Beth n Rod

Having a license actually puts contractors in a better position over the others in this region.
 
People are actively looking for credibility.
 
Rod

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.

Im saving so much money now that we escaped the people's communist Republic of NY, that I don't mind paying for a license. Just another selling point for me anyway.
 
I'm sure it also helps weed out SOME hacks as well.

So far, it looks like class C is the one I need. Going to start on Monday.

Having a license actually puts contractors in a better position over the others in this region.
 
People are actively looking for credibility.
 
Rod

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

We run a 10gpm on both my trailers........My Maxima is no problem but my Hydrotek 28 is faster

If you upgrade the pump, make sure the motor has sufficient horse power to run it.
 
 
Rod

It's great to hear from everyone again, thanks.
It this monent I'm relaxing on the little island of Dominican Republic with my wife and son.
Staying at a beautiful hotel that never changed the default passwords from the wifi routers.  :)

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.

Hello John, how have you been?   I've missed being a regular here but I intend to correct that.
 
Were looking forward to the DR, it will be a nice change from our yearly mecca to Bulgaria to see the inlaws.  It usually only takes about a half hour before my wife and her father start fighting about something.  Takes about 2 hours before she tells me she wants to come back to the USA ASAP.
 
Okay, back to work getting ready.  Flight leaves Hartford very early tomorrow morning and it's 10:30 now.  (I was working like crazy today making sure I had a condo project done by 5:00 pm.  Didn't think I'd make it but I did).
 
I'll sent some pictures from the beach tomorrow.   Ricky.

Good reading material to help you understand the challenges you could be facing. In some states, this protection can be added for just dollars per month. Each state has different limits and pricing available. Contact our office if you are interested in learning more about the availability of this coverage in our program!
EPLI Coverage.pdf

Thanks for this info! I knew there had to be something to keep my hose from going in circles :biggrin:
Thanks again

The mosmatic swivels I use don't get stiffer.
When they fail they just don't work. But that has taken years and so far the ones I have installed have been in service about 4 years.
 
Rod

You need a swivel in addition to the whip.
The purpose is to give you a replaceable section to take the abuse of bends from extended periods of use.
If the whip goes out, you are not down because you still have the main hose to continue with till you can replace the whip.
 
Rod

Mosmatic Swivels....

262 Contractors
84 Vendors
7 Days!

So stoked for Nashville. 
We are at 253 contractors and 84 vendors attending and the count keeps going up!

http://pressurewashingconvention.com

I'm with Shane.
 
Beth

 Remember, an educated customer is a happy customer, so I'd bring them in on the conversation.  Explain the 2 schools of thought on sealing new wood.  Lay out the pros and cons, and what their expectations and expenses should be either way, then let them make an educated decision.   (You took the time to learn about it, you deserve to show off!)
   If they/you decide to seal now, Thompson's isn't my flavor, but it's a fine product for this situation.  Remove the mill glaze just like any other waxy sealer.  I like to use clear sealers for fresh wood, partly because if (or when) it fails in a few months it won't be so noticeable, and partly so the customer can enjoy that look of new wood for a while.  Nothing you put on is likely to last more than a year.  Come back next summer after it's aged and dried and seal it up right.  If that's done well they'll get at least 2 years out of it.

Dear Beth
 
I hope this is a lesson I don't have to repeat.
 
--Jaddie
Wannabe Power Washer in Buford, Georgia

I'm not an early-bird by choice, only by necessity. Besides, no one posts earlier or later than you do. You're like...the 24 hour man!
 
Beth

In the beginning, I always timed myself to see how long it took to accomplish various tasks in different configurations.
 
Once I had a grasp over production time and the typical amount of materials used (plastic, tarps, tape) I could then factor my costs based upon
 
 
Time to complete the job plus set up, prep time and break down/cleanup became a number relative to the square footage of the job.
 
If there were no steps and I had to use a ladder, I would add time to that by lowering the sqft/hour production rate.
 
Materials are based upon their coverage rates minus 10-20% to account for spray lost and absorption variances on different species.
 
Having to hand apply meant a different production rate which was obviously lower than spraying and back brushing/padding.
 
Your hourly must include more than just what you make. It should include the employer contributions of F.I.C.A., S.S. and Medicare required.
Figure out your typical service area. Take a compass and put the point on your location. Now, depending upon the scale of the map you are using, expand the compass to
determine your service area (1/4"=1 mile for example) and make a circle. Anything within that circle should have a cost built into your labor costs. Ex; 30 minutes max/person driving to a job=labor x :30 minutes x # of crew.
 
If you are thinking your labor cost would be $40.00/hour/person, you could be losing money. Many companies I am aware of won't leave the house for less the $1000.00/day
Don't get me wrong, you don't want to base your costs on other companies, but the smart ones take All their costs into consideration before coming up with a price structure.
 
What are you paying your crew?
What are the required employer contributions? and the percentage/wage dollars?
How long does it take to do the job?
How many trips to complete each phase (wash/strip, Sand, stain/seal)?
What is the mpg of your vehicle being used?
How long does it take you on average to get to any point within your service area?
What would be considered your 'extended' service area and what types of work would you accept beyond the regular service area?
 
What are your insurance costs per month? Do the math and find out how much that is per day, per hour. 7 days a week. (yeah, we all work weekends when weather messes us up)
 
Do you have office staff? How much are you paying them? This should be included in the costs for labor for the time the office work would take. Why? Because someone has to man the phones, take messages, file paperwork, send faxes/emails/snail mail and process the transactions relative to the job.
The average customer requires: phone calls, emails or faxes to initiate, process and complete the transaction.
They require time for consultation, follow up and intermidiate communications for progress of job and sheduling.
This can range from 1 hour to several depending upon the customer and the complexity of the project.
 
Doing this kind of analysis and costing can help you to arrive at a price.
 
All the costs can be summed up in a sqft basis but make sure you know how much you can do, or better yet what your employee's WILL do. They aren't vested like you, so count on things taking a little bit longer where they are concerned.
 
You could use a sliding scale to cost your services which means the $$$/sqft price may drop incrementally as the sqft goes up.
We use this for decks mostly due to the fact that once you take out the prep, set up and break down, the production rate goes up as the work is being done due to the
most difficult part being the rails. The floor is the fastest and easiest which makes up the brundt of the sqft overall. So the sliding scale comes in handy and keeps you from over bidding due to a set price/sqft.
 
Enough for now.
 
Rod

I got more rooms at the Gaylord.  When these are gone, it’s over!
 
I also got some rooms at the Inn at Opryland across the street from the Gaylord.  $109 a night, free parking, no resort fee, free shuttle to convention.
 
http://www.marriott.com/meeting-event-hotels/group-corporate-travel/groupCorp.mi?resLinkData=PWRA%20Convention%20Inn%20at%20Opryland%20Room%20Block%2C%20Aug6-10%2C%202014%5Ebnagi%60PWRPWRA%7CPWRPWRB%7CPWRPWRC%7CPWRPWRD%60109.00-119.00%60USD%60false%608/6/14%608/11/14%607/16/14&app=resvlink&stop_mobi=yes

Name the maggot......