhaust air, but it was not enough ventilation. I had the wrong type of cartridges on my respirator. It was difficult to breath for a few days. That night when I got home, My eyes were burning so bad it hurt to keep them open. Actually had to get prescription eyedrops.

I am going to stick with wood tux and thinking about adding TWP. I have been very happy with the overall performance of wood tux and think it is a great product. it saves me a lot of time. Time is money.

It depends. What were the expectations that the customer had, and what did you say you would deliver? I would strip it again and schedule the sealing for another day. Why Thompsons? If a customer wants to use any product on their deck that I don't use, they apply themselves. I also warranty all of my deck work. It is stated in the agreement that xx% to 100% of the stain will be removed. I guess it really is contingent on what your standards are and if sanding will be sufficient. If the stain is failing already, what ever you put on over that will also fail prematurely.

It is usually hit or miss for me for the past week. I have been having better luck today though.

Oops, I meant to say 10" brush. I have an 8" from lowes that just takes up a little space in the toolbox. I like the brushes Bob has. I use f-13 on the gutters. A little goes a long way. I put about 2 oz in a bucket and just barely cover the bottom with maybe a 1/4" of water. White synthetic with salt & pepper synthetic border. This soft flagged synthetic fill is an excellent multi-purpose wash brush. For use on windows, cars, vans, trucks, boats, and siding. Clearcoat safe - BRUSHES TRUCK / GUTTER

I use a 8" soft truck brush. I do get some drips if I am not careful. I can usually do a run of about 10-15' before I need to re wet and rinse. The longer bristles get the face and underside of the gutter all in one pass.

That would be nice, but I beleive that is usually reserved for transportaion.

When I need to reach the 2nd story gutters I will grab a 5'er, brsuh and telescoping pole. Just make sure you charge accordingly for the streak free gutters!

We just started using paypal this year. It is nice not having any monthly fees. I only lost one job because I could not accept credit cards, so I'm willing to pay the small transaction fee.

The price is way too low. I won't start my truck up for $150. Although it is fairly common to see around here.