I used to own a pressure washing business. It got big enough that I couldn't run it and had to hire guys to do the labor. Eventually closed the business when I spent more time repairing equipment and renting equipment. Couldn't find someone who'd take care of equipment and family and other business took up majority of my time.
Heat and soap are what you should rely on for cleaning in most situations. Pressure will more often than not ruin stuff. It'll ruin wood and it'll ruin concrete, especially exposed aggregate.
Use what you have for now and save up for a bigger unit which will allow you to get bigger jobs and price them appropriately. As you've seen, pricing can be all over the place. If you haven't I strongly recommend checking out the pressure washing forums, tons of good information available.
Basic flat work, parking lots, sidewalks/entrances etc. will be anywhere from .03 for really big jobs (think parking garages) up to .25 a sqft or a min. $100-$150 (office building entrance/driveway).
A neat marketing idea that I used - get your number cut in thick vinyl or metal, find a really dirty business entrance and swing by at night, drop the template down and spray. More often than not, people don't realize how filthy their concrete is and will gladly have you come out to clean (have your quote ready). Some might be upset and I tell them I'll come by at night and remove my number.
Being in Newton county, you've got a lot of humidity. Most roofs probably have black streaks, it's due to an algae. Print up flyers and target a neighborhood. These are easy money. When I was getting started, I could clean 8-10 roofs a day at $100-$150 a piece.
Also, depending on what kind of work you're doing and where you're doing it, there may be requirements for recapturing water runoff. Gas stations for example, some cities require you to have dams to prevent runoff and recapture. I avoided gas stations.
While residential and one offs are nice, the really money is in repeat/contracts and those are almost always going to be commercial. Get in touch with property managers, request to bid their properties. Also, RE agents, they all have their preferred contractors they'll refer a seller to use.
After typing all this I actually miss it. It's a job that provided immediate satisfaction in a job well done. Good luck and enjoy!
Heat and soap are what you should rely on for cleaning in most situations. Pressure will more often than not ruin stuff. It'll ruin wood and it'll ruin concrete, especially exposed aggregate.
Use what you have for now and save up for a bigger unit which will allow you to get bigger jobs and price them appropriately. As you've seen, pricing can be all over the place. If you haven't I strongly recommend checking out the pressure washing forums, tons of good information available.
Basic flat work, parking lots, sidewalks/entrances etc. will be anywhere from .03 for really big jobs (think parking garages) up to .25 a sqft or a min. $100-$150 (office building entrance/driveway).
A neat marketing idea that I used - get your number cut in thick vinyl or metal, find a really dirty business entrance and swing by at night, drop the template down and spray. More often than not, people don't realize how filthy their concrete is and will gladly have you come out to clean (have your quote ready). Some might be upset and I tell them I'll come by at night and remove my number.
Being in Newton county, you've got a lot of humidity. Most roofs probably have black streaks, it's due to an algae. Print up flyers and target a neighborhood. These are easy money. When I was getting started, I could clean 8-10 roofs a day at $100-$150 a piece.
Also, depending on what kind of work you're doing and where you're doing it, there may be requirements for recapturing water runoff. Gas stations for example, some cities require you to have dams to prevent runoff and recapture. I avoided gas stations.
While residential and one offs are nice, the really money is in repeat/contracts and those are almost always going to be commercial. Get in touch with property managers, request to bid their properties. Also, RE agents, they all have their preferred contractors they'll refer a seller to use.
After typing all this I actually miss it. It's a job that provided immediate satisfaction in a job well done. Good luck and enjoy!
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