How Much Does It Cost to Start a Pressure Washing Business?

You would need a minimum of $360,880 to open a pressure washing business. If YES, here are 13 factors that will help you determine the cost. Pressure washing businesses make use of pressure washers to carry out their washing services.

A pressure washer or power washer is basically a high-pressure mechanical sprayer that is used to remove dirt like clogged oil, greasy stains, unwanted graffiti, loose paint, mold, grime, dust, and mud from surfaces like building facilities, bridges, and concrete surfaces.

No doubt, the pressure washing industry is in the mature stage of its life cycle. Over the last 10 years, the industry is projected to improve its contribution to the United States’ economy by 3.6 percent. In this article, we will help you with the estimated cost of opening a pressure washing business in your city.

When it comes to starting a standard pressure washing business, one is expected to spend the bulk of the start-up capital on leasing a facility in an ideal location and purchasing pressure washing equipment, and a utility truck. Please note that the exact cost of opening a pressure washing business depends on the size of the business and where it will be located.

You are also expected to buy cleaning supplies and pay your employees and utility bills. These are the key areas where you are expected to spend your start-up capital;

Cost Breakdown for Opening a Pressure Washing Business

• The total fee for registering the business in the United States of America – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines, and other software) – $3,300.
• The cost for hiring a Business Consultant (it includes writing of business plan) – $2,500.
• Insurance coverage at a total premium – $5,400.
• The cost for payment of rent for a facility for 12 months at $1.76 per square foot in the total amount of – 75,500.
• The cost of remodeling the facility (including installing the needed machines and gadgets) – $10,000.
• Other start-up expenses including stationery ($500) and phone and utility deposits ($2,500) – $3,000
• Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, fueling and maintenance of the utility trucks, and payments of bills et al) – $35,000
• The cost for start-up inventory (cleaning chemical supplies, detergents, and disinfectants) – ($3,500)
• The cost for storage hardware (bins, rack, shelves, creates) – $3,500
• The cost of pressure washing and industrial cleaning equipment (a seventy-foot fully automatic tunnel; 3 high-pressure wand self-service bays; and 5 vacuum stations complete with fragrance and carpet shampoo dispensing machines, Insulator washers with a pump pressure of about 1000 psi, and a nozzle pressure between 500 and 750 psi, centrifugal water pump, stainless steel water storage tank, high-pressure water hose, high-pressure dead-man type water wash gun and Electrical grounds for the wash gun and washing system and Flexible pipes for water delivery et al) – $150,000
• The cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $750
• The cost of purchase of utility truck – $25,000
• The cost of launching a website – $600
• Miscellaneous – $2,000

From the rough estimate as listed above, you would need a minimum of three hundred and sixty thousand eight hundred and eighty USD (360,880) to establish a medium–scale but standard pressure washing business in any city in the United States of America. Please note that this amount includes the salaries of all the staff for the first three months of operation.

Please note that this is a rough estimate and we usually advise our readers who are interested in opening a pressure washing business to go to the market or directly contact wholesalers and suppliers of the type of cleaning chemicals, machines, and equipment they need to get the real-time prices of these items.

The truth is that, if you are a good bargainer, you can get a better deal that will help you beat down the estimated price as listed above.

Factors That Will Influence The Cost Of Opening a Pressure Washing Business

1. The Choice of Location

One of the major factors that will determine the cost of opening a pressure washing business in the United States of America is your location. As a matter of fact, there are business consultants and realtors who are specialized in helping people choose an ideal location for their business; a location that will guarantee them profitability within the shortest time frame.

So, you will now agree that location can influence the cost of starting a business not just in the United States of America but anywhere in the world.

For example, renting or leasing a facility in a location that is off the city center or major road will be less expensive when compared to renting or leasing a facility in a highbrow area; a location along a major road with high vehicular and human traffic, a location in a metropolitan city with the right demographic composition of people with the purchasing power needed for your business.

2. The Required Licenses and Permits

In the United States of America, you cannot open a pressure washing business without first applying for the mandatory license and permits. You would need an operational license, building license, zonal permits, signage permits, and chemical handlers license amongst others.

As expected, these licenses and permits cost money and it will influence the overall cost of opening a pressure washing business in the United States of America. Please note that you may go through several inspections before you can be issued your licenses and permits.

To get the overall cost of licensing and permits associated with opening a new pressure washing business in the United States, we will advise that you reach out to your city government. You also need to consider state and federal requirements too.

3. The Type of Facility

The type of facility you want to operate your pressure washing business from is also a major factor that will determine the overall cost of opening the business in the United States of America. As regards the facility, you have the options of renting, leasing, or designing and constructing an operational facility from the scratch.

With renting and leasing a facility, you might just have to spend extra to modify the facility to fit into what you have in mind, but there is a limit to how far you can go and it will be dependent on what the landlord of the facility wants. Let us assume that you want to construct your pressure washing facility from the scratch.

It means that you will buy the land or property, bring up your design, construct and equip the facility to fit into what you have in mind. With that, you will agree that you are going to spend way more when compared to people that rent or lease a facility. This indeed will greatly influence the overall cost of opening your pressure washing business.

4. Your Service Offerings

Another key factor that will determine the cost of opening and operating a pressure washing business in the United States of America is the service offerings of the pressure washing business. For example, the cost of opening a pressure washing business that will operate from an operational facility will be far more when compared to the cost of opening a strictly mobile pressure washing business without a physical office.

5. The Size of the Pressure Washing Business

Another very important factor that determines the cost of opening a pressure washing business in the United States of America is the size of the pressure washing business. Of course, the larger the operational facility, the larger the budget to get it up and running especially as it relates to equipping the facility.

For example, less than a handful of employees can man a pressure washing business facility that is in a 25 by 25 facility while it will take about a dozen employees to man a pressure washing business facility that is in a 50 by 50 facility.

6. The Cost of Branding, Promotion, and Marketing 

The cost for branding, promoting, and marketing the pressure washing business is yet another key factor that will determine the overall cost of opening a pressure washing business in the United States of America. Trust me, if you need to win a fair share of the available market in your city, then you must be willing to pay for effective branding, promotion, and marketing.

As a matter of fact, it is not cheap to come by an expert in branding, promotion, and marketing that will help you compete with brands that are already determining the market direction of the pressure washing business cum commercial washing services industry in your city.

So, if you add the cost of paying a branding and marketing expert, it will surely increase the cost of opening your pressure washing business.

8. The Cost for Furnishing and Equipping the Pressure Washing Business

Another factor that will determine the cost of opening a pressure washing business is, of course, the cost of furnishing and equipping the facility. Before you can open a pressure washing business store, you should budget for; high-pressure wand self-service bays, vacuum stations complete with fragrance and carpet shampoo dispensing machines,

Insulator washers with a pump pressure of about 1000 psi and a nozzle pressure between 500 and 750 psi, centrifugal water pump, stainless steel water storage tank, high-pressure water hose, high-pressure dead-man type water wash gun and Electrical grounds for the wash gun and washing system and Flexible pipes for water delivery et al).

All these will cost money and it will influence the overall cost of opening a pressure washing business in the United States of America.

9. The Cost of Insurance

The cost of paying for insurance policy cover is yet another important factor that will determine the overall cost of opening a pressure washing business in the United States of America. Interestingly, in the United States, you can’t operate a business without having some of the basic insurance policy covers that are required by the industry you want to operate from.

Thus, it is imperative to create a budget for insurance policy cover and perhaps consult an insurance broker to guide you in choosing the best and most appropriate insurance policies for your business.

10. The Cost of Registering the Business

The cost of registering the pressure washing business is yet another cost that will influence the overall cost of opening a pressure washing business in the United States of America. Although the cost of registering a business is affordable, it will no doubt add to the overall cost of opening your pressure washing business.

11. Cost of Recruiting and Training Your Staff

The fact that you are opening a new pressure washing business means that you are expected to recruit and train your staff.

The training will help you sell the corporate culture of your organization to your new employees. As expected, it will cost you money to hire trainers that will help you bring your new hires up to speed, and that will add to the overall cost of opening a pressure washing business.

13. The Cost for the Purchase and Customizing of Uniforms

Another factor that will determine the overall cost of opening a pressure washing business in the United States is the cost of purchasing and customizing uniforms. As expected, your workers will all have different uniforms and they are expected to put on these uniforms when they are on duty. All these uniforms will cost you money which is why they must be part of your budget.

In Conclusion,

Please note that there are other factors not listed above that will no doubt influence the overall cost of opening your pressure washing business which is why we will advise that you work with a result-driven business consultant in your city to give you the needed guide and info as it relates to the unique factors in your location.