Help with pricing

[Visionzlandscapes 14]

Hey guys before you give the noob a hard time i would like to say that I am just trying to learn so i can put forth a good effort and dedication to my work where as i know i am doing each job correctly! I currently run a landscaping operation and wanting to start an power washing operation because i am being asked by over 50% of my customers to do some washing.

Here is my equipment.

2002 chevy 2500 HD

New 2600 PSI troy built 7 hp. washer.

I will be solo operation as of starting off until i get estabilished. Not looking to make millions just some extra income. I have done pressure work before now i just want to make sure i am right with the pricing so that i am competative and on the other hand so i do not cheat myself by doing it too cheap.

here are some prices i have came up with after internet research.

* fairly clean cement-.10 per sqft and $75 minimum

*greasy cement.nasty-.15 per sqft.

WOOD

-.80 to pressure wash only

-.85 cent per sqft to seal only

-$1.45 to do both per sqft and $1 per linear ft on rails and spindles. Minimum of $150.00

Vinyl siding homes-

fairly clean-.15 cent per sqft

dirty-.17 sqft

moldy/mildew-.22 sqft

How does those prices sound?

also when i apply deterent to the house do i charge by the square ft for that as well? OR do i only charge for the pressure washing per sqft??

thanks in advance!!!

[acegot 14]

At your railing price, you are doing your railing for less than half the sq ft price of the floor. I would advise not to roll the deck floor. Use paint & stain pads or good 6" brush. Some guys use small rollers (whizz type) on spindles. You must remember, if you are acting as a professional, you need professional equipment, knowledge & experience. There is a lot to quality wood restoration, the right chems,(cleaners & neutralizers/brighteners) the right pressure (Low) the right prep before you stain/seal, a good quality stain/sealer (not Thompsons) otherwise you are just someone who thinks this is something easy to do a make a buck. A hack as they say and as others have stated, giving the industry a bad reputation. Knowledge & Experience is Power.

[scpressure 14]

pressure pro you sure can talk like you know what you are talking about but i do not see any help for me up there from you. I have done some research and find that i am pretty close to what others are charging.

Why did you come to this forum? Did you come here to find out the highest price you can charge a homeowner having zero experience and boat rinsing equipment. OK here is your answer $12.00 per sq/ft. Now go out and find a homeowner who is willing to say so what is the total for the job at that rate?

Then come back here and ask Ken how to measure it.

Your success in the wood restoration business is right around the corner, and the downfall of your grass cutting business is not likely.

[plainpainter 217]

I eased into this business over many years. I worked for painting contractors washing and staining decks back in the 90's. Years of probing of how much stuff costs - what folks are paying. Then years as my own painting contractor and doing decks here and there, but not as a specialty. Until now when it is my specialty.

I guess what I really don't like is guys in unrelated fields jumping into a field that in my opinion really needs apprenticeship. There is a guy here, Rick Petry, that employs two college kids - they are learning the 'ropes' each summer over several years. That's the exact education you need in this business to first perform the job - then a mentor to guide you through on the actual business of marketing, sales, pricing.

Why would a contractor here want to help you for pricing?? You haven't shown any aptitude for actual wood cleaning - you are like many landscapers I know that get dangerous with a wand in their hand. Personally I wouldn't price your work at more than a $1/SF for cleaning and staining including materials - and that's only the area of the floor, for perhaps the kind of abusive handyman kind of work that you do.

You only get top pricing in this industry after many years and decks underneath your belt. Just remember - folks who ask their landscaper to blast their deck and stain it - aren't the kind of folks looking to spend a lot of money. They are looking for handyman quality work at landscapers pricing.

So it's time to take your helping of 'humble' pie. And if you so choose to use the next few years as a learning curve on deck restoration. Heck there was a time I did decks cheap as well - perhaps most of us have - it also wasn't the quality of work I do now either.

Guys that graduate college with a computer science degree can't expect to make 150k doing software engineering until they have had many years experience. And neither can a landscaper with no real 'woodie' experience command the same pricing as the many excellent contractors here who have been in business for years.

[Adrian 155]

.... do what I did. Go through the old threads....then ask.

ever the pro!!!!

[Visionzlandscapes 14]

some of you guys are helpful(not many) and some of you are simply plain rude. I do have experience with pressure washing. Im not abandoning my landscaping business for this little pressure washing business trust me this is just something for some extra income im not wanting to get rich from pressure washing. I have 5 workers for landscaping and going to do the pressure washing by myself until i get it going steady. So far i have (2) 2500 sqft vinyl houses to do, 8 decks, and 5 or 6 large concrete driveways, (2) 1,000 sqft patio of pavers. like i said im not trying to get rich but i know i can make an extra 50k per year doing this.

[Celeste 341]

I'm probably one of the rude ones.

Guess I'll run buy a lawnmower - just for the extra income - I've cut grass before. I'm sure no professional landscapers in my area will mind me cutting into their profession for a little side money.

BTW - you got the proper insurance to be power washing?

[Adrian 155]

hows that.

Honestly, people want to know WHO ( not what company) they are talking to and sharing this valuable info.

There are also many noobs that come here with a troll agenda and start bashing when they don't get the answer they want , handed to them (without researching)right away.

Celeste makes a good point about the lawnmower.

Plus , we still don't know who we are talking to.

You do have a name don't you?

Edited September 4, 2009 by Adrian

[Adrian 155]

i'm probably one of the rude ones.

Guess i'll run buy a lawnmower - just for the extra income - i've cut grass before. I'm sure no professional landscapers in my area will mind me cutting into their profession for a little side money.

Btw - you got the proper insurance to be power washing?

+1...

[Visionzlandscapes 14]

thats the point noone around here offers pressure washing and sure i wouldnt care if you got a few of my full maintenance account for landscaping and lawn maintenance services. '

'

... and no insurance @ all on power washing why would you need it? once i get a clientell of about 100k per year then ill worry about insurance lol

i wouldnt have asked you qustions if i knew you were a girl pro wash lmfao

[Visionzlandscapes 14]

today I finished up a 20x12 deck with 40 ft of handrail and 5 steps. going back monday to stain it. total charge is $800. Also we pressure washed a 2100 sqft 2 story house no scaffolings just a high pressure nozel and done that in 4 hours and made $550 including the cleaning of the gutters. we used 1 cup of bleach to 10 parts of water for the solvent and it worked great! so today in pressure washing alone with my little 2550 pressure washer made me $1,000 and my landscaping made me $2,300. not too shabby!

[gutterdog 14]

Just thought I'd step in here. I started with a 2550 and got another one. Settin ladders and all. had 2 goin the same time years ago. You need to invest in the cheapest commercial power washer I found. The dewalt 4gpm at the depot. lowes has a deer model. I like the dewalt. The legs will fall off... If you want to replace the cord you have to take the engine off the chassis, and more. what i heard is dewalt is working on these flaws. Its a great honda engine a general pump and the right quick connects that the class power washer you are using cant use. cant use the stuff described in here. you need atleast 4gpm. The dewalt will get you started. The pressure line is cheap but lasted 3 years till it burst.

These guys in here are real good with wood. They use chems, all low pressure.

With what you are using for wood I dont think you could damage wood? I dont know???

Take my advice and move up to the bottom of comercial power washers. the dewalt.

[gutterdog 14]

I hadda come back and say this! You got all that money! Heck! Man invest! if there is no other companies round you like me???? In vest brother get the shoppin malls!!! Everything man! make your own prices but be fair cause someone take that away from ya real quick! Keep your prices secret. "Cause someone under bid ya real quick, they want what you got.

I eyeball everything compared on what i sold before. soooo You gotta feel your own market. Start a lil higher than what you think. If they choke you can always come down, or add somethin quick for free.

[gutterdog 14]

Invest!!! My bad, LOL!!!

Invest in a trailer! Go through the threads man. 200 ft hoses, hot water,...

[Visionzlandscapes 14]

i do have 2 24 ft box trailers for landscaping. I have 150 customers weekly basis and they all want me to do their power washing and average for each home is around $800x150 customers.

i seen some info usng a ball valve to apply detergents has anyone tried this?

[Visionzlandscapes 14]

for the house it was vinyl. i used 16 oz of bleach to to 1 gallon of water. I used a ladder to apply the water/bleach and a drop of dawn. then i put on my 0 deg nozzle and stood a little way on the ladder and washed it all off pretty easy mildew and all! i done the house in about 3.5 hours! i covered all the plants with a tarp to ensure protection.

[Visionzlandscapes 14]

i used half quart of bleach to 1 gallon of water with a little drop of soap for the vinyl siding house. applied detergents standing on ladder then used 0 degree tip to rinse it off mildew and all looks brand new now! took about 3 hrs and a half!

[PressurePros 249]

Vision, your comments on insurance, your desire to go lower than even some very old pricing on deck work, the fact that you mentioned several times this is is just a little add-on and not important to you led me to write what I did. If you are a real business owner, suck it up and hear what we are trying to say to you. You are going to sell yourself short the one day you use real technique and real sealing products. Pros don't use Thompson's for a hundred reasons.

Hook up with GutterDog, he's a good dude. He will help you along with pricing and technique.

[scpressure 14]

Vision, your comments on insurance, your desire to go lower than even some very old pricing on deck work, the fact that you mentioned several times this is is just a little add-on and not important to you led me to write what I did. If you are a real business owner, suck it up and hear what we are trying to say to you. You are going to sell yourself short the one day you use real technique and real sealing products. Pros don't use Thompson's for a hundred reasons.

Hook up with GutterDog, he's a good dude. He will help you along with pricing and technique.

Ken,

This guy whom ever he is, is not interested in doing the right thing. All of his questions have to do with how much money he can take from people.

In not one of his posts did he mention anything thing about learning how do deliver great service to a homeowner.

If ten seasoned wood restoration contractors told him how much they charge, he would apply the highest price to his work regardless of his experience or desire to use products that will give the homeowner a true value.

[Adrian 155]

... and no insurance @ all on power washing why would you need it? once i get a clientell of about 100k per year then ill worry about insurance lol

i wouldnt have asked you qustions if i knew you were a girl pro wash lmfao

I hope your next customer for cleaning ask' you for a copy of your insurance binder. You can tell them what you just wrote above.

Especially after you have an unsecured tip blow out a window, or when you fry a socket and catch the house on fire, or when you don't realize that you are flooding the inside of a house, or that you get water and chems behind panels on the house.

As far as the girl statement........ The respectable "Women" on this site

will take you to school and teach you lessons that will make your head spin.

Your approach to this whole expansion of your lawncare company is bass ackwards.

You need insurance as a PW contractor. It's more than likely required in your state. A smart business owner carries insurance. A HACK doesn't even consider it and makes himself and the insustry look idiotic.

For the future, please be equally respectful to the members here. Male or Female.

on a side note: You are coming into an industry that is beyond a quater of century old. You somehow have categorized this industry as "non-expansive" and "never changing". Therefore you think you know all there is to know just because you manage to score a PW from Harbor Freight or Northern Tool. Wrong Fail.

Again, I will ask you your name?

Edited September 5, 2009 by Adrian

[gutterdog 14]

The washers in here have a wealth of knowledge, that I am learning from. Im NOT up to par with them in wood restoration so I dont sell it. The demographics I'm in cant afford it anyway. That is going to change. The demographics and improving wood tecniques. You have to do your own reasearch first. With house washing buy a stronger power washer and learn the xjet or downstreaming.

I dont have the money to go and invest in a deckster, or a sureflow or anything right now. Times are tough after spending more money on truck.

I cant wait to do my first deck in the teachings in here!!!!!

Came back to say this, I wish I had found this site a long time ago.

Edited September 5, 2009 by gutterdog

[Celeste 341]

'

... and no insurance @ all on power washing why would you need it? once i get a clientell of about 100k per year then ill worry about insurance lol

i wouldnt have asked you qustions if i knew you were a girl pro wash lmfao

I had typed a pretty lengthy response to your stupid comments but decided you just weren't even worth it.

[Greg R 82]

....yeah, and less accurate for cost calculations and less profitable. Great if it is just a floor...then it works....no offense intended, tried that year one and abandoned it quick, made much more money measuring all the wood...

Beth

+10 :) floor only measurements dont work

[big mike 14]

Originally Posted by Beth n Rod

....yeah, and less accurate for cost calculations and less profitable. Great if it is just a floor...then it works....no offense intended, tried that year one and abandoned it quick, made much more money measuring all the wood...

Beth

Greg and Beth,

Pardon me, but this method does work, and well. Of course not all decks are the same, and only a fool would think that. Our estimate table has different pricing for different railing types. I can get within $5.00 on most bids, in a fraction of the time. Just because someone doesn't do it the way you do, doesn't make it wrong. Final prices are adjusted up or down based on factors such as accessibility, height, and finish to be removed. I can plug in the floor surface square footage in and get a good idea of "material cost" immediately. I also NEVER leave an estimate anymore. I always send them via e-mail due to competitor theft. Just using a blanket statement like "it's less profitable" is BS.

As a side note, I wouldn't recommend this method of estimating to a novice (only to Nube know-it-all's;)). I've been restoring wood for some time now, and guess what? I'm still in business.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

You are way out of line. The next post I think you should make should be an apology to both Celeste and to myself, since I'm a woman too. I don't want to see that kind of sexist remark again from you, I hope I have made myself clear.

As for advice, the forums are full of it and you should use the search feature a bit and read some old threads. Additionally, it's not as easy as pulling a price per square foot out of your posterior area and charging that. You have to determine several things before you can decide on your square foot cost.

1. what are your material costs per square foot (this is why you should learn to measure correctly)

2. what are your labor costs per square foot (HINT - how fast you wash, how many square feet per hour will tell you this)

If you don't know these things, you can't hope to charge a square foot price that will net you a profit.

I may be a woman, but stupid...I'm not...

Beth

thats the point noone around here offers pressure washing and sure i wouldnt care if you got a few of my full maintenance account for landscaping and lawn maintenance services. '

'

... and no insurance @ all on power washing why would you need it? once i get a clientell of about 100k per year then ill worry about insurance lol

i wouldnt have asked you qustions if i knew you were a girl pro wash lmfao

[gutterdog 14]

Insurance is important even in lawn care isnt it? Today a customer asked me if i was insured and bonded. AS always yes im insured bonding is for theft.

Heard a story years ago. Hope i remember this right... The guy was cutting her grass and he twisted his ancle or some thing? Went after her insurance.(she beat it in court)

Nother thing. What if a rock flew from mower and hit a window?

I carry 2 mil insurance for apt complexes. IT'S NOT THAT MUCH A YEAR!!! You will be surprised how cheap it is!!! For me its less than insurance on the truck!! I live inside the beltway so prices are inflated. Accidents everyday round here.

Before you say you dont need insurance, check out how cheap it is.

Go through the threads man. Be a lil more gentlmanly to the women also. ( nuthin brown on my nose. They earned my respect)

loose the 2550 power washer you got!! ROFLMAO!! Just like i did bro years ago.

The dewalt...Kick ass engine and pump. The rest.... LOL!!!

I wish I had found this site years ago when i was using 2 - 2550's