"partial" house wash?

[DustinC 64]

A potential customer requested an estimate on us cleaning just part of their home - i.e., front and 1 side where it's dirty with grime and mildew. Anyone experience this before and successfully persuade them to get the whole thing done? I can't imagine just cleaning PART of a house. I would think the mold and mildew would just come back sooner if we didn't do a throrough full house wash...thoughts?

Thanks

Dustin

[blackjack21 14]

Of course not. Will I say no to someone that wants to pay $150 for just having one side cleaned? Every day of the week. I don't presume to tell the customer what they should and shouldn't have in concrete terms. My insinuation is, you sell them on the whole house wash. My minimum for a HW is $350. I do like others mentioned and let the customer know that my price would be for the whole house (better be a smaller one for $350) or just one side. If there is other work included and I think the rest of the house would not detract from my other work, I might consider it.

It is far from arrogant to set a standard of work and stick to it. I tell people right off the bat that I do a job one way and that is the right way. Maybe I am arrogant to think I can set the term "right way". I can live with that.

Ken,

I've seen many of your posts and I can say that I definately put stock in anything you say. Now check this out. I have a neighborhood here where 150 residents got notices about their roofs. Some of the people definately do not need the whole roof cleaned. I mean some of them literally have just a few dark spots on there roof; the association is making them get it done. I feel guilty persuading them to clean the roof. There is a feeding frenzy of lowballers cruising the neighborhood like vultures every day. I bet some of the guys who are charging $200 to "clean the whole roof" are actually just spot cleaning. It's ironic that this is going on now after this post went up. I have a few people who want to work out group deals but they all want partial cleaning.

I'll stop blathering. What would you do? How would you seperate yourself from the vultures?

Blackjack

[PressurePros 249]

Some of the people definately do not need the whole roof cleaned. I mean some of them literally have just a few dark spots on there roof; the association is making them get it done. I feel guilty persuading them to clean the roof. There is a feeding frenzy of lowballers cruising the neighborhood like vultures every day. I bet some of the guys who are charging $200 to "clean the whole roof" are actually just spot cleaning. It's ironic that this is going on now after this post went up. I have a few people who want to work out group deals but they all want partial cleaning.

I'll stop blathering. What would you do? How would you seperate yourself from the vultures?

Blackjack

I look at it thsi way.. where there is smoke, there is fire. Where there is some mold, there is more mold.

I cannot fathom how you could spot clean a roof. The chemical will run then you will have streaks so you will clean the other parts. Before you know it you have either cleaned all the roof or three quarters of it. At three quarters it is going to look splotchy. So you did what looks like a half ass job, charged partial rates and you really end up looking like a fly-by-nighter.

I would approach each job on its own merit and each would be priced according to its diffifulty. I would explain to the homeonwer that if they have visible black spots, mold has gotten a foothold on their roof and they are jeopardizing the longevity of their shingles. I would let them know that just cleaning a small part is not only impossible, it will leave mold spores in other areas that are not yet visible to the naked eye. These mold spores will soon colonize and you will not only be cursing me, you will be calling another contractor in six months.

"Let's get the homeowner's association off your back, add years to your roof life and nip this problem in the bud and do it right. Here is what I will charge you to do the whole roof..."