How to start a pressure washing business
Pressure washing has low barriers, high margins and consequently a lot of competition. The way in is to look and behave like a professional operation from week one.
For costs, margins and projections, see the pressure washing business plan.
Week 1: register and insure
Register the business and get liability insurance — $800 to $2,500 a year.
You are directing water at pressure onto surfaces you did not build. Old mortar washes out, failing paint comes off, window seals let water in. Most of that is pre-existing and none of it will feel that way to the homeowner.
Insurance plus a written pre-existing condition clause is the difference between an awkward conversation and a claim you fund personally.
Week 2: buy equipment that works
A commercial cold water machine, 4 GPM or more. Consumer machines from a hardware store clean too slowly to be commercially viable and will not survive daily use.
A surface cleaner. Doing a driveway with a wand is three times slower and leaves stripes.
A soft wash setup — pump, tank, chemistry. This is not optional. Roofs, painted siding and older timber must be soft washed. Offering only pressure means either turning down work or eventually damaging something.
Hot water is a year-two decision. It opens commercial work — flatwork, drive-throughs, grease — and costs $4,000 to $9,000.
Week 3: learn the surfaces
Genuinely spend time on this before you charge anyone.
- Concrete and masonry: pressure, with a surface cleaner
- Vinyl and painted siding: soft wash, low pressure
- Roofs: soft wash only, never pressure
- Timber decking: low pressure, correct chemistry, follow the grain
- Anything old, painted or soft: test an inconspicuous area first
Knowing this is what separates you from the operator who will eventually strip somebody’s cedar siding. It is also the thing to put on your quotes, because it demonstrates competence a homeowner cannot otherwise assess.
Weeks 4–8: first customers, on proof and speed
Photograph every job. Same angle, before and after. This is the most persuasive marketing available in any trade on this site and most operators barely use it.
Local Facebook groups. A dramatic transformation of a recognisable local house is interesting content, not an advertisement, which is why it spreads.
Google Business Profile, filled with your own photos.
Quote within the hour. Most exterior cleaning enquiries are comparison-shopped the same week and the first credible quote usually wins. Measure off satellite imagery so you can send a number before you have driven anywhere.
Do the neighbours. Your van sits outside a house for three hours while the whole street watches a transformation. A door hanger through six doors either side, that afternoon, is the cheapest work you will ever get.
Weeks 9–12: build the habits
Set a job minimum — $150 to $250 — and hold it.
Be honest about permanent staining. Cured oil, rust bleed, artillery fungus. Say so before you start, and a good result delights rather than disappoints.
Set an annual reminder on every customer. This trade has a natural yearly cycle and almost no operator captures it.
What to run it on
Quoting speed is the operational requirement.
QuoteIQ at $29.99/mo measures the property off satellite imagery and quotes from the driveway — the closest fit for this trade. Jobber at $49/mo produces the more polished document and automates the annual rebooking reminder. Housecall Pro adds structured photo reports.
Questions operators actually ask
How do I start a pressure washing business?
Register and insure, buy a commercial machine and a soft wash setup, learn which surfaces take pressure and which do not, then win your first jobs on response speed and before-and-after photographs.
What equipment do I need?
A commercial cold water machine of at least 4 GPM, a surface cleaner, quality hoses and tips, and a soft wash setup with a pump and tank. Consumer machines from a hardware store will not survive commercial use or clean at a viable speed.
Do I need to offer soft washing?
Yes. Roofs, painted siding and older timber must be soft washed, not pressure washed. Offering only high pressure limits your market and eventually results in damaging something you should not have touched.
How do I get my first customers?
Photograph everything, post before-and-afters in local Facebook groups, set up a Google Business Profile, and quote within the hour. Barriers to entry are low, so responsiveness and visible proof are how a new operator competes.
What should I charge?
Build from a rate per square foot — roughly $0.10 to $0.40 depending on surface — with a job minimum of $150 to $250. Do not price against the cheapest operator in your area; they are usually uninsured and working with a consumer machine.