[Richy L]

Hey everyone.

I have been pressure washing for a good few years now, but i don't have many regular customers.

How do you guys go about making a good living from just pressure washing.

Where do you advertise, and how much do you spend on advertising?

Cheers

Richy

[Andy Foster]

Hi Richy

There are some, but not many people who have been able to make a good living from pressure washing alone, most specialise in certain areas and so can command a better price for their services, other (like myself) have diversified and do lots of different things.

The problem with the term 'pressure washing' it summons up images of patio and drive cleaning and not everything else that can go with it.

I have been fortunate enough to get a couple of decent contracts that see me through the winter (commonly a quiet time for this activity) and make up the slack with the other things I do.

Not sure if this has been a help, but it gives you another point of view at least.

Andy

[drive surgeon]

andy, do you do commercial contract work in winter, how do you go about this?  what type of work is it if you dont mind me asking?

[Andy Foster]

Do brick cleaning for a couple of building companies, and just got into the builders clean side of it too... loads of money to be made there if you want it.

Also do some paint removal for insurance claims, good money in that too.

A

[drive surgeon]

nice one andy, what do you jet wash paint off?  walls? is it graffiti or what?

[Andy Foster]

Paint is usually off the side of a house... jilted lovers probably.

Use saturated steam to remove.

Here is an example -

Before





After

[Richy L]

is there much money in this then Andy?
If you dont want to tell us how much you charge for a job like that dont worry.

[Andy Foster]

I have no problems sharing this information Richie.

There is definately money in it, but the work doesn't come along very often (unfortunately).
This job was the picture above and a small area (1.5 square metres), it took me about half a day and i charged somewhere in the region of £700.  Seems a lot I know but like I say it doesn't come along very often and if the insurance company call me then I know that they have tried every other angle to get it removed so you have got them over a barrel really.

The best one I had was some flourescent green paint on the front of a house and I estimated it would take me about a day to do so quoted £500.

Got there to do the job and it took me about an hour (including travel) - nice!!!

Never had quite that much luck since then though.

A

[Richy L]

wow! thats good money.

If i hired a steamer would it remove this then?
Ans what type of paint is it? i asume gloss would be a lot harder to remove.

[dandandan]

What type of machine uses saturated steam mate?

[Andy Foster]

Richie/dandan

I don't think you will be able to hire the machine to be honest, it is a 'hot box' that sits between your pump and lance.

Last time I looked the hot box was about £800 and you would need a little generator to go with it (£100 ish).  Don't quote me on those prices though as I bought mine ages ago.

Well worth it if you can get some insurance work as it pays for itself really quickly.

Cheers

Andy