Do we really need a Organization ? (poll)

[Henry Bockman]

I personally think that all power washing companies should be licensed. Let's face it with the type of work we do it's possible to cause quite a bit of damage to any surface were cleaning or the environment. All the acids, caustics and other chemicals we use may have very little effect on the environment if used properly but the way the laws are going they will eventually start cracking down on us.

For example, in Maryland you don't have to have a lisence for power washing decks. You do have to have one for sealing decks though. Doesn't that sound dumb?
Let's be realistic, the cleaning process is what's going to cause the most damage to a deck. I think it would cut down on a lot of the low ballers around here if we were required to have a license, because to get a lisence in Maryland, you have to pass a test and be able to prove that you know the basics of running a company. Your also required to be accountable for the work you do, carry a bond and insurance.

In my case I hope PWNA does create some type of standard in the industry and help to insure everyone has a license..
Then everyone will have to have a lisence and we will all have similiar overhead and company expenses. As it is now any joe can rent or buy a cheap machine and start a lowballing company which hurts all the legitament companies like us.

Whether I'm a member of PWNA or any other organization, just remember I'm on the side of the contractor! I don't mind if anyone believes me or not, ere and I don't look down at any BBS. I don't care who runs the board or who's a member of it. I just run my company my way and come here to share my experiance and ideas with others.

My name is Henry Bockman, I'm a power washer and I approve this message!..lol

 

[Dan S]

I personally think that all power washing companies should be licensed. Let's face it with the type of work we do it's possible to cause quite a bit of damage to any surface were cleaning or the environment.

Henry, Is'nt this why we have insurance in the first place? Is'nt this why we pay for insurance?Why worry about another expense? Even though everybody gets bent outs shape about the newbies. I think some of you forget that one day you were also a newbie. Heck 11 years ago I didnt know-nothing. I remember washing with my first p/wer and using a soap and a bucket with a brush. Now I do 60 trks+ and this weekend I did 60 trailers. and some other riff-raft work at a terminal.Not to mention I had NO clue what an un-loader was or how to make your plugs and couples last.
My point :
even though you help out with info. on the web and send fax's to who knows who, you are contributing to the newbies, The very same people you are helping and it may even be in my area that you send info. to. But since you (when I say YOU I am not just refering to YOU >Henry ). feel that you should have a "label" and you see your company grow.Now the people you are helping want to be as good or shall I say as big as you. And now you want it all, YOu want to make it harder for a newbie but as mentioned before you want to help them via> fax,e-mail or a simple phone call.
So which is it?
Do you want to help and just offer info. or do you just want to help untill it gets to the point where you are not making as much $ as you were.

If there was license or having to be bonded or forced to carry a 3 million $ ins. policy 11 years ago I really dont think I would of been able to start my business.I did'nt have any thing handed to me. No- outside $ from no other source except ( which I know that fits alot of folks here ) The Bank.

I think sometimes we can go over board with restrictions ...Do this dont do that.
I do know there has to be accountability somwhere.

But why "flop-flop'" why would you want to hand out info. and help somebody only to pull the rug up from under their feet? By suggesting that there should be this and that within our field.

I think it gets to the point where you work your buns off pay for this pay for that then along comes somebdy else who wants in on the gig.They become what we used to be "newbies". They are full of piss and vinegar like we were. They will wash just about everything untill they find that $ maker or what they feel they could make it as.
And then when we see them making $ or getting jobs we want to shut them down because they dont belong to a org. or they are not license.
It is a tough field, Who ever is in this business and dont think so is only foolling themselfs.You have to learn EVERYDAY what works and what wont. YOu have to be on guard as to not cause damage to what it is you are washing.You learn that as a newbie and it follows you through out your years as Self employed.

I think we should do our jobs and not worry about anybody else
Do your best, be fair and when you make a mistake correct it and move on.

I would rather save my money and just worry about me and my family and my business, Then to have to worry about spending even more $ on stupid things as a license,or a cetificate.

If we would just worry about our own things in life there would be more money for us
to enjoy.

Btw Henry,I just loved this part of your post>>

My name is Henry Bockman, I'm a power washer and I approve this message!..lol

 

[Henry Bockman]

Thanks Dan,

I also believe in having a sense of humor. That's why I added that at the bottom.

Once again were talking about what works in your area compared to what things are like here in Maryland. In Maryland, you have to have a home improvement license for everything!
For something as simple as tightening a nail or screw on a fence or someones gutters. I know this because I ran my company in the begining cleaning gutters and windows with out a license because when I checked into it, they said I didn't need one for cleaning gutters or windows.
My gutter cleaning ad stated that we would clean and tighten the gutters when doing the job and I thought it was perfectly reasonable to tighten a loose nail when I was doing the gutters...
Guess what, the Maryland Home Improvement commission sent me a letter telling me that I had 90 days to get a license or they would fine me $5,000 and put me in jail for three years. FOR CLEANING AND TIGHTENING NAILS ON GUTTERS! Can you believe that?

When you get an MHIC license your required to have insurance and a bond so it forces people to be legitamite.

Every other type of company around here is required to have some kind of license except for power washers. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself online. It's a joke!
That's why I'd like to see this changed, I just don't think it's fair!

Maybe I'm banging my rattle on the table a bit too hard but in the long run I think making sure all power washing companies (in Maryland) have an MHIC license will stop people from starting a company doing power washing with no experiance so that they wont cause damage to someone's home.

I help out new guys when I can but regardless of whether I was or not they would still start a company. They are here for a reason after all. To learn how to do it the right way!
I won't thrilled if a bunch more guys start companies near me but if they do at least I know they will have to follow the same rules and guidlines as I do. Right now, they don't have to and it enables them to cut out the overhead legal companies like me have. Since they are coming here to learn how to do it and they are going to do it regardless of what we say I'd rather that they learn how to do things the right way so my area doesn't go back to the old days when everyone thought power washers had no clue what they were doing and they could get their own machine and do it themselves.

I've got two companies that are less than three blocks from me right now and one of them posts on these boards quite often But they both are licensed and carry the same overhead I do so it's doubtful they will low ball things and drop prices in the area. We have a friendly atmosphere and we do our own thing, occasionally we even refer work to each other and we all do just fine and make plenty of money doing what we do.

 

[Dan S]

well Henry I guess i could sum this whole thing by one sentence.

IM GLAD YOU LIVE IN MARYLAND AND NOT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Man what a nasty State

Kick your Gov. outa office

 

[Henry Bockman]

Well if nothing else at least you all may understand what I deal with now and why I use every edge I can!

 

[Cody]

If there was license or having to be bonded or forced to carry a 3 million $ ins. policy 11 years ago I really dont think I would of been able to start my business.I did'nt have any thing handed to me. No- outside $ from no other source except ( which I know that fits alot of folks here ) The Bank.

<font color=e87400> And that would have been a beautiful thing! No offense against you personally Dan. Keeping newbies out that way would have been EASILY worth $200 a year. Hell I'd pay $2000 a year for it. If that was in effect those of us who were able to overcome the obstacles it caused would be getting twice the money we are now.

Tell me honestly. Knowing what you know now, if you'd already been in business 11 years ago & those standards were in place don't you think you would have been able to make far more than the $200 a year it cost you? 11 years, that's only $2200 total, I've lost more than one job that profit me more than that to newbies, not to mention all the ones for less. Be honest. I suppose there is a chance you may not have but others in other areas could definately have made more money. Alot more.

Right now in my phone book there are 37 pressure cleaning companies, In my county there are about 130 between 3 phone books. Every week in the local thrift magazine there are a dozen adds for pressure cleaning, some companies who are "not" in the phone book, in the services classifieds. almost every week at least 2 of them will advertise "Will beat any competitors bid by 10%" (Hell next time I need to clean my driveway I will call both those guys & get them bidding against each other, maybe they'll end up paying me to clean my driveway).

Fact-of-the-matter is, with the proper red tape in place you would have a much more profitable business. Again though, perhaps your area is an exception but others are greatly affected by the competition. If the industry doesn't get some good red tape soon, the industry will lose what profitability is left within the next 10 years. Bottom line is we're (the veterans) getting our butts kicked by the newbies.</font>

 

[Clean County]

Cody,
I agree completely with your above post. That is why I am so glad that we need a contractors license in NY to Powerwash along with the proper insurance. Now once they make this requirement in every state then you will see some of the fly by niters just disapear and you can raise prices accordingly. Where I live if someone is caught advertising without being LIC/INS they will face a substancial fine. The first offense use to be $500 today I'd be willing to bet its at least a $1000. The second time its criminal. So this raises the bar some.

Also the fact that Henry and myself along with many others advertise that they are PWNA members, now those fly by niters will also have to contend with that. Whatever strengthens my business to get a leg up on my competitor then I'm all for it and to me being a PWNA member gives me just a little more then "The other guy".

 

[Dan S]

Tell me honestly. Knowing what you know now, if you'd already been in business 11 years ago & those standards were in place don't you think you would have been able to make far more than the $200 a year it cost you? 11 years, that's only $2200 total, I've lost more than one job that profit me more than that to newbies, not to mention all the ones for less. Be honest. I suppose there is a chance you may not have but others in other areas could definately have made more money. Alot more.

Yes Cody, since you put it that way. I would of paid

 

[Cody]

Cody,
I agree completely with your above post.

<font color=e87400>That's a first! </font>

 

[Henry Bockman]

Well maybe it's a good thing this thread got dug up again.

I guess when things are phrased a different way it's easier to understand what people are saying and see their point. That's one of my big problems, I'm really bad at expressing myself when writing. When I'm talking I do much bette!

 

[Dan Flynn]

Dan you said lot's of no, don't forget the "I can make just as much $ without it " That's 56 No and 26 Yes.

 

[Mathew Johnson]

A license isn't required in all of NY State. It is regulated at the local level (ie NY City) There are no state contractor licenses.

 

[Clean County]

Yes In NY licensing is regulated at the local level and in most area's at least by me you need to have a license or you will be fined heavily. Licensing is a good start to keeping this field more professional and also to keep out the ones who don't take powerwashing seriously and they just "Blow and Go" where they hurt the guys who take there trade seriously. This is both for fulltime and partime Powerwashers.

 

[onecallpowerw]

Those that want

Bascially, you all that want the industry regulated, are just basically giving away one of your selling points. If you think for one minute that it will get rid of the low ballers....you are mistaken. They will still be there and have insurance/license to boot. Keep in mind the cost is not all that much to get your license, insurance or for that matter the PWNA sticker on your truck. So what is all or your points ? They dont matter enough to make a diff. So I say, keep your insurance, license and continue to use one of the only selling points you have without just giving it away.

 

[Henry Bockman]

The only problem with that theory is that most home owners don't know you have to have a license to do this kind of work... If they don't know and I don't have the opportunity to tell them it doesn't matter. I usually don't meet my clients when estimating or doing a job. I prefer to but around here husbands and wifes usually work so unless I go out at night or on weekends and meet them I'm not bidding on an even playing field.

 

[Clean County]

Bascially, you all that want the industry regulated, are just basically giving away one of your selling points. If you think for one minute that it will get rid of the low ballers....you are mistaken.

Yes Lowballers and people doing things illegally will always be around but if you regulate the business some then it will make it much tougher on the ones that will try to do without. To make an analogy on this look at it this way---to drive in our country you need to have a license and an insured vehicle. The ones who don't for whatever reasons that they may have are the ones who will pay the largest fines and rightfully so.

So yes I believe our business should be regulated "some" just to keep out the rift raft and the ones who get caught not having what is required then they should have to pay...which for some it will put them out of business.

 

[onecallpowerw]

We will agree to disagree....

We will agree to disagree......

Henry, dont you use the handout....you know the one that has your company plus a place for two other competitors ? We use them on every estimate weither the homeowner is home or not. This clearly shows we are insured and licensed. That little sheet of paper brought me $16,000.00 in new business this year (Commercial) that is.

So that is your chance to persevere.

 

[Henry Bockman]

I use everything I have to stand out amongst all the other companies around here.
I still think powerwashing should require a license though, just like every other type of work in this state. It won't stop low ballers from doing it but if people know your required to have a license they won't even call companies that don't have one. Another factor is newspapers. If your required to have a license, some of the papers won't run an add for you if you can't prove that you have one!

Also think of it this way, if everyone in my state is required to have a license and insurance the lowballers will be forced to have it also. Which means their prices will have to go up to support the extra costs..
That means that we could all raise our prices a bit and still be able to outshine the lowballers with our experiance and our companies reputations.

I'm sure we would all like to be able to charge more for what we do right?

 

[Dan S]

It sure is funny listening to you Henry.

Maybe you need to move away from where you are.

I say "dahell" with your concept that everybody should have a license.

Happy Turkey day

Soon the Turkey growers would want every consumer to prove that their Bird is going to be cooked right or you wont be able to buy from them. Or the soft drinks of Americia wants you to prove that you can Burp after chuggin' their drink.

Im still Glad I live in Americia.

 

[Henry Bockman]

Hey Dan,

Almost everything has some type of regulation these days... Look around a bit and you will see what I mean.

OSHA
EPA
FDA

Almost everything in this great country of ours has some type of regulation why should this industry be any different from your average handyman or any other industry?

The EPA will regulate this industry in the future and so will all the other agencies. Whether we like it or not, it's going to happen. Of course there will be some things that none of us will like but at least it will bring us all up to equal standards in our industry.

Then let the chips fall where they may.

I'm already 100% legal so I've got nothing to worry about. If my local competition is also 100% legal then they have nothing to be concerned about either. As I said earlier, it will eventually raise the bar in my area and also raise the prices.

What's bad about making more money and following the same rules and guidelines I'm following now?