[H20cleaning]

this probley looks like a very straight forward job to most of you, but as my last Before and After pictures were alot worse than i actually thought, i want advise of the Pro's (or oldies ) what method they would use, and possibly what you would charge!
I have already said £100.00 so just seeing if im on the right sortof price for jobs like this, as i learned from my last post use lads have alot more no how than i do.

[H20cleaning]

[H20cleaning]

oooh and before you all say it needs pointing i told the man i dont offer this service and he said no problem he will do himself after!

[Roger Oakley]

Pointing does look suspect but as you say you have that covered.
You should be able to clean this with 1 3:1 mix of hypo, they look like concrete rivened slabs,. clean the surface first, then apply the hypo, allow to dwell for say 20-30 mins then wash off.
The edges look like they are lined with small stones, so maybe lengths of wood or something else to stop the stones going everywhere.
Price wise, can't help you as only you know what the job is worth.
Oh by the way, it is me that you thought gave you a hard time last time, but I'm always willing to help

[Kenny83]

All the advice has been given previous mate, if you look at your last post I would think the moral would have been to learn from your mistakes?
it's not about what we think should be done on here, it's about doing a service for the customer and both walking away happy... what we think makes no difference to what job you do as it's your job.... if you clean it and you and the customer are happy then whats the problem?
However, if next year you get guzumped by another guy just trying to start out pressure washing (like yourself now), by either being cheaper on price or better on service... then it would be time to up your game, but hopefully by this time (if your still in business after the winter) you should know where you have gone wring before and how to up your standards
We all start somewhere and have all learned the hard way, made mistakes, etc, there is no book that comes with pressure washing / exterior cleaning. And I suppose some members on here are reluctant to give their tips / views as they have worked hard to achieve them, I have spoke to alot of the guys on here now and they are all great and willing to share advice, no matter how they come may come across on here....
As stated before, you will learn the trade, but it does take mistakes and definately experince to get there.
Price it to what you think is worth it, not to what we think, do the job to what you think is of 'your best' standards, if you post it on here after you've done, then  expect critism, but don't take it to heart, learn from it, remember these guys have done the job for years so have aquired higher standards than you may think acceptable.

Hope this helps?

Lee

[Rob_Mac]

Top post Lee

Rob

[Kenny83]

Cheers Rob, I could have told him how I would clean it but that would have been to easy  also may differ from how you or anyone else would have cleaned it which in itself could have started a debate lol, I think it's best to find your own way of doing things and pick up and exchange tips on here along the way, for all we know H2O could be coming on here next week with a nice little technique that he picked up that we may have missed? sometimes it's hard to write on here without sounding like a t@@t 

[Roger Oakley]

Lee
Your'e right, all most us want to want to do, is do the job right bring the image of pressure washing up and not to be seen as a fly by night industry, pikey gypo etc.

[Kenny83]

Thats exactly what i want to do, I try to create an iimage that i am a solid full time business that provides a specialist service, not just some guy with a jet wash going round cleaning patios, thats what gypsies do, power wash in the summer, cut trees in the winter (aswell as pressure old folk into handing money over with uot completing a job- robbing t@@ts)
i show my customers my setup, tell them how mush it cost's, tell them i have full insurance, etc, my address in on my site, I like you am a kosher firm and my job is as much an interest as it is a job, henece the reason we're on here on a Sunday evening and not down the pub  Some may call me sad, I prefer passionate 

[H20cleaning]

Ano my apoliges I over reacted I think because I thought I had done such a good job, for someone to then pick faults etc i didn't know could be improved was hard to take because I take alot of pride in all my work, Check my Facebook page Im 20 and I plan on doing this until my limbs stop working:D
thanks for any advice use have offered, and as for pricing I feel it's fine was just interested to know as I've never seen what anyone charges.
Thanks Adam

[Roger Oakley]

Thats exactly what i want to do, I try to create an iimage that i am a solid full time business that provides a specialist service, not just some guy with a jet wash going round cleaning patios, thats what gypsies do, power wash in the summer, cut trees in the winter (aswell as pressure old folk into handing money over with uot completing a job- robbing t@@ts)
i show my customers my setup, tell them how mush it cost's, tell them i have full insurance, etc, my address in on my site, I like you am a kosher firm and my job is as much an interest as it is a job, henece the reason we're on here on a Sunday evening and not down the pub  Some may call me sad, I prefer passionate 

Kenny,
And that's the word Passionate there are a few on here and it isn't a dig at any of the others that take this business seriously, it is what we do do week in week out, 52 weeks of the year if you want.

[Kenny83]

Ano my apoliges I over reacted I think because I thought I had done such a good job, for someone to then pick faults etc i didn't know could be improved was hard to take because I take alot of pride in all my work, Check my Facebook page Im 20 and I plan on doing this until my limbs stop working:D
thanks for any advice use have offered, and as for pricing I feel it's fine was just interested to know as I've never seen what anyone charges.
Thanks Adam

Well if I'm honest Adam i would be made up with 100 for that job, I would have undercut you, this is due to various factors, ie.
 location, London / Southern areas seem to get more money for jobs,
equipment, looking at the pics I estimate that patio and steps could be done comfortably within 1 hour although this depends on the equipment used
also distance, if it's over 8 or so miles away my prices go up to reflect this
If you do the job and it takes you all day then you have under priced it, if you do the job in an hour or so then you have over priced it and the customer will probable be shopping around next year in my opinion which is where I would say, if you have me back next year i will do it for x amount as a loyalty gesture, that way you will gain the same custom (although for ess money) for a longer period of time so you will gain more revenue in the long run.

[Simon@Pristine Pathways]

I love jobs like that. I would be looking at 150 to clean and 100 to point. I know you dont offer a pointing service but niether did I when I started. But it is easy and a nice add on. I will clean 3 of them in a day and point them next day depending on locality. Cleaning I would rotary clean, hypo then rinse.
I am a domestic jetwash, pointing and sealing expert and only dream of being Rob Mclean..!

[Kenny83]

Thats exactly what i want to do, I try to create an iimage that i am a solid full time business that provides a specialist service, not just some guy with a jet wash going round cleaning patios, thats what gypsies do, power wash in the summer, cut trees in the winter (aswell as pressure old folk into handing money over with uot completing a job- robbing t@@ts)
i show my customers my setup, tell them how mush it cost's, tell them i have full insurance, etc, my address in on my site, I like you am a kosher firm and my job is as much an interest as it is a job, henece the reason we're on here on a Sunday evening and not down the pub  Some may call me sad, I prefer passionate 

Kenny,
And that's the word Passionate there are a few on here and it isn't a dig at any of the others that take this business seriously, it is what we do do week in week out, 52 weeks of the year if you want.

I agree Roger, so if newcomers feel hostillity when they come to the site asking for prices, methods,  etc, then this is why, we know/think they're after a quick buck as an add on through the summer and in turn could devalue the service for us all, including themselves.
For me it's about building a customer base and looking after them, by way of service, price and trust, that way they will slam the door when any pikeys knock on and won't give them a second thought  

[Roger Oakley]

Thats exactly what i want to do, I try to create an iimage that i am a solid full time business that provides a specialist service, not just some guy with a jet wash going round cleaning patios, thats what gypsies do, power wash in the summer, cut trees in the winter (aswell as pressure old folk into handing money over with uot completing a job- robbing t@@ts)
i show my customers my setup, tell them how mush it cost's, tell them i have full insurance, etc, my address in on my site, I like you am a kosher firm and my job is as much an interest as it is a job, henece the reason we're on here on a Sunday evening and not down the pub  Some may call me sad, I prefer passionate 

Kenny,
And that's the word Passionate there are a few on here and it isn't a dig at any of the others that take this business seriously, it is what we do do week in week out, 52 weeks of the year if you want.

I agree Roger, so if newcomers feel hostillity when they come to the site asking for prices, methods,  etc, then this is why, we know/think they're after a quick buck as an add on through the summer and in turn could devalue the service for us all, including themselves.
For me it's about building a customer base and looking after them, by way of service, price and trust, that way they will slam the door when any pikeys knock on and won't give them a second thought  

And that's it in a nutshell, build the client base for the year on year repeats with domestics.
it ain't rocket science it down to customer service.

[Matt Gibson]

Great topic, great answers.

Looks like we aren't all a bunch of pr1cks afterall 

[H20cleaning]

Great topic, great answers.

Looks like we aren't all a bunch of pr1cks afterall 

Agreed

[Rob_Mac]

Simon

 

I have had a discussion this morning about what happens when the bubble bursts and using the profits gained now to create other revenue streams.

This is an exciting period for me as at least two clip on services will be added imminently and at least one separate business will be established in the next couple of weeks.

When I started with the pressure washing supermarkets it was just an add on, to take on to gain the internal cleaning contract, which would have diamond polishing as the money maker.

Hopefully what I have done is work the pain out of developing the external cleaning as a separate package. It was never like this seven years ago.

The problems i see moving forward are that people will start noticing that Rob & associates are on every job, they must be doing alright, maybe they are earning a couple of quid. let's look at this pressure washing lark.

Also we know that the facilities supplier for Sainsbury's are sniffing around the external works and already this year some of the packages have been lost, due to them taking them on.

I have approached them but have not got anywhere to date, maybe we will carry on regardless and continue to be used because of the service offered - i am just making sure that it isn't all in one basket.

Rob

[Darranvps]

Hi Rob

Our Tescos in Willesborough, Ashford is in need of your (or my) services - roof, glass canopy, monoblock paving etc - real bad state to be honest.

Hope you are busy!

[Rob_Mac]

I'd rather have been sat next to you at the villa mate, than having the last four weeks I have had.

Yes busy with a project coming to completion at Crosby, started work at East Filton (i'd never heard of it either!!) - near Bristol and a finish off at Bridgemead, Swindon.

just awaiting confirmation of another project to start in York. Yep definitely a good period.

I am surprised that they never had anything done when we were working on the new Sainsbury's down there, normally the other supermarkets have a little spruce up when they know a new store is coming to town.

I ain't going to ask if you are busy because with the army of staff and loads of work being priced up from the poolside you just will be

Rob