What starting in pressure washing involves
Pressure washing means jet-washing driveways, patios, paths and decking, often followed by re-sanding block paving and sealing. How often a customer comes back: every one to three years, and most customers are one-off. The aim is to build a list of people you serve again and again.
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.
The order to do things in
- Choose your machine and decide whether you'll bring your own water
- Learn to wash different surfaces without damaging them, practising on your own or a friend's driveway first
- Get insurance that covers damage to the surfaces you work on
- Price by area using the time-and-rate method, with extras priced separately
- Photograph before and after on every job, because the results sell the next one
- Plan how you'll follow up: yearly patio washes, weed treatment and sealing plans
Kit to start with
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A pressure washer (petrol or electric) and hoses | Petrol suits being on the road; check hose and gun ratings |
| A surface cleaner attachment | Faster and more even than a lance on driveways |
| Water supply: a customer's tap, or your own bowser | Check with every customer before you start |
| Sand, sealant and applicators | If you re-sand and seal block paving |
| A van and a trailer if you carry a bowser | Weight and towing rules apply |
Running costs to expect: detergent and weed treatment, jointing sand and sealant, nozzles and hose fittings, fuel and machine servicing.
Rules to check before you start
- Dirty wash water and detergents must not run into surface-water drains without permission. Check with the Environment Agency and the water company
- COSHH rules apply to the chemicals you use. HSE's guide explains the assessments you should make
Also read insurance for pressure washers before you take your first customer.
Finding your first customers
- Do one driveway well, with a before-and-after photo, and post it to local Facebook groups
- Offer to wash a neighbour's driveway at a discount when you're already on the street
- Work with gardeners and landscapers who often need a driveway or patio finished
- Ask estate agents and landlords for kerb-appeal jobs before a sale or let
- Use a lawn sign during the job so the street sees the transformation
More in how to get your first customers.
How many customers you'll need
Using the example sums in how to price pressure washing, about 24 jobs a month earns £2,000 after costs. That's roughly 576 regular customers. Work it out with your own numbers before you promise yourself anything.
Mistakes new pressure washers make
- Damaging block paving or pointing with the wrong pressure
- Letting wash water run into the drain without checking the rules
- Never following up, so every job stays a one-off
- Pricing by the hour for a customer who expects a price for the job
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.