I have a question guys ???????

[Michael Nardoni 14]

I have A Asphalt sealcoating business , And i'm thinking about diversifying into pressure washing . Here is my question , many cities don't enforce sealcoaters to get a contractors license , and bond when you are sealing driveways . Some cities if they catch you will make you go to city hall and get one ,the price range is between $50.00 -$100.00 plus $25.00 bond fee . The license is good for a year , it's a seasonal business and a service business will never know how many jobs they will get in a particular town ? it could be one , two or three the whole season . What have you pressure washers encountered regarding code enforcement stopping you while you are cleaning a house or driveway ? Sealcoating is a companion business to paving so your licence specifies paving contractor even though with sealcoating you are not altering a structure . The jest of what i'm getting at is do code enforcement overlook what you are doing as they do with carpet cleaners ? P.S I'm fully insured but i will always try to get away with not getting a local business licence , let's face it if you are charging a $100.00 for a driveway and you have to spend $50- $100 for a licence there goes your profit , heck you may not do another job in that town for two months you know what i mean. As a sevice business you may work in 15 different towns in a short season , if you had to spend $50.00 - $100.00 for a license in each town Mama Mia there goes your profit margins , sealcoaters aswell as pressure washers are not getting big ticket prices for small jobs after all .

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Sounds like a nickle and dime ya type of state.

Personally, I dont like to fill the beauracratic pockets for nothing, and we have not had any problems around here to be heard of that involved enforcement. Most of the time it has been said that they just want you to be compliant. Thats in our state. As for yours, couldnt say.

Ask yourself how many jobs you could get in your area doing pressure washing?

This would be much more lucrative than your current business.

Just a thought.

Rod~

[One Tough Pressure 580]

I have a City business license in each City that I do regular commercial work. If it is just a residential job, I would not fret over getting one for a one time deal.

If I were to work there on a regular basis it would be worth it for various reasons. My City shows on the license "Misc Services" as do the others that I have.

It would seem that if you have a Paving license that you could do add on pressure washing with no problems, but each City can dictate their own rules.

Carpet Cleaners fall into misc services here.

Anothe point to having the City License is that some cusromers would like to know that their money is not escaping to other places when they hire you. I may not be local to an area but they get some dollars and many like that.

[tropical wave 22]

Hey there Mike..... as long as your "business license" is from the town where your office is..(house) if you run it out of your home, your OK in Illinois for "service" type work....i.e. power washing Your state certificate allows you to perform service in Illinois

you dont need a license in every suburb you do work in... like other type contractors who perform a service don't need one either, they just need to obtain the "permits" in the city they're building in... like roofers, additions etc...

but, the lovely state of confusion, I mean Illinois, will change it overnight Im sure.............

[Ron Musgraves 240]

Michael,

I remember the good old days, Born in Blueisland.

I move out to the wild west. I dont have those crazy things anymore.

They still have the sign required on the trucks?

[Michael Nardoni 14]

Ahh blue Island , my uncle lived out there twenty years . I'm from Chicago Heights , You probably been to Da heights before . It's always nice to find someone from your neck of the woods.

[COOPER 14]

Hey Michael, would you be interested in a Line Lazer 3000 striping machine? I have one thats about 1 and 1/2 year old for $2600 if interested. I am building a new washer and it seems that everybody around here has gotten into parking lot striping and sealcoating. I have been pressure washing for about 5 years and just added the striping a year and a half ago. I don't really have time to push the striping and for me its not a "fun" as pressure washing. I have about 1/3 the competition pressure washing as I do in striping, so there is a lot of "lowballers" out here sealing and striping.

If interested give me a call, I will consider any trades also.