mr._squeegee

Hi, I searched and found nothing on the poly. I wanted to know do you guys as a standard just mark up the sand with a multiplier, or price by the sq ft etc. If so what formulas have you come up. Thanks.

Right on I am with you 100%. To add though two things bother me, with regard to the party in question, why would you reference this board for the knowledge base to your clients/potent ional clients, and then turn a blind ear to expert pricing and market placement advice from seasoned veterans. Am I to believe they know technique, the chems, the legalities, etc etc etc but aren’t hip to the secret fairy dust you use to make a profit at lowballer prices. Lets be honest one isn’t putting the powerashing washing world on its ear, your not re inventing the wheel, and aren’t onto something no one else thought of. You’re just rationalizing the only way you can get business. Second the hard work I am a hard worker angle is insulting on multiple levels and contradictory to many other fields. The best tailor, the best baker, the best wedding planner, the best photographer, home stager, interior decorator etc aren’t the cheapest. Get some self respect. Second there is a limit to the madness where the low ballers don’t believe their own hype. If they honestly believe this silliness the lowballers would be arguing over doing decks for $1 dollar or $2. Right out of bugs bunny or an abbot and Costello or three stooges. Notice the threshold for "best price" happens to be enough for beer money gas etc when you don’t have real costs. They aren’t literally sitting on the deck dickering down each other like they should be if they were honestly competing on price alone. They are competing on lowest price awareness, customers naiveté, and customer wishing to WILL a price down. If all these low ballers really have the lowest price like they say 90% would have to quit instantly and there is one guy left working for less than a Chinese sweatshop worker. Each hack lowballer can’t all be the cheapest. Its impossible. Plus there is always a high school kid with a stolen power washing who walks to the job who will do it for half as much as you, illegal immigrant etc. Don’t compete on price along it’s a death sentence, if you think you can you are naive or rationalizing your own failure at communicating value and expertise. No one good at anything does it "for the cheapest prices around" or some other hack catch phrase. If you’re even the least bit talented at anything not limited to power washing you should be competing with price as the main focus.

"If” .... If grandma had nuts you would call her grandpa. Not going to happen. Power washing isn't a universe on to itself. A lock smith charges $70 bucks or more for a 3 minute lock out when you lock your keys in the car, call any number of service business and ask what the minimum trip cost is. Window tinting I couldn’t find anyone under $200. Call some lighting companies and ask what the minimum charge is if while power washing you wreck in ground lighting, or in ground sprinkler. I don’t have tools to do in ground sprinklers, its not rocket science, if all these other companies charge you $100 -$200 to drive to a home then the cost rise from there parts, and mark up and hourly wage. Why should power washing be any less? It’s specialized. Unfortunately just about anyone can say they are a power washer, there is no accreditation required by the state (I know complete loser licensed builders and ASE mechanics who can’t put brakes shoes on the correct side) so the accreditation wouldn’t solve everything but its atleast a minor hurdle. If power washing was sooooooo easy the home owner should just do it themselves. Even if something IS EASY, the fact they don't have the time or the inclination, or its socially unacceptable for them in their ritzy sub or posh address to do their own labor. That alone makes power washing valuable.

i Looked at the website I didn’t see the $99 offer on there? Did I miss it? If it there could you please post a link to it I would like to read the fine print if there is any. Sounds illegal to have a $99 price and NOT DO jobs for that price. That is the very basis of the bait and switch. You advertise $99 house you have to advertise the conditions, no conditions you have to wash an 8,000 sq ft 3 story wood sided home for $99. I don’t like the idea of a $99 wash. If one is professional they would sell on more than just price. Price selling is for commodities, not custom labor work. You price sell Duracell batteries, or Gatorade, you don’t price sell legal advice, tailoring, medicine, auto work etc. Well unless you are admitting you’re not as professional, because if you were you would charge more. Many companies here in the tri county area charge $70 bucks MINIMUM delivery charge for stuff. How can you provide hours of service, and estimate before hand, two trips gas and chemicals for $29 more than the minimum cost to deliver a shrub or a shower door ? Low balling is driving south east Michigan trades into the ground and I don’t see people lowering their expectations an equal amount to the low ballers. They want low price and top notch work.

squirtgun, i didnt interpret Apple Roof Cleaning statement that way at all. I think he meant mamas boy, as in momma told him to get a job, as long as he "has a job" then he is fine. If she divorced him he would likely be below poverty level, granted he is doing "work" not enough or at high enough rate he could support himself. Likes saying he is his own boss, owns his own business, but his old lady is keeping the ship afloat. Not that having ones wife work makes you less of a man. Thats standard fair these days. Dual income family to live in nice neighborhood, no shame in that. He was busting the hacks ballz that they dont know they are making as much a year as a kid at wall mart and with out the old lady working a real job 40 hours with benefits he would be on some sort of assistance. Im new here thats the way i took it.