Got my first two jobs today. I advertised in a local small paper and recieved 5 calls so far and have quoted out 2 so far and got the job. The other 3 I will be quoted tonight and tomorrow. My rig is all set up and working great. Did the fire trucks today at work and they came out nice, a little practice. My first job will be a 240 sqaure foot deck for $100, no steps or railings. Slight dirt. The second job is 2200 square foot house with gutter scrub. I am only charging $160 for this because the house is not bad at all and a friend of a friend. A little money for some more practice. I am hoping to land some of the others jobs to start paying for this adventure in power washing. I will be practicing tomorrow on my house and my uncles to help me get the feel for it. I have some deck cleaner and emlusifier plus coming in from XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX today. I think I will be in good shape. My sales skills are good as I have convinces the first two people from saying no to changing their minds. Now I just have to figure out how to do it. Wish me luck. Any advise would be great. Thanks.
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My first jobs
- Thread starter mas3372
- Start date
CaroliProWash
New Member
Congrats on landing your first two jobs! The best advise I can offer right now is to (1) be on time to do the work (2) do a quality job and (3) keep your books right from the start! Make sure you keep your customer's names in a database - don't be afraid to ask for testimonials, those can be your best advertising. Take before and after photos (multiple reasons for that!) And, if you find that you are closing everything you're quoting, revisit your pricing as you may be leaving money on the table!
Get 'em done!
Celeste
Get 'em done!
Celeste
Thanks Carolina,
I think the deck job is priced well and the house job is cheap as it is for a friend of a friend. I just landed two more this evening. A yellow vinly, filthy 40 x 24 two story colonial, no garage, no walk ways, just gutters as well for $220 and a two story cape 36 by 28 with a 2 car garage and small patio 10x8 for $265, this is painted and he wants to repaint. Both were a bit hesitant on price and I explained the benefits of top to bottom cleaning, gutters, good detergents and they were sold. I am 4 for 4. Pretty happy. As I said, I can sell a ketchup popsicle to a women a white gloves, now I just have to master the art of cleaning.
I do have two questions.
1. How close do you get to the electricle service with the telescoping pole?
2. Do you clean the soffits with high pressure, I would think that the water would get into the vents?
Thanks
I think the deck job is priced well and the house job is cheap as it is for a friend of a friend. I just landed two more this evening. A yellow vinly, filthy 40 x 24 two story colonial, no garage, no walk ways, just gutters as well for $220 and a two story cape 36 by 28 with a 2 car garage and small patio 10x8 for $265, this is painted and he wants to repaint. Both were a bit hesitant on price and I explained the benefits of top to bottom cleaning, gutters, good detergents and they were sold. I am 4 for 4. Pretty happy. As I said, I can sell a ketchup popsicle to a women a white gloves, now I just have to master the art of cleaning.
I do have two questions.
1. How close do you get to the electricle service with the telescoping pole?
2. Do you clean the soffits with high pressure, I would think that the water would get into the vents?
Thanks
CaroliProWash
New Member
Stay away from the electrical! Dead on your first job is not the goal 
Secondly, if you are using quality chemicals, high pressure doesn't even need to enter your vocabulary. It's always best to use the least amount of pressure necessary. Your flow coupled with the chems will do all of the work for you.
Celeste
Secondly, if you are using quality chemicals, high pressure doesn't even need to enter your vocabulary. It's always best to use the least amount of pressure necessary. Your flow coupled with the chems will do all of the work for you.
Celeste
Thanks Celeste,
I figured I would stay a good few feet away from the electrical and I told the homeowners that I don't get within a few feet and they seemed surpised. Oh well.. I will be using emulisifier plus with 12 % hypochlorite as I have heard great things about this mixture. I have a 3500 psi machine but bought larger orifice tips so I can regulate at 3000, 2500, 2000, 1500 and 1000 psi. Nozzles are cheap enough I figured I would get a good selection to help me learn.
thanks again, Mike
I figured I would stay a good few feet away from the electrical and I told the homeowners that I don't get within a few feet and they seemed surpised. Oh well.. I will be using emulisifier plus with 12 % hypochlorite as I have heard great things about this mixture. I have a 3500 psi machine but bought larger orifice tips so I can regulate at 3000, 2500, 2000, 1500 and 1000 psi. Nozzles are cheap enough I figured I would get a good selection to help me learn.
thanks again, Mike
what part of rhode island are you from? what station in rhode island are you with? congrats on your new jobs. Good luck!
blazingcarolinapw@yahoo.com
blazingcarolinapw@yahoo.com
M
MPW
Guest
Raise your prices soon or you will be singing for your supper. The housewash chems you are using will work well.
PressurePros
New Member
Be very careful with starting out with low prices. You will start getting referalls and all of those will want the same rate. You are cleaning 3000 sf of house and paint prepping, which can turn into a biger cleanup job than you think.
The nationwide rate for housewashing per Cleaner Times Magazine 3 years ago was $.15 per s/f for housecleaning. In the northeast, most guys get $.20. Your bid would have been more accurate at about $495 if you wanted to to bid low and more like $600 to make real money.
With a telescoping wand and no experience, that housewash could take you all day.
Final note: Watch that Emulsifier Plus, it can wreak havoc on glass if you let it dry (and it dries fast) There are better detergents.
The nationwide rate for housewashing per Cleaner Times Magazine 3 years ago was $.15 per s/f for housecleaning. In the northeast, most guys get $.20. Your bid would have been more accurate at about $495 if you wanted to to bid low and more like $600 to make real money.
With a telescoping wand and no experience, that housewash could take you all day.
Final note: Watch that Emulsifier Plus, it can wreak havoc on glass if you let it dry (and it dries fast) There are better detergents.
Daniel Stapes
New Member
Don't let that scare you. Any detergent that dries on glass can be a problem, especially butyl based(powerhouse is 10% butyl and has sodium hydroxide in it). Just rinse well before,during and after. Try a few different brands and see what suits you. I did a comparison on a very dirty, moldy stucco house using citracleen, powerhouse, and emulsifier plus and e-plus out performed them. No question. All were downstreamed mixed with chlorine. It's funny, seems like different people get different results! Good luck.
Dan Stapleton
352-343-2811
Dan Stapleton
352-343-2811
Thanks everyone. PP, I know I am cheap right now and my next quotes will be higher. I don't feel I should be charging full price when I can not offer full experience. But I am in this to make money. Please share with me your ways of avoiding a telescoping pole and hopefully ladders as well. Thanks
Mark
Moderator / Sponsor
The X-Jet can help you wash houses and
buildings without ladders etc.
"The X-JET Nozzle
The X-JET Nozzle saves time and money for your customers.
This 4 inch stainless steel nozzle injects and proportions soaps, chemicals or liquids at high pressure or low pressure without going through your pump, hose, or gun. The X-JET nozzle projects chemicals or other liquids to vertical heights of 40 feet or more, depending on your pressure washer. It can be used with virtually any pressure washer, hot or cold, from 1000psi to 6000psi.
Applications for this amazing tool
Wash and remove mold, dirt and mildew from houses, buildings, water tanks, silos, roof tops, and high structures without using ladders, scaffolding, or a telescoping wand.
Sterilization of housing areas for poultry, hog, cattle and other agricultural needs.
Caustic spraying that requires using strong and harsh chemicals that destroy pumps.
Dispensing proportion insecticides such as orchard and garden spraying.
Degreasing of heavy equipment using high pressure soaping without going through the pressure washer pump.
Users of the X-JET
Mobile pressure washers
Restaurants
Rental companies
Farmers
Shipyards
Poultry and swine operations
Hospitals
Airport de-icing facilities
Industrial companies
Butcher shops
Garages
Painters
Homeowners
Heavy equipment operators
and the list goes on..................
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14 proportioning metering tips
15 feet of reinforced vinyl hose with inline shut off valve and weighted ball strainer
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buildings without ladders etc.
"The X-JET Nozzle
The X-JET Nozzle saves time and money for your customers.
This 4 inch stainless steel nozzle injects and proportions soaps, chemicals or liquids at high pressure or low pressure without going through your pump, hose, or gun. The X-JET nozzle projects chemicals or other liquids to vertical heights of 40 feet or more, depending on your pressure washer. It can be used with virtually any pressure washer, hot or cold, from 1000psi to 6000psi.
Applications for this amazing tool
Wash and remove mold, dirt and mildew from houses, buildings, water tanks, silos, roof tops, and high structures without using ladders, scaffolding, or a telescoping wand.
Sterilization of housing areas for poultry, hog, cattle and other agricultural needs.
Caustic spraying that requires using strong and harsh chemicals that destroy pumps.
Dispensing proportion insecticides such as orchard and garden spraying.
Degreasing of heavy equipment using high pressure soaping without going through the pressure washer pump.
Users of the X-JET
Mobile pressure washers
Restaurants
Rental companies
Farmers
Shipyards
Poultry and swine operations
Hospitals
Airport de-icing facilities
Industrial companies
Butcher shops
Garages
Painters
Homeowners
Heavy equipment operators
and the list goes on..................
Includes
X-JET Nozzle ready to use w/ 1/4 inch quick coupler
14 proportioning metering tips
15 feet of reinforced vinyl hose with inline shut off valve and weighted ball strainer
Close Range Nozzle "
Buy an X-Jet Here! [hello]
Attachments
M
MPW
Guest
Final note: Watch that Emulsifier Plus said:
M
MPW
Guest
I'm in Waterford.
PressurePros
New Member
I don't think you can pm on this board. The chemical mix I use has about 6 different detergents and ethers in it. I get it custom blended from a local chem house. Sodium metasilicate and TSP are two primary ingredients.
PressurePros
New Member
Daniel Stapes said:
Stucco is a different beast. Something hot like the e-plus works well. I have never been able to downstream to clean dirty stucco. That is when the X-Jet comes in handy. In my opinion, take it for what it is worth, e-plus is worth what you pay for it (which is not much). It is too casutic for cleaning vinyl siding. I have heard many contractors say the e-plus couldn't hold a candle to a cleaner like citracleen. You're right though, Dan. Different techniques, different perceptions = different results.
Daniel Stapes
New Member
Downstreaming stucco: let dwell, rinse windows, downstream again.....Bingo.
Dan Stapleton
352-343-2811
Dan Stapleton
352-343-2811
Daniel Stapes
New Member
The last post wasn't very thorough. The actual process would be: Wet windows, downstream chemical, rinse windows, let dwell on walls, repeat process, followed by a low pressure rinse.
Dan Stapleton
352-343-2811
Dan Stapleton
352-343-2811