Is This Price Too Low ?

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

I mainly clean roofs in Tampa, so I am not "up" on national house wash pricing.

But this seems very low priced to me.

$150 Residential Pressure Wash-Home Under 3,000sq.ft. - Raleigh Cleaning, MaintenanceServices - Kijiji Raleigh

For a 3000 sq ft 2 story home, I charge 450.00 to softwash it chemically.

I get about 1/2 the jobs I quote, telling me I am priced about right for my area.

Is this "the way it is" up in the Carolina's ?

Just curious ....

[douseahouse 21]

it may be how they price things in raleigh but definitely not how i price things in fayetteville. houses are big in raleigh and there is plenty of money in that city so he's working for peanuts if you ask me.

rando

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

it may be how they price things in raleigh but definitely not how i price things in fayetteville. houses are big in raleigh and there is plenty of money in that city so he's working for peanuts if you ask me.

rando

It seemed low priced to me too Rando, maybe he is expecting volume or something ?

That is a mistake IMO, expecting volume when dealing with the public.

[4000psi 16]

I live in a small area and guys will do jobs for just the peanut shells. 150 for a 3000sf is very low.

But the going rate for pro work here is about $150-$175 up to 1500sf, $200-$250 up to 2000sf, $275-$300 up to 2500sf, $325-$450 2500sf+. Some hoods you can get away with charging more, but this is average.

Dane

[Adrian 155]

IMO it is too low for just about any area for 3ksq.ft. But, like many have said on this board and others, he probably won't be around next year.

If that rate does not raise red flags for his potential customers then more power to him as we don't really want or need that type of customer.

They are the ones that sacrafice quality for price.

IMO IMO IMO

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

A shame the ad will expire in 30 days, and no one will know what we are talking about ?

[MMI Enterprises 289]

That anywhere from 2-4x too low even at entry level pricing. Add in that a decent portions of 3k homes are gonna be 2 story and they be workin for only half their beer money.

[Mike W 14]

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

[bigchaz 157]

Cheeeaaapppp

Theres no way hes doing volume work either with the level of drought in Raleigh. People would be too cautious even though he does haul his own water.

Surprised he doesnt charge more to pay for expensive domain name and hosting package

Strategic Pressure Washing

moonfruit? hah

[PressurePros 248]

I came across his website the other day in a search. Chris $450 is right where you want to be in Florida. I get $600-$1000 for a house that size in my area. I know guys from this board, Chris, whom would argue that nobody could get $450 for a housewash in Florida. Thank you for proving what I already knew to be untrue.

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

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

Being from the Detroit area, and knowing how bad things are up there, I might be able to "see" how prices could be so low near Detroit.

But I always thought North Carolina was like some kind of "research triangle" with lots of well paying high tech Jobs ?

For SOME reason, I thought if I moved up to North Carolina to get away from the Florida Low Ballers, I could make a decent living.

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

I came across his website the other day in a search. Chris $450 is right where you want to be in Florida. I get $600-$1000 for a house that size in my area. I know guys from this board, Chris, whom would argue that nobody could get $450 for a housewash in Florida. Thank you for proving what I already knew to be untrue.

Ken, ya know what ?

You can't get it, if you don't ASK for it.

Like I said, I am primarily a roof cleaner, and do not "normally" clean houses.

But sometimes we get asked to do the whole house.

The last house wash I sold I have to do this Friday.

I told the customer her home would look like it had just been painted!

I asked her how much she paid to have her home painted.

She paid 2800.00

And so I told her that 450.00 to make the paint look new again was a BARGAIN, especially since I was "throwing in" Mildew Protection.

She HAD a bid from a pressure washer for 250.00.

I was 200.00 higher.

I got the job.

[A and J POWERWASHING 64]

150 for that size in my area is low but last year a company was send out flyers 145.oo for anyhouse up to 3400 sqft . you know they had to be cutting coner

[jimbo 14]

That price is too low for anyplace within 150 miles of Raleigh! It happens, though. I recently quoted on an upscale home of 3300sf just outside Raleigh for a roof job & house wash. much MUCH shrubbery all around house. I quoted $700 for roof ( just front half of house) & $650 for house wash. It had HUGE amount of shrubbery & all gutters to be bagged etc. Upon scheduled call-back three days later, some local Idiot had booked the job one day behind me, for $375. for BOTH!!!!!!!!!!! The customer took it too!! Jimbo.

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

That price is too low for anyplace within 150 miles of Raleigh! It happens, though. I recently quoted on an upscale home of 3300sf just outside Raleigh for a roof job & house wash. much MUCH shrubbery all around house. I quoted $700 for roof ( just front half of house) & $650 for house wash. It had HUGE amount of shrubbery & all gutters to be bagged etc. Upon scheduled call-back three days later, some local Idiot had booked the job one day behind me, for $375. for BOTH!!!!!!!!!!! The customer took it too!! Jimbo.

WOW, 375.00 for the roof and house ?

Auto Mechanics got tired of working for nothing, now all use book rates.

I shopped 4 Garages for a timing chain replacement on my Nissan.

All 4 Garages were within 25 dollars of each other.

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

150 for that size in my area is low but last year a company was send out flyers 145.oo for anyhouse up to 3400 sqft . you know they had to be cutting coner

Yes, we know that, but these low ball artists LIE to the customers sometimes, and make them THINK they are getting a quality job when it is simply a blow and go.

[MudDuck 20]

Talk about not getting your price if you don't ask? Back in the early 90's I was a Deputy Sheriff. The "off duty" rate was about 12.00 hr. Heck I was making 12.00 in my first 40 hrs I wasn't working overtime for regular time pay. I started asking 20.00 per hr and ALL said I'd starve before I'd get that. LOL within six months EVERYONE had to come to me for off duty work because I had ALL the jobs. Not once EVER did anyone ever turn me down. Within a year I went to 25.00 hr. This was 10 years ago. Point is you have to ask for the money.

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

Talk about not getting your price if you don't ask? Back in the early 90's I was a Deputy Sheriff. The "off duty" rate was about 12.00 hr. Heck I was making 12.00 in my first 40 hrs I wasn't working overtime for regular time pay. I started asking 20.00 per hr and ALL said I'd starve before I'd get that. LOL within six months EVERYONE had to come to me for off duty work because I had ALL the jobs. Not once EVER did anyone ever turn me down. Within a year I went to 25.00 hr. This was 10 years ago. Point is you have to ask for the money.

Yes, and there is an "art" to asking for money.

It is my opinion many in this business should not be in business for themselves.

Many are SEVERELY lacking in Sales Skills.

Thus, all they know how to do is cut prices.

Just like a girl with low self esteem, they figure all they have to offer is a dropping of the you know whats ?

You must ASK to get paid, and you must BELIEVE you are worth every penny you ask for.

If YOU dont believe in yourself, and your abilities, find another line of work.

I am a roof cleaner, and I am very good at what I do.

For a fraction of the price of a new roof, I can safely make an old roof look almost new again.

I am worth every penny I ask for, probably more.

I make my customers happy.

[MudDuck 20]

Hey Big Man let me hold a dolla! Amen!

[Gutter Squad 14]

I operate in the Dayton, Ohio area - that price doesn't sound too crazy to me...

I have a flat rate price for homes up to 2500 sq. ft. $149 for a one story and $199 for a two story. The perimeter of a 2500 sq. ft. house should be somewhere around 200 linear feet, so I am getting at worst .75 per linear foot on a one story and .99 on a two story. After that, I can just charge at the same rate for additional linear feet or additional sq. ft. - it comes out the same.

These rates work really well around here, because there are tons of homes in the 1000-1600 sq. ft. range.

[4000psi 16]

199.00 For a two story 2100-2500 sf seems pretty low. I charge about $250 to $275 for a two story depending on detail and mold sometimes even $300. A guy did my neighbors house for 300 and it wasn't even bad and its basically a perfect square. It is about 2100-2200sf.

Dane

[CCPC 26]

I don't understand how some of you feel comfortable giving blanket prices based on square footage anyways. In my opinion there's way to many variables to be taken into consideration that can effect the pricing up or down.

I've cleaning 4000 sqft houses in an hour, and cleaned 2000sqft houses that took over four hours. To me, you have to price according to time and materials, and you can't do that with a blanket price. My best pricing guide is experience, and I get better and better at figuring accurate estimates every year I'm in this business.

With that all being said, usually no matter how small the house, I don't clean any for less than $200 with the exception of the occasional vinyl double wide that can be cleaned in about 20 minutes.

I also don't think it's fair to assume that just because somebody's price is way bellow yours that their quality of work is sub par. It true some of the time, but not always. Maybe they do good work, but don't mind making less money. Maybe they are far more effecient than most other companies.

My rates are about average for my area, yet I probably make a lot more money than most of my competiton (per hour) because I'm able to do the same work, usually at a higher quailty, and in a lot less time. I know this just by my own observations of watching a lot of other companies at work over the years.

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

I guess every ones local conditions are different ?

I Love my work, and I am always trying to do the best job I can.

I find it somewhat easier to do my best job when I am getting paid fairly for my work.

Sometimes, it gets slow, even for an established company like us.

Even IF I am forced by my competitors to take a job for less then I like, we still try and do our best.

Our name is "on the line" with every job we do.

[Gutter Squad 14]

I guess I should also qualify the fact that I upsell about 75% of the customers into a basic service package (or better) that I offer. They get the house washed annually (summer) and get a gutter cleaning in the spring and fall. The one story (basic) package is $199 and the two story package is $279. (Depending on services they range up to $769 yearly)

The house washes usually take an hour maybe two the first time and the gutter cleaning takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes the first time. The thing is - as you all know - once you have cleaned it properly, it is really easy to keep it clean - same with the gutters. I end up spending maybe 2 to 2.5 hours total on each of the accounts the following year... hence, I am making between $80-100 an hour. Almost every account I have is less than 20 miles away, so gas and drive time isn't a big deal or cost to me. Plus, people see my truck in the spring, summer and fall at their neighbor's house (which looks great) and pretty soon are asking about the service.

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

I also don't think it's fair to assume that just because somebody's price is way bellow yours that their quality of work is sub par. It true some of the time, but not always. Maybe they do good work, but don't mind making less money. Maybe they are far more efficient than most other companies.

.

Yes, each job is very different, and should be quoted by looking at it.

And I have seen people do scary good work for little or nothing.

But most of the time, the low priced work really looked like what it was, low price work, like a "House Wash" with still dirty soffits because they were not "included" in the one price fits all size houses.

That is common here in Florida.

Low Ball pricing that leaves out things a good cleaning company do as part of the job.

There is a quite common ad that runs her in the Tampa area.

It goes like this - Houses from 49.00 dollars, Roofs from 99.00 dollars, driveways from 35.00 - Christian Company -Licensed and Insured - Call 813 666 6666

This is a "come on" ad, designed to do two things.

Number one - It is designed to black out and frustrate competition by making them believe work is being done this cheap.

Number Two = It is designed to get customers to call because of the low "prices" and then they get upsold "add on's" that we do for free.

One customer called one of these ads, and wound up paying 325.00 to get his roof "cleaned and sealed".

What he got was a roof cleaned with pressure and a surface cleaner.

We would have done this roof non pressure for 275.00

He wound up paying more, but the cheap "advertised price' baited him in.

[Gutter Squad 14]

And yes - I do have full liability insurance and pay taxes.