house washing ?'s

[stoppie101 20]

hey all. just getting up and going. i've learned alot from this site and everyones posts. i have a few questions though.

i'm courious as to how everyone prices house washing. do you just eyeball the size of the house or do you actually measure for sqft????? are you pricing different for bricks vs. vinyl?

[Henry B. 4]

Most people price them at $1 a linear foot of siding on each side of the house for one story

$2 for two story's

$3 for three and so on.

[One Call Power Wash 500]

We use standard pricing for house washes. Example without giving away the real deal:

1 Story Home - No garage - $150

2 Story Home - No garage - $235

3 Story Home - No garage - $310

with garage add say $50.00 per house.

[Aplus 525]

I price according to several factors.....number of stories, whether or not I have to get on the roof, and amount of gutters.

Although I prefer to not have to go on roofs, often times I have no choice because with certain attached garages and roof styles, there is no other way to get that side of the home.

Those starting out may want to measure, but I've got a pretty good eye for spotting and can usually price properly most of the time.

[stoppie101 20]

thanks for the tips. do you also do the gutters at those prices or do you add that on? how about windows? i was also thinking about up-selling the drive for another $50(depending on size).

[Paul B. 523]

My price always includes cleaning the exterior of gutters and down-spouts. I spell it out up front. If price becomes an issue (and only then), I offer to not clean gutter and reduce price, but I also demo a small section so they can see what differences they will see. Mastering gutter exterior cleaning can give you the edge over your competition. Cleaning is more obvious on light colored gutters so you will save some time on dark colored ones.

Upsell anything else you observe that may be in need of cleaning (window cleaning, concrete cleaning & sealing, roof cleaning, deck cleaning & sealing, play sets cleaning & sealing, pool apron cleaning & sealing, etc.). Successful up-selling reduces your marketing costs and expenses (drive time, estimating time, etc.).

Figure out your normal cost of concrete cleaning (including marketing, estimating and other costs) so when you up-sell, you can pass-on some PART of the (marketing/estimating) savings to the customer while keeping the other part for yourself. This should create a win-win scanerio.

[One Call Power Wash 500]

We seperate gutters at lets say $1.00 per linear foot. Like Paul B. we do clean the outside of the gutters and downspouts in the housewash. But actually cleaning (out) the gutters, charge by linear foot.

[ProjectEarth 14]

I read all the time about $1 per linear ft one story, $2 per linear ft two story...etc. I'm new to the Power Washing industry, so I'm trying to understand how someone in my town paid $800 to have a 185 Ln. Ft house washed (2 stories) and a 120 Sq. Ft deck washed (not sealed).

I was going to do estimates using a pricing system based on that particular job, which is WAY more than the $1, $2 rule. Keeping in mind, I am in NJ which is > THE < highest insurance state and cost of living isn't exactly low.

Any Thoughts?

-JC

[One Tough Pressure 580]

From a residential point of view, I do not price on what is supposed to be the going rate, or what I see on various bulletin boards. I base it on what I am cleaning and my costs for that job. I have no clue what others in my area are charging, and my customers do not mind, as they do hire me.

[Jack Kramer 15]

The pricing mentioned above is what I use in New Jersey. A house and deck cleaning of property you described (assume 2 story) would take approximately 3 hours. A price of $300 to $400 would be a good ballpark number. Don’t count on getting $800 for 3 hours of work.

If you would like to talk please feel free to call me at 973 927 4449.