Pressure washing is one of the best service businesses to start with low investment and high demand. Homeowners, landlords, estate agents, and commercial property managers all need it, and most are happy to pay someone else to do it.
Here's everything you need to go from zero to your first paying customers.
Why Pressure Washing?
- Low startup costs — You can start with under £2,000/$3,000 in equipment
- High demand — Every property needs it eventually (driveways, patios, decking, walls, roofs)
- Recurring revenue — Customers rebook annually or seasonally
- Simple to learn — The core skill takes days, not years, to master
- Scalable — Start solo, add team members as you grow
- Year-round work — Exterior cleaning in spring/summer, commercial work year-round
Step 1: Equipment You Need
Essential Equipment
| Item | Budget Option | Professional Option |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure washer | Electric 2,000 PSI (£300/$400) | Petrol 3,000-4,000 PSI (£800/$1,200) |
| Surface cleaner | 15" attachment (£80/$100) | 20" professional (£200/$300) |
| Hose reel | 50m hose (£60/$80) | 100m hose on reel (£150/$200) |
| Nozzle set | Basic 5-pack (£20/$25) | Professional set with turbo nozzle (£60/$80) |
| Cleaning chemicals | General purpose degreaser (£30/$40) | Sodium hypochlorite + surfactant (£80/$100) |
| Safety gear | Goggles, gloves, boots (£50/$70) | Full PPE set (£120/$150) |
Minimum startup budget: £500-800 / $700-1,000 Recommended startup budget: £1,500-2,500 / $2,000-3,500
Transport
You need a vehicle to carry equipment. A standard car with a trailer works to start, but a van gives you a more professional appearance and easier logistics.
Water Supply
Some jobs have accessible outdoor taps. For others, you'll need:
- A water tank (100-500 litres) in your van/trailer
- A water butt or IBC to fill from the customer's tap
- Some commercial sites provide water access
Step 2: Legal Requirements
UK
- Insurance — Public liability insurance (minimum £1 million, £5 million recommended): ~£200-400/year
- Waste carrier licence — If you're removing waste water with contaminants: £154 for 3 years
- Registration — Register as a sole trader with HMRC (free) or form a limited company
- DBS check — Not required but helpful if working at schools or care homes
US
- Business licence — Requirements vary by state and city. Check your local regulations
- Insurance — General liability ($500,000-$1 million): ~$400-800/year
- EPA compliance — Know your state's rules about wastewater discharge
- Business registration — Register your business name with your state
Both
- Vehicle insurance — Must cover business use, not just social/commuting
- Chemical handling — Understand COSHH (UK) or SDS (US) requirements for cleaning chemicals
Step 3: Set Your Prices
Residential Pricing
| Job | UK Price Range | US Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway (up to 40m²/430ft²) | £80-150 | $100-200 |
| Patio (up to 20m²/215ft²) | £60-100 | $80-150 |
| Full exterior (driveway + patio + paths) | £150-300 | $200-400 |
| Decking (per m²/ft²) | £3-5/m² | $1-3/ft² |
| Roof cleaning | £300-600 | $400-800 |
| Gutter cleaning (add-on) | £50-100 | $75-150 |
Commercial Pricing
Commercial work is typically priced per square metre/foot or per hour:
- Per square metre: £1-4/m² (depending on surface and difficulty)
- Per square foot: $0.10-0.50/ft²
- Per hour: £40-60/hour (UK) or $50-100/hour (US)
How to Quote
Visit the site, assess the area, and provide a written quote. Use quoting software to send professional, branded quotes from your phone immediately after the assessment.
Pro tip: Take a photo of the dirty surface and include it in the quote. It reminds the customer why they called you and makes the price feel justified.
Use our free quote calculator to estimate jobs before your site visit.
Step 4: Find Your First Customers
Week 1-2: Your Immediate Network
- Tell everyone you know: family, friends, neighbours
- Offer a launch discount (20% off) for your first 10 customers
- Ask each customer for a Google review after the job
- Take before-and-after photos of every job
Week 3-4: Local Marketing
- Google Business Profile — Set up and verify your listing. This is how people searching "pressure washing near me" find you
- Facebook — Post before-and-after photos in local community groups
- Nextdoor — Create a business profile and engage with local posts
- Leaflet drops — Target streets with dirty driveways (you can literally see your prospects)
Month 2+: Scaling Up
- Google Ads — Target "your area pressure washing" and "driveway cleaning your area"
- Facebook Ads — Before-and-after photos make brilliant ads. Target homeowners within 15 miles
- Partnerships — Connect with estate agents, property managers, and landlords for recurring commercial work
- Your own website — Even a simple one-page site with your booking link, services, and reviews
Capture Every Lead
Set up custom forms on your website so customers can request quotes online. Each submission flows into your CRM automatically, so no lead gets forgotten.
Step 5: Run Your Business Efficiently
The Admin Trap
Most pressure washing businesses start strong but get bogged down by admin. You're out cleaning all day, then spending your evenings doing quotes, invoices, and chasing payments.
Here's how to avoid that:
Quote on-site
Use your phone to create and send quotes immediately after assessing a job. With AI quoting, you describe the job and the software suggests line items and pricing. Send it before you leave the customer's property.
Collect Deposits
Take 25-50% upfront when the customer accepts the quote. This guarantees income and reduces no-shows. Set this up through online booking so customers pay when they schedule.
Invoice Immediately
The moment you finish a job, convert the quote to an invoice and send it. Offer card payments so the customer can pay on the spot. Don't wait until you "get home to do the paperwork."
Automate Follow-Ups
Set up automated workflows to:
- Send a thank-you message after each job
- Request a Google review 2 days later
- Send a rebooking reminder 6 months later (driveways need cleaning annually)
- Chase overdue invoices automatically
Step 6: Grow
Recurring Revenue
The real money in pressure washing is recurring contracts:
- Residential: Annual or bi-annual driveway and patio cleaning
- Commercial: Monthly car park cleaning, weekly forecourt washing
- Property management: Quarterly communal area cleaning across multiple properties
After completing a job, ask: "Would you like me to schedule this annually? I can set up a reminder so your driveway stays clean year-round."
Add Services
Once you're established, add related services:
- Gutter cleaning
- Soffit and fascia cleaning
- Roof cleaning
- Window cleaning
- Patio sealing/re-sanding
- Fence painting (after cleaning)
Each add-on increases your average job value without significantly increasing your time on-site.
Hire Help
When you're consistently booked 2+ weeks out, it's time to consider hiring. Start with a part-time helper for larger jobs, then move to a full-time team member when demand justifies it.
Use team management to assign jobs, track progress, and manage multiple schedules.
Monthly Costs to Budget For
| Expense | Monthly Estimate (UK) | Monthly Estimate (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/vehicle | £200-400 | $300-600 |
| Chemicals | £50-100 | $75-150 |
| Insurance | £20-35 | $35-70 |
| Equipment maintenance | £30-50 | $50-80 |
| Marketing | £50-200 | $100-300 |
| Software | £20-50 | $20-50 |
| Phone/internet | £30-50 | $50-80 |
| Total | £400-885 | $630-1,330 |
Break-Even
At an average job price of £120/$160, you need 4-8 jobs per month to cover costs. Everything after that is profit. Most full-time pressure washers complete 15-25 jobs per month.
Get Started Today
You don't need everything to be perfect before you start. Get your equipment, your insurance, and your first few customers. The rest you figure out as you go.
Cadobook helps you manage the business side from day one: quotes, invoices, booking, customer management, and automated follow-ups. All from your phone, all in one app.