Phil Rogers

What does precarb, scrap and paint mean? Maybe I am misunderstanding scrap because I assumed precarb was the cleaner and paint is obviously the sealer or stain.

Part Time for me, right now. I love exterior cleaning and I love chasing down the work, but I went full time last year (lost my job) and almost wrecked my family due to having 2 bad months in a row. If you are not established and do not have money set aside for rough times, I wouldn't recommend going Full Time until a foundation has been established. I am working a full time day job again and managed to get Friday's off during the summer, so it's steady money and more time to work on the business, too.

I priced a house wash (80 linear feet), gutter clean (40 linear), and a deck clean (458 sq ft + 8 steps). I priced the house at: $150.00 Gutter Clean: $80.00 Deck Clean (no seal): $435 Total: $665 My friend who used to be in the pressure washing business said I should charge no more than $325.00 Am I that far off? He also said I should not use chemicals on the deck or house wash because the house or deck doesn't really need it. I feel that my price may have been a bit high for the area, but I don't think I was 100% too high! Any thoughts?

Hi Beth, This home is a duplex with 3 sides, maybe 1,200 sq ft. The customer wanted the house washed, gutters and soffits cleaned, and the deck cleaned. The deck, from memory, as I am on vacation, was approximately 400 sq. ft, not including the railing and steps. From what I have found, most people jump when I quote them on cleaning and sealing a deck. One lady last week asked for a quote, she lived in a townhouse in Columbia, MD, had a 300 sq. foot, 2nd story deck, no steps. She wanted the house washed, gutters cleaned, and the deck cleaned and resealed... I quoted approximately $1,200 for this including materials and threw in a walkway cleaning for free.. She replied and said she was hoping to have everything done for $400 to $500. In MD, have you found that a lot of people just don't understand the amount of work that goes in to properly cleaning and sealing a deck?

The porch in the photo is not the deck I was referring to, that was my parents house that they were nice enough to let me "practice" on! The deck I was referring to was over 400 sq ft.. I am starting to feel like Guy B.... Decks are a ton of work, and they seem to take me forever!

Hey Beth, sorry I didn't see this sooner. He still does pressure washing, but mainly landscaping. I have since heard some horror stories about his work, but he's always been the "go to" guy for people that don't really care if the work is done right, who just want a cheap price. I have since submitted several estimates and have not budged on my pricing. If someone is not willing to pay a fair price, then I am moving on, there is plenty of work out there!

Wooo, Happy Birthday, Tracy!

Every time I get back from a job, I am soaked, usually from head to toe, and full of dirt. Usually I do make a mistake of getting too close to the bottom of whatever I am cleaning and then get a mud bath, but I was just wondering if the pros still come back looking like this? I feel like I should be wearing a rain coat and rain boots whenever I step on to a job!

ha ha ha.. Get a longer wand.. Sounds familiar, DOH! Just kidding. Thank you for the advice.

I have my first wood clean and seal job coming up. When you do your pricing, do you charge a certain price per sq ft and that covers sealer, too? Or, do you charge a price per sq. foot and add the sealer cost to that number? Just curious, thank you.

Thanks, everyone.. I think I will break it down, too.

Ha, wow! Let us know how it turned out, Adrian!

This is my first real month in the business and I have 3 jobs lined up already, wooo wooo. I haven't done any advertising yet, only word of mouth, so this is looking good! Happy Washing to all!

After

Before shots

Thanks a ton, everyone. I did my first house and deck wash today, for my parents... Everything turned out really well and there are definitely things I could improve on. Thanks to this website, I think I was much much much more improved than I would have been. I did have trouble getting some junk of the facia on the 2nd story, but I eventually got it as clean as I could. I will post pictures when I load them on my PC, but ahhh, it feels good!

Andrew, Do you have experience in the Glen Burnie / Pasadena area for decks? I also thought this customer would run away from my price, but other people I have talked to would use me in a heart beat for these prices. Knowing the demographics of the area, do you guys ever come down on price or do you always maintain the same price for all areas? This is probably a big time rookie question.

Thanks for all of the responses.. Yes, it is a row home / duplex with a decent sized deck off of the back. When he told me that the deck doesn't need chemicals and then told me he never used chemicals, I got confused because it went against nearly everything I have read. This job would be for a friend of his, so I am sure he will probably run from any price I give since he is expecting a low price like his buddy used to give. He runs a successful landscaping business and used to pressure wash along with that, but as someone in here mentioned, I don't think he did a lot of research on proper technique, etc. This is my first year in this business and I am just trying to do everything right. I thank all of you for your help. It feels good to know that I am moving in the right direction!

Hi Beth and Rod, do you still use HD80?

PVRogers@gmail.com... Hey, if you're still offering... :) I use excel and quickbooks.

Hello Grime Scene! My name is Phil Rogers, and I am new to the pressure washing scene. I have been browsing around on TGS for a little while now, reading and learning. This coming week I am ordering a Pressure Pro 5.5GPM 3500 PSI trailer rig from Tracy with Sunbrite Supply. I currently work a full time job (IT work), so this business I have started will be strictly part time until I can build a strong customer base. I chose pressure washing as a side business / future business because I like to work outside and I like the fact that pressure washing offers instant satisfaction to not only the customers eye, but to mine as well. I considered home improvements / remodeling, too, but truth be told, I know my limits and that is way beyond my talent and skill level. I look forward to learning a lot from the site and also contributing, eventually. If anyone in the MD area has any room for someone to tag along on the weekends to learn, let me know!

Hello, I am still new here, but I was wondering if buying a pressure washer was anything like buying a car. Do salesmen ever let you bargain them down to get a better deal or in your experience, is the price on the tag, the price you pay. Thanks! Phil Rogers

Thanks, Guys.. I am in school for business studies and still working a full time job while starting this business, so I am not jumping in head first without a safety net.. However, I do know what you mean. I really appreciate the advice.

Guy B, thanks for the information.. Where are the best deals usually found? I don't want to get scammed when I have limited funds to start on. By the way, your website is nice! Who designs your site?