Question for start

[colin 14]

Hi, Im new to the forum and I have work for pressure washing company in orlando for a year. We did contract work for houses 250k to 3mil. The cleaning was outside, driveways,windows,gutter, patios, you name it. I am preparing to start my own biz but I want to start off small "like any biz man should". The company was able to work off man crews and there was no major equpitment we uses, surface cleaner, wand and bleach. I guess my qustion is and I might already have the answer, Is it possible to start off doing just driveways and still make a profit. I have look at all the expenses (lic,work comp, insh,and maint.) and I have all the hardware for this type of work. I looked around and it look like alot of your companies are charging like 35 -50 per sm d-ways. Am I missing somethig?

Thanks new bloger,

Colin

[Ron Musgraves 240]

How long does it take to do a driveway? if that’s one then they are loosing a lot of money. If its 200 in one track they are cleaning up.

My minimum on residential is 175.00 for the minimum amount of work.

My contract price for a track that only includes flat work is 95.00 per house and a six house minimum for set up. That’s a small home.

Larger customs will cost three times that and require no minimum.

[Don Phelps 85]

I looked around and it look like alot of your companies are charging like 35 -50 per sm d-ways. Am I missing somethig?

I've never understood why someone actually wants to work for $35-$50 a driveway when it cost the homeowner $70 to rent a machine w/o the surface cleaner and attempt it themselves then return the machine. My prices start at $65 for that very reason. The only reason it's not higher is because occasionally I'll run into a single car garage/driveway and it takes less than 30 minutes to do, front sidewalk and walkway to front door included. That being said, I have hot water and a choice of 3 different surface cleaners to use (20, 24, 30 inch). If they'll pay you $70, why do it for $35? Twice as much work and more expense for the same amount of money. Hey....As always, whatever works.

[colin 14]

Thanks for the reply. When I Worked for the Company in Orlando, I dont know what they charged but it was well over a thou. I know I can start off with what I have and if everything goes as planed, things would be picking up in 6 months. I used bleach and that seemed to do the job whats the deal with the other chem? My work was flawles. Whats the deal? I have enough exp. to get this off the ground and comming out the military. I thought it sound like a good idea.

[Washaway 64]

Don

It takes only $39-$45 bucks to rent a pw for a day around here.

If you rent it on Saturday then you don't have to return it till Monday.

Still, my min is b/n $50 and $75 (depending on location).

The difference is acceptable most people value their time more than saving 15 - 25 dollars

[eads 14]

What is the name of the company you worked for in orlando?

[colin 14]

I was thinking that price but with insh, workcomp, lic. fees if leaves no room for profit starting off.

I have to look up the biz in orlando but it was based in ocoee, she had saturated metrowest and all back there on the lakes. I once did tyra banks vacation home a couple b-ball players. I think it was...... something clean or care. We did the p/w side but there was inside cleaning as well. I'll look into it for you "eads"

What do you mean by "track" ron?

[acidburn 14]

I was thinking that price but with insh, workcomp, lic. fees if leaves no room for profit starting off.

I have to look up the biz in orlando but it was based in ocoee, she had saturated metrowest and all back there on the lakes. I once did tyra banks vacation home a couple b-ball players. I think it was...... something clean or care. We did the p/w side but there was inside cleaning as well. I'll look into it for you "eads"

What do you mean by "track" ron?

You don't know the name of the company you worked for? NOW I am intrigued.....please continue.

[Mike Williamson 198]

Thanks for the reply. When I Worked for the Company in Orlando, I dont know what they charged but it was well over a thou. I know I can start off with what I have and if everything goes as planed, things would be picking up in 6 months. I used bleach and that seemed to do the job whats the deal with the other chem? My work was flawles. Whats the deal? I have enough exp. to get this off the ground and comming out the military. I thought it sound like a good idea.

Why would you want to do only driveways? It takes the same equipment to do housewashing, and not much more equipment to do roofs. How many customers would you need each day if you only did driveways? You're talking a lot more marketing and a lot more expense driving from job to job, etc.

[colin 14]

So true, I have that in the back of my mind and I know I will have to go that route for the company to grow. I was just thinking in my budget I didnt want to over load the company to quick and pull it to far into dept. I guess I figured that taking on houses right off, could put the biz into a bad situation. You do have a good point, thanks ill put it on paper and see how that looks. I have the stuff to run that route so hardware is'nt a problem. I guess I thought it would be eaiser just to do the small stuff to start off untill I get good workers. Im still in the early stages of setting it all up, and i appreaciate your post keep 'em coming. Let everybody kbnow ho it works out.

colin

[Ron Musgraves 240]

What do you mean by "track" ron?

The entire development.

[Mike Williamson 198]

So true, I have that in the back of my mind and I know I will have to go that route for the company to grow. I was just thinking in my budget I didnt want to over load the company to quick and pull it to far into dept. I guess I figured that taking on houses right off, could put the biz into a bad situation.

I don't see how...I mean, if you're already going to incur the expenses of getting a customer to call you, give an estimate, etc, why not make as much money from the job as you can? Would you rather have one job that pays $400.00 and takes 4 hours or four driveways that each pay $100.00, and take 6 hours including setting up and breaking down your equipment 4 times, driving between jobs, collecting 4 different payments, etc? You already have everything you need to do houses, and it wouldn't take much to setup for roofs.

Not sure how things are in other areas, but I RARELY get jobs where the homeowner just wants the driveway done. They either want the driveway done in conjunction with something else, or it winds up being an add-on service. If I had to survive on driveways, I wouldn't.

You do have a good point, thanks ill put it on paper and see how that looks. I have the stuff to run that route so hardware is'nt a problem. I guess I thought it would be eaiser just to do the small stuff to start off untill I get good workers.

Good workers? First, you don't want to spend the money to get into housewashing, but you're going to wait until you find some good employees? What do you suppose these employees are going to do? If it were me, I wouldn't even consider hiring employees until I was so busy I couldn't see my way out. Maybe I misunderstood your intentions in your business endeavor

[Mike Williamson 198]

What do you mean by "track" ron?

I believe the word he means to use is "tract"

[colin 14]

I don't see how....

Ok I understand, and know what you mean . The one part that seems to take time away from work is the set up, brake down, walk around and then collecting payment. I always worked one house a day and that was nice. I couldnt picture driving to 4,5,6, jobs a day. Now see Quaninty doesnt alway mean profit. Trust me I would love to have one house a day it is so much easier.

This is my Brother talking, "we both work full time and thought it would work out to hire people than to work our selfs". He already runs an interor design company and works full time also. He started off working by himself but the had to hire 2 people for help. I think, he thinks he can just skip that part and run a quality bisiness just by hiring two guys off the street. Im sure he's right on that you can run a biz that way, but your going to loose money, time, and quality of work.

I am wanting to work it on my own, or with one other person. I cant see it any other way.

See that is why you guy are here.

colin

[PressurePros 248]

I am wanting to work it on my own, or with one other person. I cant see it any other way.

See that is why you guy are here.

colin

There really is no other way in the beginning. How can you hire and train two people to do work for you if you aren't experienced yourself? I have been called to clean just a driveway maybe ten times. The jobs I have done have been built from pavers and required more finesse and chemical experience. I agree with Mike, they are mostly an add-on and I would have starved and been out of business by now if I relied on them for income.

This is just my thought so take it for what it is worth, but maybe your experience with the company you can't recall that also does interior cleaning is not quite extensive enough to give you confidence in pursuing this thing. Continue to read, educate yourself on equipment, chemicals, pricing and technique. Practice on your house, mom's house etc. When you are ready to jump in, devise your business plan, secure your insurance, put out some advertising and stay dedicated. You are going to have to persevere lean times at first (keep your day job initially, you're going to need it to pay bills).

[Mike 64]

Colin, I really think you need to do some more homework. This is not something you want to jump right into blindly as you will only set yourself up for failure. You said you worked for antoehr company doing powerwashing, but yet you only want to clean driveways? If I only did driveways I would be in the red for sure.

[PLD 14]

There really is no other way in the beginning. How can you hire and train two people to do work for you if you aren't experienced yourself?

Dead on. I had the entrepeneurial expense and cash to go "labor only" year one. But I worked solo for that year so I would know the biz. Now, I know how much to bid, how fast it can be done, and what is reasonable to expect of my crew. Now, when a customer calls and complains I know pretty quickly (or at least after a visit) if it is an anal customer, innocent oversight, or slacking. Now when a 2.5 hour house takes five hours I can generally tell in the first ten words if my guys got their ass kicked (I mis-quoted), they were slacking, or I am dealing with a num-nut.

That skill has proved invaluable in this business. Don't bust your guys chops when they have had a really rough day, don't give them a pass when they decided tuesday should have been friday.