# How do you price your jobs?



## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

Pressure washing is one of the things I want to expand into, so I figured I would ask the PW's what method they've found best when it comes to pricing a job. 

Mostly the methods you use to price out a specific job or aspects of a job. Surface square/lineal footage, house square footage, etc. Do you have lump sums for ranges, minimum (don't need to tell me what they are unless you want to) totals, like $x per foot but at least $yy no matter how small it is. 

I'm pretty much going into it blind other than the years of experience pressure washing houses before painting. So I figured I might as well start with a good foundation for any info I can get.

Also, the PDCA paint and estimating books say you can clean 1100 square feet per hour, is that a reasonable baseline to start with or does it seem too fast/slow to you guys (for downstreaming)? Just trying to figure out where to start.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

Whatever you would make per hour painting.. triple it. Washing is much more lucrative.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

PressurePros said:


> Whatever you would make per hour painting.. triple it. Washing is much more lucrative.


Can we get this guy banned?:jester:
Just kidding of course. What he's saying is true.


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## Dave Mac (May 4, 2007)

slinger58 said:


> Can we get this guy banned?:jester:
> Just kidding of course. What he's saying is true.


 
he might be a little low:whistling2:


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## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

Thanks for the help guys


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

Pricing for someone is too difficult. I can give you exactly what I charge and it can a) bankrupt you because you may not have the efficiency, equipment and labor force or.. b) price you out of your market.

It may have seemed like I was being facetious in my advice but I have been here long enough and have enough associates that paint that I have a grasp on billing rates. you have been washing for awhile so it is a simple matter of at least doubling your man hour rates for your current efficiency. As business grows, invest in better machinery and increase your efficiency. At that point, you may well triple what you are charging to paint and closing customers every day of the week.

The PDCA, websites and other people giving you pricing advise are irrelevant.


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## Dave Mac (May 4, 2007)

Hines as is Ken saying it really helps to have the right equipment and the right soap mixe's to get max profit out of a house wash I will share with you my experience in the last three years.

Three years ago I was washing house like I have been for twenty years with a 4 gpm and back pack sprayer loaded with bleach out of the back of a pick up truck with a 100 foot of hose dragging the machine around the house, a typical 2500 - 2800 sq ft house took 5 hrs to wash

Later that year I learned about down streaming and was able to knock off a hour so now I was at 3-4 hrs for the same house

The following year I built a custom enclosed trailer and with a 8 gpm machine, and was able to get that same house for about 2 hours, 

This year I really have the system down pack I have remote controls to turn on and of the soap, and have really fined tune the process, I'm at 1.5 hrs for the same house.

Equipment really matters in the washing game, the skill level is not nearly as hard as painting which is a plus IMO.

The whole time a house like this goes for around $250 to 300 around here, I think in the northern markets a house like this goes for about 500. Im talking about a basic box house two stories 2500-2800 sq ft. Pricing houses is very simple once you do a few of them, most guys with expereince that I talk to price over the phone, and look the house up on google earth or bing birds eye veiw. I wouldnt recommend doing that until you have a good feel for the houses in your area


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## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

I do appreciate the insight, and I knew there was a good chance that I was going to get some sarcastic remarks.

I wasn't asking you guys to tell me how much to charge, just asking what you thought was the best method to get to that point.

I don't know if its necessary that I measure out an entire house like I would for paint or if its best to just have ranges (ex. All 1500-2000 SF 1 story houses are $x).

I'm positive it will take awhile to figure out where exactly to get to, I just wanted to make sure I started with the right measuring/estimating system so it is quicker to refine my rates and whatnot.


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## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

I did just buy a 4 gpm 4200 psi washer in september. It has built in down streaming, though I'm not sure how good it is as far as down streaming goes. I tried it using just a bleach/dawn mixture for my moms composite deck I just painted and it worked ok, but I am going to buy the tip I've heard Ken mention before (I think its a 4 way tip or something, but I haven't looked into it yet).

I realize 4gpm isn't very big in the world of pressure washing, but I'm coming from a 2.3 gpm 2600 psi unit so it was a nice jump. For the price point I just decided it was acceptable enough to get into pressure washing; and if successful I can replace it and just use the 4gpm machine for pre-paint washing. But if not successful it wasn't real expensive and I was due for a new unit anyways. The old one was just finishing its 6th year.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

Hines Painting said:


> I did just buy a 4 gpm 4200 psi washer in september. It has built in down streaming, though I'm not sure how good it is as far as down streaming goes. I tried it using just a bleach/dawn mixture for my moms composite deck I just painted and it worked ok, but I am going to buy the tip I've heard Ken mention before (I think its a 4 way tip or something, but I haven't looked into it yet).
> 
> I realize 4gpm isn't very big in the world of pressure washing, but I'm coming from a 2.3 gpm 2600 psi unit so it was a nice jump. For the price point I just decided it was acceptable enough to get into pressure washing; and if successful I can replace it and just use the 4gpm machine for pre-paint washing. But if not successful it wasn't real expensive and I was due for a new unit anyways. The old one was just finishing its 6th year.


Can't speak for your neck of the woods but around here its high and dry. We get little or no fungal growth so a 4GPM works fine for us. All we are really doing is washing dust off of siding.


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## Roof Cleaning (Jun 29, 2011)

I can tell you what it looks like from my side, a roof cleaner/washer expanding into painting. We take on exterior washing, roof work and painting. I do not seek pressure washing of any kind or flatwork.

With washing you can pretty much market your service to the demo you can sell to. You must do this to avoid clashing with the part timers and I hate to say it (whispers) noobie washers. Kinda pave your own road and set your own prices. Like it has been said, once you learn the curve and get your ducks in a row, you can really make fast $.

I was lucky and started my biz on the side while I worked as a county club golf pro. I was able to market my biz as a premium service and not worry about prices. In fact, when I started I had no idea what to charge and we made our prices from scratch.

I left the golf biz to make $$ and I marketed my first clients that way. Now when I get a call from a 10-12 year old client from back in my golf days the price of the wash is insulated from the hacks and I make $$. It's like opening a card on Christmas from the family member you know gives out the pipties!

When it is from my website and I don't close it on the spot...then I have to settle for 10-12 year old prices. These idiots have been cleaning the same roof for 300 dollars for the last ten years and folks around here know it. You don't want to get into a price war with a dumb pressure washer that does not know how to make $$.

My advice starting out as a washer trying to learn and grow crews into painting is...

Get as many annuals...that is what we call them. You know the family that has the big well kept home and does not ask how much it is to clean. Do great work, I mean go the extra foot for these folks so every year they keep coming back with that good $.

Then when you get a tire kicker, you turn and burn him for that 10 year old website lead 3 bid price. And you own that part of the market also, because they can recognize quality out of a gaggle of idiots.

Don't get me wrong a website is powerful, but not anywhere near as lucrative as a highly refined client list full of high dollar clients to market to.

hope I helped
Tom


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## Monstertruck (Oct 26, 2013)

Roof Cleaning said:


> (Lots of good info...........)
> 
> *Don't get me wrong a website is powerful, but not anywhere near as lucrative as a highly refined client list full of high dollar clients to market to.*
> 
> ...


There's the nugget.:thumbup:


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