How to Start a Pressure Washing Business

Start with a core menu your equipment handles well, then add higher value services as your skills grow.

Buy for the work you will sell first. A residential starter rig usually includes:

• A gas pressure washer with enough water flow for flat work. Flow (GPM) matters as much as pressure (PSI) for how fast you clean.
• A surface cleaner for driveways and patios, which gives even results without stripes.
• A soft wash system, either a downstream injector or a dedicated soft wash pump, for siding and roofs.
• Hoses, nozzles, a ladder and safety gear, including eye protection and slip resistant boots.
• A truck or trailer setup with a water tank if you will work where you cannot use the customer's tap.

There is no national pressure washing license. The SBA's guide says local governments set registration, licensing and permitting requirements, and that they vary by state, county and municipality. Start with your state business office and your city or county clerk, and ask whether there are rules for mobile cleaning businesses.

Watch what you add to the menu. Staining decks, sealing fences and painting can bring contractor licensing rules into play. In California, the CSLB raised its minor work exemption from $500 to $1,000 on January 1, 2025, and unlicensed work must need no permit, use no employees on the project and be advertised as unlicensed.

Wastewater. Water running off a driveway can end up in a storm drain. Rules on wash water and cleaning chemicals are set locally, so call your city's stormwater or water treatment office before you start. The EPA's own guidance on pressure washing points contractors to their local water treatment authority for disposal.

Lead paint on older homes. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies to paid work that disturbs paint in homes, apartments and child occupied facilities built before 1978, and it covers sole proprietors. The EPA says pressure washing is not prohibited under the rule, but the work area must be contained so no dust or debris, including in the waste water, leaves it.

Small exterior jobs can fall under the minor repair exemption of 20 square feet or less of disturbed paint, but stripping peeling paint off an older house goes well past that.

Prices vary by region and competition, so look at a few local companies before you set your rates. Then build your price from time, chemicals and travel, not from a national average you read online.

For example, with made up numbers: if a house wash takes two and a half hours including setup, chemicals cost $15, and you want $75 an hour, quote at least $203 before profit.

• Flat work like driveways is often priced by square foot or by job size.
• House washes are often priced by the size and height of the home.
• A minimum charge covers setup and drive time on small jobs.
• Packages such as house, driveway and walkways together raise the ticket and save you a second setup.

Pressure washing sells on visible results, so your marketing should show your work.

• Google Business Profile. Create it for free, set your service area, and post before and after photos of every job.
• A simple website. Forbes Advisor puts a DIY build at $0 to $450, with hosting and apps around $15 to $150 a month and a domain at $10 to $35 a year. Give each service its own page with photos and a quote form, and see what a contractor website costs for the full picture.
• Neighbor marketing. After a driveway, offer the neighbors the same service while your rig is on the street.
• Honest reviews from every customer, sent by text with your review link. Here is how to get more Google reviews.
• Answer every call. You cannot hear the phone over an engine, so a missed call text back or an answering service covers you.