How long would this take you?

[metcalfec 14]

Hello everyone,

I was called to price out a job (pics attached) I gave the gentlemen the quote and I almost think he was shocked at the price. I am not asking how much anyone would charge for the job but how long it would take you with your set-up. And how long I should figure it would take me with a 4GPM 4000PSI cold water unit using an x-jet, one man on a gun and a helper for odds and ends. I have everything set up on a trailer with a buffer tank and the works. I figured it was going to take me 10 hours with my set-up.

The building has a foot print of 3840sqft, the front is 2.5 stories and the rear is 2.

[HighTide 14]

With my trailer setup of downstreaming @ 5.6 gpm including a small to average size driveway and assuming the house is pretty dirty it would take me by myself 2 1/2 hours. Adding a detailed cleaning of the decks (instead of soap and rinse) would add an hour. I cleaned a 4,200 s.f. 2-story house and driveway three days ago in 3 hours flat including hand brushing one of the gutters (oxidation) and hand brushing the mud dauber nests under the 2nd story front porch overhang.

[jgotterb 14]

JUST the house, no driveway, walkways, etc. 3 hours maybe. Based on those pics, and those trees. Trees are NOT your friend. Oh, and I have a 5.6 with a buffer tank, and Guy's shooter tip (quickly becoming my favorite tool.)

[chris francis 15]

Jeremiah I have ond guys shuter tips boy does it work nice.

back to problem at hand about 3 hours with my system and down streaming house wash. I know this is not about what I think or other, but I have found that xjet or the m5 xjet takes to longer two wash house down. Also be carefull with your xjet tank you have slope in the back yard that you might end up spilling your house down the hill and killing the grass.

[Guy B 70]

1.5 hrs. tops, house wash only $400.00 depending on drive time

[metcalfec 14]

Wow not what I was thinking, no wonder the guy hasn't called me back. Well its a learning process. As a newbie I guess for now I should price it out to cover the time I think it will take me then cut in half to be competitive. As a newbie I have yet to learn the in's and out's to get in and out quickly! Not to mention having only cold water slows things down also.

What should I do now, call him back or just take it as a loss?

Thanks

Chris

[810F250 14]

Hello everyone,

I was called to price out a job (pics attached) I gave the gentlemen the quote and I almost think he was shocked at the price. I am not asking how much anyone would charge for the job but how long it would take you with your set-up. And how long I should figure it would take me with a 4GPM 4000PSI cold water unit using an x-jet, one man on a gun and a helper for odds and ends. I have everything set up on a trailer with a buffer tank and the works. I figured it was going to take me 10 hours with my set-up.

The building has a foot print of 3840sqft, the front is 2.5 stories and the rear is 2.

From where the parked car is positioned, is that part of the same building or another?

[metcalfec 14]

Yes that is also a part of the building.

[metcalfec 14]

It is a very big building, to me anyways, it stretches approx 90ft x 40ft, two and three stories in spots. Like I said with all the dorm windows, the rear of the three storie etc. etc, I thought I was being safe giving myself a good full day to complete the job. Once I figured that out I multiplied it by the hourly rate I need to make to cover costs and have some left over for profit. Ofcourse if I took half the time I would have changed the price to reflect that, if it took me longer then my loss. I want the business just not for $40.00 an hour!

[Rick2 42]

It's a good size house but it's pretty straight forward, no crazy angles or lots of stuff in the way; In other words it's an easy job to wash just the house. Also don't put down the cold water wash, you wouldn't need hot water for this. You can get yourself into trouble using hot water on vinyl siding in you're not very careful. Cold water with the right chemicals will do a wonderful job.

[metcalfec 14]

Thanks Rick, those are definatley words of encouragement. Reading posts and doing much research hot water seems to be the way to go. But for now its just not an option until I start making enough coin to justify owning one. I will keep researching the chemicals and try and ciome up with a good brew that works for me, experience is the answer I understand.

Maybe someday the fam and I will book a vacation and go somewhere that I can hook up with someone down in the states who has the experience I could learn from and I could ride along for a couple of days.

[Pat Norman 18]

You don't need hot water for that! GPM is your friend ! Only in cold weather and stubborn green stuff on the side do I turn my burner on to about 115* just to help the SH work a little better. With my 8 gpm setup 2 hours max, I don't see any covered porches that slows down a little bit.

[Russ Spence 76]

If thats vinyl it may not even take an hour?

But thats just me! Worst case ---- 1.5 hours and that includes setup

[AngeloPressureWash 14]

Looks like 1.5-2 hour job in my opinion from the pics.

[splashandash 15]

I'm with russ if that takes more than two hours you need to rethink how to wash a house.

[Dieseldad97 14]

Looks like 1.5-2 hour job in my opinion from the pics.

I agree. Last year when I was a big time rookie, I did a huge country home that size and it took 3 hours. Of course some of that time was spent talking with the owner.

[RSuds 24]

With our set up and 2 guys it should take maybe 1 hour and yes 400. sounds about right. You do not need hot water.

[big mike 14]

From pull up to collecting payment, 1.5 tops.

[jgotterb 14]

1 hour? Geez now I feel like the slow one.

[810F250 14]

I think possibly 3 hours.

I cant tell what condition all sides of the dormers are in the photo. Those may be the critical areas on this job.

Did anyone think they may need to use a ladder to access where the dormer intersects the main roof?

[RSuds 24]

No ladder needed. If it is real bad you may need to make the chemical a little stronger and soap it a couple times.

[Doug Black 18]

Now, knowing that the house is much bigger than I thought, (before I thought the other side was another unit) I'd take about three- four hours to power wash and scrub it.

[810F250 14]

No ladder needed. If it is real bad you may need to make the chemical a little stronger and soap it a couple times.

From the pics I cannot determine if I can get to those areas (dormer to roof intersection) well enough to get it clean with out a ladder.

[schrec 64]

not trying to offend, but how is this supposed to take 8 hours. How is your process? How cold is it up there?

[A and J POWERWASHING 64]

2 hours , no ladder, this area 350.00

[CPPW 14]

JUST the house, no driveway, walkways, etc. 3 hours maybe. Based on those pics, and those trees. Trees are NOT your friend. Oh, and I have a 5.6 with a buffer tank, and Guy's shooter tip (quickly becoming my favorite tool.)

What is "Guy's shooter tip"