Starter guide
How to start a pressure washing business
The equipment is the easy part; a decent washer and a way to get around covers most of it. What trips people up is the patchwork of local licensing rules and pricing a job by eye instead of by the surface actually in front of you.
The quick overview
- Check whether your area licenses this trade before you book anything.
- Register and get liability cover in place regardless.
- Price by surface and square footage, with a floor for small jobs.
- Let before-and-after photos do the marketing for you.
- Invoice one-offs and contracts from the same system.
Kitting yourself out
A consumer or prosumer machine and a surface cleaner cover driveways and patios well enough to start; a trailer-mounted hot-water rig can wait until commercial contracts justify it.
| What you need | Typical spend |
|---|---|
| Pressure washer and surface cleaner | £300–£2,000 |
| Liability cover | ~£95–£225 a year |
| Registering the business | Free |
| Water access and chemicals | £50–£150 to start |
| Booking and invoicing app | Nothing to start |
Check the rules before you check the price
Licensing here varies more by area than in most trades: some places ask for nothing beyond normal business registration, others (California among the strictest) expect trade exams and fees before you can legally trade. Confirm your local position first, then register and take out liability cover, since water and chemicals finding their way somewhere unintended is the most common claim.
Pricing by what’s underfoot
Driveways, siding, decking, and roofs clean at completely different speeds and carry different risk, so per-square-foot pricing by surface holds up far better than a single number for everything. A minimum job fee protects the short jobs, a single walkway or a small patio, from losing money on the drive alone. Full rates are in the pressure washing pricing guide.
Marketing that sells itself
A dramatic before-and-after photo of a transformed driveway or wall does more for bookings than most paid advertising in this trade. Post them consistently, keep a Google Business Profile topped up with reviews, and searches for “near me” convert quickly because most customers want the job done fast.
One-offs and contracts, one system
Bill a single driveway clean as a priced job and a recurring commercial round as a quick repeat invoice from the same customer record. Pressure washing business software keeps both kinds of client organised without duplicating effort.
One-offs and rounds, sorted
ServiceInvoice keeps domestic bookings and commercial contracts side by side, each with their own rate and history. See the pressure washing business software.
Start your free accountWhat catches people out
- Quoting a flat price by eye instead of by surface and size.
- Never checking whether your state or area licenses this trade.
- Skipping a minimum job fee, so short driveways barely cover fuel.
- Using one price list for domestic one-offs and commercial contracts.
- Absorbing specialist chemical costs instead of pricing them into the job.
Confirm the local rules, price by the surface, and let the photos market for you. Consistent invoicing keeps the contracts profitable.