I've actually been giving this thought the last few years but have yet to lower myself to that,..lower meaning bring my own standards down from what I've always strived for.
Pros- Probably get more work,..because along with the people who want premium,..there could be customers added that fall into a lower spending category,..and there are more of them I would think.
Wouldn't need to use the whole shootin' match on a basic house wash,..just DS a good mix and kill the mold and remove bug crap, etc...No need for ladders, Magic Erasers, gutter whitening and no brushing.
DS'ing at 10GPM and the remote unit I've been using I could absolutely FLY. I know because, what I do now is soap up one side,..and then detail things out,. which is what takes time,...I could be in and out of a property including rollout and rollup very quickly. Not sure how that "looks" though,..Ha, Ha...
Would be easier on me physically, and would allow for jobs to be done in a weeks time.
Cons- Obviously, my personal taste for this isn't there at this point. Can't seem to get my thoughts on walking away from striped gutters. I feel like I have to push window screens up and use Magic Erasers to clean the window seal or trough. Because of this I would possibly be doing these cheaper house washed and still end up doing my normal thing? It would take some getting used to for sure.
Any potential customers might see the work and see striped gutters and such and think that's as good as it gets, not knowing the package that was agreed on. Potential loss of new customers? But may be overridden by the new ones I pick up?
Writing it down and reading it put's it into better perspective,. But still not sure what I will do. Play it by ear maybe??
Jeff
Art O said
Mar 4, 2022
I don't do gutter whitening myself, But I have noticed when I come back to a job in 2 years the gutters look good. no strips. I do have my own way of doing gutters and it seems to work out fine for me
Jeff Wible said
Mar 4, 2022
Yea Art, gutter whitening is just part of my normally detailed house wash. Also using a Magic Eraser to remove kick marks from doors, scuff marks on plastic hand rails and porch railing, acid washing where needed, cleaning any concrete adjacent to the house,.(sidewalks, steps, small patios) I sometimes don;t know where to stop,.Ha, Ha,..
Jeff
BlueRidge said
Mar 5, 2022
It sounds like you have packages Jeff. We have a different approach that sounds like what you are considering.
When we get a call, we have a call sheet we use with all the different items that could be cleaned. Everything is a line item. A house wash is only a house wash. From there they can add, gutter brightening, decks, sidewalks and so on. Everyone seems to like the line item approach where they see what each service costs and can call to add or remove anything. We send a document with every estimate called What To Expect. When I started, it was one page. It has now grown to seven! Hell, the crap people whine about and think is included can be shocking! This document clears that up.
I don't think it would be lowering your standards if you only did a house wash and took off to the next. Since I have no clue what your package price is, you might not be able to get those who just want the siding clean and are happy with what the gutters look like with just the house wash. There ARE a ton of them.
Jeff Wible said
Mar 5, 2022
Hey Brett,..thanks for the e-mail. Also,..Yea,.I really don't have any packages at this point. Basically my only package is from the roof edge to the ground,.. excluding pressure treated/stained decks......I'll take into consideration the line item approach. As it is,.. I just wholesale everything for a set price. And sidewalks, small patios and steps are just done by default. I just can't walk away with them being an eyesore.
What I'm considering though would be more along the lines of package options,..and the line item thing may be beneficial. So much of the way I've always done business is just handshake verbal agreement,..but If I would start itemizing,..I may have to have something showing the customer and I are on the same page as per the work that is to be done. Never had an issue to this point, simply because I just do everything, Ha, Ha
Jeff
Jeff
DirtyRoofcom said
Mar 6, 2022
I itemize as well. I let the customer choose what they want to do and how far they want to go. If they do a few services at the same time I will generally give some sort of a discount.
When it comes to gutter brightening it's Def an add on service and find that most customers are satisfied with how they look after a regular housewash. Only a few want to go the next step.
BlueRidge said
Mar 7, 2022
DirtyRoofcom wrote:
I itemize as well. I let the customer choose what they want to do and how far they want to go. If they do a few services at the same time I will generally give some sort of a discount.
When it comes to gutter brightening it's Def an add on service and find that most customers are satisfied with how they look after a regular housewash. Only a few want to go the next step.
I totally agree! Our discounts are 10 - 15 - & 20%. I always explain (when asked) our pricing is getting there and set up, since we are making one trip we discount the job accordingly. Most love it and we still do very well!
Western Mass Prowash said
Apr 11, 2022
I’m the same as you Jeff. I do the same thing with gutters and magic erasers. I include front steps, but walkways and patios are extra. The gutter brightening takes some energy and time. I see guys just flying through their house washes without, but I just can’t do it.
BlueRidge said
Apr 11, 2022
Western Mass Prowash wrote:
I’m the same as you Jeff. I do the same thing with gutters and magic erasers. I include front steps, but walkways and patios are extra. The gutter brightening takes some energy and time. I see guys just flying through their house washes without, but I just can’t do it.
We have so many who don't want to pay the extra for gutter brightening. Many clean up nicely with a house wash. To make gutter brightening easier I ordered swivel adapters for our Reach it pole, and bought some 14" brushes from Russ so we can do three story gutters from the ground. We still charge good for this due to the cost of the equipment and of course, the MacGyver work.
I agree to a point on the gutters Brett,..I too have done gutters that would be very acceptable with just the house mix,..SH and soap. Glad I don't run into three story gutters,..Ha, Ha,...
*I'm starting to see,.. and recommend black gutters,..they go with most everything and look better in the long run.
Jeff
Western Mass Prowash said
Apr 12, 2022
My worries of these black gutters and windows that are being installed on newer homes are how they are going to hold up to the sun exposure and SH. I’ve seen recently that some guys have had issues with paint failure on black gutters with roof cleanings. Just like everything, the price of products have gone up, but are lower quality.
DirtyRoofcom said
Apr 12, 2022
Western Mass Prowash wrote:
My worries of these black gutters and windows that are being installed on newer homes are how they are going to hold up to the sun exposure and SH. I’ve seen recently that some guys have had issues with paint failure on black gutters with roof cleanings. Just like everything, the price of products have gone up, but are lower quality.
Ive been thinking about this a lot lately. The colors that are currently in style (white w black trim, dark navy and charcoal siding) plus the way they are building these new homes in shear size and design makes me think how much more complicated cleaning them will be in the future.
Here's a pic of a home I passed the other day. I stopped for a few minutes and just pondered cleaning something like this. Zoom in, home is much larger then it appears. 4 doggie dormers down each of the sides
I think that black gutters and trim is less of an issue than dark colored siding? I hate Blue, greens, reds and browns,...especially in lower quality siding. The oxidation on these darker colors of vinyl siding looks awful once it starts to oxidize. Yellow shades and white are preferable to me by far.
*I think the "beauty" of black gutters is the aesthetic appeal it will give simply due to not showing the ugly black streaks and mold the way white gutters do after only a couple of years. I think they will last long enough to be worth the tradeoff of Sun exposure.
**Plus, I prefer them on a wash, simply because I don't have to work that hard to get them to look nice. They still get moldy and streaky, but to the eye it doesn't show like it does on white. Camouflage at its best.
Jeff
BlueRidge said
Apr 13, 2022
DirtyRoofcom wrote:
Western Mass Prowash wrote:
My worries of these black gutters and windows that are being installed on newer homes are how they are going to hold up to the sun exposure and SH. I’ve seen recently that some guys have had issues with paint failure on black gutters with roof cleanings. Just like everything, the price of products have gone up, but are lower quality.
Ive been thinking about this a lot lately. The colors that are currently in style (white w black trim, dark navy and charcoal siding) plus the way they are building these new homes in shear size and design makes me think how much more complicated cleaning them will be in the future.
Here's a pic of a home I passed the other day. I stopped for a few minutes and just pondered cleaning something like this. Zoom in, home is much larger then it appears. 4 doggie dormers down each of the sides
A ton of ladder work to get that house clean. Definitely a unique home.
Western Mass Prowash said
Apr 13, 2022
You’re right. The dark colors suck and the quality is worse. Cheap products everywhere. There are definitely different levels of siding and not many people are aware of it. There are also a lot of guys out there (YouTube stars included) that are nuking these houses with SH causing flash oxidation. I see it all the time. These guys want the organics to instantly disappear not realizing they are causing damage to the siding and burning plants. I have people ask me when I talk to them for estimates if I’m going to burn their bushes because it happened from the last company. I too like the dark color gutters. No scrubbing
Western Mass Prowash said
Apr 13, 2022
Big house. Like Brett said there will be some ladder work with that bad boy.
Jeff Wible said
Apr 14, 2022
Regarding that huge house. I often see the same thing I'm seeing here,..(Not the size),...But the gutters on dormers and such? Why not just put big commercial gutters on the main roof and let the "top" parts just rain down into the main? Imagine the nightmare of cleaning those gutters,..or even servicing them in any way. I don't clean gutters,..and even if I did I would turn that job down.
Jeff
DirtyRoofcom said
Apr 14, 2022
Western Mass Prowash wrote:
Big house. Like Brett said there will be some ladder work with that bad boy.
32ft ladder is the biggest I'll use. Gonna need a lift for that house.
Jeff, I agree. Imaging having a clogged gutter all the way up top!!
Big house. Like Brett said there will be some ladder work with that bad boy.
32ft ladder is the biggest I'll use. Gonna need a lift for that house.
Jeff, I agree. Imaging having a clogged gutter all the way up top!!
Houses like this is the main reason we stopped cleaning gutters. Our tallest ladder is 36' and some of the places where they put gutters is impossible.
I've actually been giving this thought the last few years but have yet to lower myself to that,..lower meaning bring my own standards down from what I've always strived for.
Pros- Probably get more work,..because along with the people who want premium,..there could be customers added that fall into a lower spending category,..and there are more of them I would think.
Wouldn't need to use the whole shootin' match on a basic house wash,..just DS a good mix and kill the mold and remove bug crap, etc...No need for ladders, Magic Erasers, gutter whitening and no brushing.
DS'ing at 10GPM and the remote unit I've been using I could absolutely FLY. I know because, what I do now is soap up one side,..and then detail things out,. which is what takes time,...I could be in and out of a property including rollout and rollup very quickly. Not sure how that "looks" though,..Ha, Ha...
Would be easier on me physically, and would allow for jobs to be done in a weeks time.
Cons- Obviously, my personal taste for this isn't there at this point. Can't seem to get my thoughts on walking away from striped gutters. I feel like I have to push window screens up and use Magic Erasers to clean the window seal or trough. Because of this I would possibly be doing these cheaper house washed and still end up doing my normal thing? It would take some getting used to for sure.
Any potential customers might see the work and see striped gutters and such and think that's as good as it gets, not knowing the package that was agreed on. Potential loss of new customers? But may be overridden by the new ones I pick up?
Writing it down and reading it put's it into better perspective,. But still not sure what I will do. Play it by ear maybe??
Jeff
Jeff
It sounds like you have packages Jeff. We have a different approach that sounds like what you are considering.
When we get a call, we have a call sheet we use with all the different items that could be cleaned. Everything is a line item. A house wash is only a house wash. From there they can add, gutter brightening, decks, sidewalks and so on. Everyone seems to like the line item approach where they see what each service costs and can call to add or remove anything. We send a document with every estimate called What To Expect. When I started, it was one page. It has now grown to seven! Hell, the crap people whine about and think is included can be shocking! This document clears that up.
I don't think it would be lowering your standards if you only did a house wash and took off to the next. Since I have no clue what your package price is, you might not be able to get those who just want the siding clean and are happy with what the gutters look like with just the house wash. There ARE a ton of them.
What I'm considering though would be more along the lines of package options,..and the line item thing may be beneficial. So much of the way I've always done business is just handshake verbal agreement,..but If I would start itemizing,..I may have to have something showing the customer and I are on the same page as per the work that is to be done. Never had an issue to this point, simply because I just do everything, Ha, Ha
Jeff
Jeff
When it comes to gutter brightening it's Def an add on service and find that most customers are satisfied with how they look after a regular housewash. Only a few want to go the next step.
I totally agree! Our discounts are 10 - 15 - & 20%. I always explain (when asked) our pricing is getting there and set up, since we are making one trip we discount the job accordingly. Most love it and we still do very well!
We have so many who don't want to pay the extra for gutter brightening. Many clean up nicely with a house wash. To make gutter brightening easier I ordered swivel adapters for our Reach it pole, and bought some 14" brushes from Russ so we can do three story gutters from the ground. We still charge good for this due to the cost of the equipment and of course, the MacGyver work.
Swivel Adaptor
Pole
Brush
Thanks Brett
*I'm starting to see,.. and recommend black gutters,..they go with most everything and look better in the long run.
Jeff
My worries of these black gutters and windows that are being installed on newer homes are how they are going to hold up to the sun exposure and SH. I’ve seen recently that some guys have had issues with paint failure on black gutters with roof cleanings. Just like everything, the price of products have gone up, but are lower quality.
Ive been thinking about this a lot lately. The colors that are currently in style (white w black trim, dark navy and charcoal siding) plus the way they are building these new homes in shear size and design makes me think how much more complicated cleaning them will be in the future.
Here's a pic of a home I passed the other day. I stopped for a few minutes and just pondered cleaning something like this. Zoom in, home is much larger then it appears. 4 doggie dormers down each of the sides
*I think the "beauty" of black gutters is the aesthetic appeal it will give simply due to not showing the ugly black streaks and mold the way white gutters do after only a couple of years. I think they will last long enough to be worth the tradeoff of Sun exposure.
**Plus, I prefer them on a wash, simply because I don't have to work that hard to get them to look nice. They still get moldy and streaky, but to the eye it doesn't show like it does on white. Camouflage at its best.
Jeff
A ton of ladder work to get that house clean. Definitely a unique home.
You’re right. The dark colors suck and the quality is worse. Cheap products everywhere. There are definitely different levels of siding and not many people are aware of it. There are also a lot of guys out there (YouTube stars included) that are nuking these houses with SH causing flash oxidation. I see it all the time. These guys want the organics to instantly disappear not realizing they are causing damage to the siding and burning plants. I have people ask me when I talk to them for estimates if I’m going to burn their bushes because it happened from the last company. I too like the dark color gutters. No scrubbing
Big house. Like Brett said there will be some ladder work with that bad boy.
Jeff
32ft ladder is the biggest I'll use. Gonna need a lift for that house.
Jeff, I agree. Imaging having a clogged gutter all the way up top!!
Houses like this is the main reason we stopped cleaning gutters. Our tallest ladder is 36' and some of the places where they put gutters is impossible.