How to Start a Pressure Washing Side Hustle in 7 Steps

Before you begin, you’ll need to get the following equipment:

• Pressure washer: Of course, you need a reliable pressure washer for your side hustle. This can be a gas pressure washer or an electric one. You’ll also need something with enough power, pressure, and durability for the types of jobs you plan to undertake, so research your options carefully before you buy.
• Pressure washer accessories: As well as getting the correct machine, you need to get different hoses, nozzles, and pumps for various cleaning tasks.
• Protective gear: It’s important to wear the right safety equipment for pressure washing. You should use glasses, gloves, and boots that provide maximum coverage and protect you from hazards like slippery surfaces or sharp objects.
• Cleaning products and solutions: Your cleaning supplies will have to include quality cleaning agents that are safe for the surfaces you’ll be working on.
• Vehicle for transporting your equipment: It’s best if you already have a truck or van, but if you don’t, you can lease or buy one. You can always start with something basic and then invest in a better vehicle once your side hustle grows. You might also eventually want to print your name and phone number on your vehicle to market yourself.

Where to buy your equipment

Good places to look for equipment include sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, which often have used devices for very reasonable prices. You can also ask around to see if any of your friends or family members have supplies you can use.

You can find used and new pressure washers online for under $200, although it may be best to pay a bit more for a better-quality machine. It’s worth noting that gas pressure washers tend to cost more than electric pressure washers.

Make sure you read reviews, compare different models, and check the warranty and customer support options on the machines you’re considering.

Pressure washers vs. power washers: what’s the difference?

When you’re picking your equipment, be aware that pressure washers and power washers are different machines, despite their very similar names.

Pressure washers use cold water and clean with pressure alone, whereas power washers use hot water, making them better suited to heavy-duty cleaning tasks like removing grease. By contrast, pressure washing is better suited to cleaning delicate or heat-sensitive surfaces.

When you decide whether to start a pressure washing or power washing side hustle, consider the financial costs and benefits. Power washers tend to cost more money, but when you use one, you can also charge more for your services.

In some places, you may need to get a business license, buy insurance, or tick other boxes to offer pressure washing services.

You can find out which requirements apply from the government agency that deals with business licensing in your state (e.g., the Secretary of State’s office or the State Department of Commerce or Economic Development).

If you’re not sure which government agency to consult, conduct an online search using keywords such as “business licensing [your state]” or “business registration [your state].” This should tell you which official government websites will have the information you need.

Alternatively, try contacting your nearest Small Business Development Center and asking them for guidance.

Environmental permits

Pressure washing uses a lot of water, much of which you’ll be adding strong chemicals (cleaning agents) to. Because of this, you may need an environmental permit for your business.

Here again, your nearest Small Business Development Center should also be able to tell you which government agency deals with environmental permits in your area (e.g., the Department of Environmental Protection or the Water Quality Control Board).

Alternatively, you can visit your state’s or local government’s official website and look for sections related to environmental regulations, permits, or water management. These websites often include information about the agencies that are responsible for overseeing environmental permits.

When you offer pressure washing services, you’re effectively starting your own business. At this point, you have a few different options for the type of business entity you form.

Here are your main options:

• Sole proprietorship: This means that you operate the business independently under your own name, and there’s no legal distinction between you and your business. You do not need to file any registration paperwork for this.
• Partnership: You operate the business along with a business partner, and the two of you share ownership and responsibilities. You also don’t need to file any registration paperwork for this type of business.
• Limited liability company (LLC): Your business is its own separate legal entity, which protects you in the event that e.g., someone sues your business (only your business’s assets will be on the line, not your own). To create an LLC, you need to register your business with your state.

Starting out with a sole proprietorship is the easiest option, since you won’t need to fill out any registration paperwork.

However, even though establishing a corporation or LLC requires you to pay higher fees and fill out more paperwork, the added safety usually makes it worth it. This is especially true with a side hustle like pressure washing where someone could plausibly claim you damaged their property in the course of your work.

If you have little or no experience using a pressure washer, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with how to operate one and use it for various types of cleaning tasks.

Fortunately, you can easily learn how to pressure wash by watching YouTube videos. Check out dedicated channels on the subject like MIKEV – All About Pressure Washing.

To practice your skills, start by washing your own property, or offer to do it for your friends or neighbors for free. You never know—you could also end up securing future customers this way.

When you’re running your own business, you have complete control over how much you’re getting paid. You can charge by the hour, project, or square foot area that you’re pressure washing.

Pressure washing rates vary widely by location, type of client, and services provided. Some online sources peg typical rates in the range of $10–$25 per hour, with $18 being a common average.

Other sources give higher figures, and claim that pressure and power washers make an average of $60–$75 per hour in the US, with typical rates starting at $40 per hour.

You might need to experiment to see what your customers will be willing to pay. It’s also a good idea to do some competitor research—if you can, find out what other pressure washers in the area are charging.

If you want your pressure washing side hustle to grow, it’s important to market it. There are many ways to do this, including:

• Word of mouth: Tell your family and friends that you’re starting up a new pressure washing business. You can also offer your existing customers an incentive (e.g., discounts or freebies) to refer new people to you.
• Social media: Set up accounts for your pressure washing business on Facebook, Instagram, or even YouTube to attract attention and show off your services.
• Local advertising: You can use various methods to advertise your pressure washing business in your local area: flyers, brochures, or ads in local newspapers, to name a few.
• Online directories: You can also list your business in directories such as Yelp or Google Business Profile.

It’s also important to set up a website for your pressure washing business. This is easy and cheap (or even free) if you use a service like Wix or WordPress.

What types of customers should you look for?

Some of your customers might be the owners of residential or commercial properties. Homeowners also often hire pressure washers to clean their patios, driveways, and other outdoor areas.

Businesses (such as stores and restaurants) sometimes also hire pressure washers to keep their premises looking clean and well-maintained. They might want help removing graffiti, gum, oil stains, or other stubborn dirt from their buildings, sidewalks, parking lots, or outdoor structures.

As your business grows, you might find yourself gravitating towards a particular type of customer. However, in the beginning, it makes sense to work for anyone who’s interested.

Greater demand means greater profit, but also more work. As your pressure washing side hustle grows, you’ll have to spend more time on tasks like managing your client list, scheduling appointments, dealing with customer inquiries, invoicing, and maintaining or expanding your tool kit.

Accounting software can be a good investment. Consider investing in QuickBooks to help you manage tasks like bookkeeping, invoicing, and expense tracking.

If your pressure washing business turns into a full-time career, you might even want to hire people to help you. At that point, you’ll need to consider whether you want to hire employees or subcontractors—each of these options has its own pros and cons.

Pressure washing pays a lot and is relatively easy to do, but it also has drawbacks, which we’ll cover below.

Pros of a pressure washing side hustle

• Flexible working hours: Since you’ll be running your own business, you can accept pressure washing jobs that suit your schedule and fit neatly around your other commitments.
• High income potential: As mentioned, the hourly rates for pressure washing can be surprisingly high.
• Minimal training required: Anyone who’s in relatively good shape can get into pressure washing; it’s a simple skill that you can probably teach yourself.
• Working outdoors: If you prefer being outside to working in an office, then you’ll enjoy a side hustle like pressure washing that allows you to work outdoors and maybe soak up a bit of sun.

Cons of a pressure washing side hustle

• Manual labor: Pressure washing can be a physically demanding job. This actually might be an upside if you’re usually very sedentary and you’d appreciate some extra exercise, but it’s not for everyone. You should be able and willing to spend time and energy trundling around with heavy equipment.
• Seasonality: Depending on where you live, pressure washing might be more popular in the summer than in the winter, so you’ll need to plan for ups and downs in demand by diversifying your services or budgeting for slower periods. That said, the seasonality of pressure washing could be ideal if you’re a college student or teacher.
• Typically a one-off gig: In general, people don’t need pressure washing services more than once every few months. This means you’ll need to continually look for new clients to keep your pressure washing side hustle running.
• Liability: Pressure washing always comes with a risk of property damage, especially if you’re cleaning windows or other delicate surfaces. For this reason, it’s a good idea to get insurance to protect yourself in case you cause any accidental damage.

How much does it cost to start a pressure washing business?

On paper, pressure washing is very lucrative. However, as with many high-paying jobs, it comes with additional expenses that will eat into your profits.

When planning your budget or assessing your earning potential, take the following expenses into account:

• Buying, replacing and maintaining equipment
• Gas for your vehicle
• Other vehicle expenses
• Stocking cleaning solutions and chemicals
• Gas for your pressure washer (if it’s a gas washer, as opposed to electric)
• Insurance (in case you damage a client’s property)
• Any business permits and licenses required in your jurisdiction
• Marketing, advertising, and other business-related expenses

When starting a business, you often have to spend money to make money. This is particularly true when it comes to side gigs like pressure washing that require a lot of equipment that most people don’t keep on hand.

Alternatives to starting a pressure washing business

If pressure washing doesn’t seem like the right side hustle for you, consider some of these similar alternatives:

• Car washing: This classic side hustle involves washing, drying, and sometimes waxing or polishing a vehicle’s surfaces.
• Mobile detailing: With this, you’ll clean the interior of vehicles. Although this job is similar to washing cars, it requires more skill and takes a lot longer (which also means you can charge more).
• House cleaning: Perform a variety of household cleaning tasks, such as vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, bathroom and kitchen cleaning, and dusting.
• Window cleaning: With this subset of house cleaning, you’ll clean window panes, frames, and sills. As a window cleaner, you may also clean window screens, remove troublesome water stains, or clean window tracks.
• Yard work: This consists of performing any type of work to maintain or improve an outdoor space like a yard or garden. This might include tasks like mowing lawns, looking after plants, or pulling up weeds.

One thing all these jobs have in common is that they involve working with your hands. There’s never a shortage of demand for manual labor, so if that’s something you want to do, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take on these types of jobs to make a little extra cash.