How to Estimate Power Washing Jobs
Power or pressure washing is one of the most in-demand services. Many commercial and residential units order power washing services for the effective cleaning it offers. Many small and mid-size businesses offer this as their primary service. But what the owners often get wrong is to price their service correctly. If you own a power washing center or manage it, you must prepare viable estimates and quotes for your business.
Below, we’ll cover:
- How to Estimate Power Washing Jobs?
- How to Quote Pressure Washing Jobs?
- How to Charge for Pressure Washing Jobs?
How to Estimate Power Washing Jobs?
The purpose of an estimate is to get an idea of what a product or service will cost. Individuals or businesses who feel the need for a power wash cleaning want to know about the cost before they book an appointment. And chances are they’re requesting estimates from multiple service providers. So, you’re competing against various people to land the job. Therefore, creating a proper estimate for a power washing job is crucial.
An estimate is simply a range of values. The exact cost of the power washing job will be within the two extremes. So if a client asks for an estimate, you just have to provide overall approximate values. But you must ensure that the exact cost will always be between the two values.
To create an estimate, you must understand the requirements first. Some businesses need to get their parking lot done, while others want to clean their kitchen. Furthermore, the stuff to get rid of range from dirt to algae. This will influence the final cost to some degree. Talk to the person in charge and check what needs to be done.
You also need to take into account your own pricing strategy. Do you offer your service per square foot, per hour, or a flat rate? It’s better to ask the client for his preference before you provide a cost estimate.
Once you have the requirements, you can create an estimate. It’s essential to provide the estimate in a written format along with all the details. The details include the name of the company, Estimate ID, overhead cost, and miscellaneous cost.
You must also include the estimate terms and conditions under which the work will be done. Fluctuations often cause changes in pricing, which can potentially impact your bottom-line.
How to Quote Pressure Washing Jobs?
Quoting is different from estimating. When you’re quoting a pressure washing job to a client, you need to provide an exact or approximate figure as opposed to a range of values.
Power washing jobs are on-demand, as-per-use service. This means it cannot be sold like an off-the-shelves product. Managers and workers often have a hard time quoting a power washing job to their clients.
Therefore, when quoting your service, you need to have a deeper understanding of your customer’s requirements. This should include site visitation where you do the following:
Measure the space
Measure the total area to be cleaned. You can estimate based on either square footage or linear footage. If it’s an object or a vehicle, you can measure the length, breadth, and height. Whatever the case might be, you need to be as precise as possible. Also, note what is there to be cleaned. If it’s minor dirt, then it will require less time and motor power. If it’s something like grease or algae, it will consume more time and effort. In power washing, time determines how much a service will cost.
Estimate materials
Does the job only require water to clean? Or shampoos and dyes to get rid of the foreign object? Consider the materials to be used and include in the pricing strategy.
Overhead cost
How many of your employees will remain active at the site? The bigger the project, the more manpower will be needed.
Transportation cost
You’ll be moving a lot of stuff like the motor, pressure washer, trailer, chemicals, among others. The total cost of movement will depend on where the client is located.
Margin
Last but not least, how much margin will be feasible for your business? Is it 25% of the total cost? 50% of the total cost? You need to add your margin for making profits.
After calculations, you should be able to provide a precise quote for the power washing job.
Since the cost is going to be fixed, you (or the client) cannot change it under normal circumstances. Therefore, you must offer the quotation in written format ahead of verbal communication. Also, include a terms and conditions page and have all the conditions under which the quotation will remain valid.
How to Charge for Pressure Washing Jobs?
There are multiple ways you can charge your client. The options are:
- Per square Foot – In this format, you charge based on the total area to be cleaned.
- Per Hour – In this format, you charge based on the time duration it requires to complete the job.
You can also charge a flat fee, but the pricing will be really vague. Proceed with the one that’s feasible for your business.
FAQ
Is quotation necessary for the services sector?
Yes. Since the requirement varies from project to project, you can’t provide a fixed quotation to all.
Is it necessary to provide a written quotation to a client?
Yes. It is highly recommended to offer a written quotation in a properly-formatted document to hold each party accountable.
How is a quote different from an estimate?
A quote is a fixed, approximate price, whereas an estimate is a range of values. For example, $100 is a quotation, $50-100 is an estimate.
Are pressure washing job templates worth it?
Yes. They save you time and effort in creating an estimate/quotation document from scratch.
You can find dozens of pre-made pressure washing job templates on the WeInvoice website. You can download them in DOC or PDF format, edit the fields, and use them for your service business. Along with that, you’ll find invoicing and sales-specific templates so that you never have to spend time creating an official document from scratch.