Local services · idea 03 of 52
Pressure-wash driveways, siding and decks
A machine, water, and a neighbourhood full of surfaces that look ten years newer afterwards. The before-and-after photo sells the next job.
- Who pays you
- Homeowners, landlords and small commercial properties pay you per job, quoted by surface area, usually by card or transfer on completion. Some clients become annual repeats.
- Why this one
- The cheapest real business on the site. One machine, something to carry it, and a street with dirty driveways. The photo of the half-done driveway is the whole marketing plan.
- Outcomes
- 0 receipts. Nobody's reported back on this one yet. Receipts open when accounts launch.
How it works
Concrete, siding, fences, decks and patios accumulate grime that a hose won't shift and most owners won't tackle themselves. A gas pressure washer with a surface cleaner attachment does a driveway in under an hour and the result is dramatic. You quote by area, do the work, take the before-and-after photo, and post it in the neighbourhood group. The next three jobs come from that photo.
Concrete flatwork is the entry point. Soft-washing siding and roofs (low pressure, cleaning chemicals) pays more and needs more knowledge.
What it actually takes
- A commercial-grade gas pressure washer, a surface cleaner, hoses, nozzles and a way to transport it all. Several hundred at minimum; renting for the first few jobs is a legitimate way to start.
- Insurance. Pressure washers strip paint, etch wood, blow out window seals and can injure people. General liability cover is not optional once you're charging.
- Water access at the job, or a tank in the truck.
- A quoting rule of thumb by square metre or foot, and the discipline not to undercut yourself on the first ten jobs.
Where it goes wrong
- Damage. Too much pressure on wood, siding or mortar costs more than the job paid. Learn on your own property first.
- Seasonality. In cold climates this is a spring-to-autumn business; plan cash for the off-season or pair it with holiday lights or gutter cleaning.
- Pricing by the hour. Clients compare your hourly rate to their own; price by the job and the result.
- Chemical runoff. Local rules on where wash water can go are real and enforced in some places.
Published 10 Aug 2026