What you're pricing in pressure washing
Pressure washing means jet-washing driveways, patios, paths and decking, often followed by re-sanding block paving and sealing. One job means washing and finishing a driveway, patio or path. How often a customer comes back: every one to three years, and most customers are one-off. That pattern decides how you should think about price.
The method is the same as for any round (see how to price a round): work out what your time has to earn, find out how long a job takes, and add what it costs you. This page shows it with numbers for pressure washing.
What moves the price
- Area to clean, which is why many people price per square metre
- Surface: block paving, concrete, stone and decking all need different care
- How bad it is: weeds, moss and oil stains add time
- Extras: sealing, re-sanding, weed treatment and edging
- Water and power: whether you can use the customer's, or bring your own
Example: pricing one job
- 150 minutes on site + 20 minutes getting there and setting up = 170 minutes
- 170 minutes at £35 an hour = £99.17
- Add £6 for materials and fuel = £105.17
Price: £106 per job
Set a minimum
Set a minimum price per job, since transport and set-up are the same for a small patio as for a large driveway. If a customer won't pay it, they're costing you more in time than they pay you, and the round is better without them.
How many jobs that means
With that example price, here is what earning £2,000 a month looks like once you've covered the costs of running the business.
| Monthly cost (example) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Public liability insurance | £30 |
| Van, fuel and servicing | £220 |
| Machine and surface-cleaner repayments | £120 |
| Rounds software | £35 |
| Advertising | £80 |
| Total running costs | £485 |
- Income wanted: £2,000 + running costs £485 = £2,485 a month
- At £106 a job: 24 jobs a month
If a regular customer comes 0.5 times a year, that's about 576 customers on the books
Repeat work here is thin (customers come back every one to three years, and most customers are one-off), so your diary depends on a steady flow of new customers, and a reminder to last year's customers is some of the cheapest work you'll win.
Raising your prices
Review your prices at least once a year. Tell customers in writing, give them a few weeks' notice and name the new price and the date it starts. The message to copy is in how to price a round.
Run your pressure washing in WorkWise
Get paid when it's done: A pay link goes to the customer when you tap Done: card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Pay by Bank. Cash and cheque are one tap to mark paid.