Choosing a Pressure Washing Contractor

Not All Pressure Washing Companies Are The Same

This same cliche expression has been said regarding just about every industry under the sun, but it needs saying again. Especially in the case of pressure washing contractors, because they’re “not all the same”. Some specialize in commercial work, some in residential, some do both. Many run of the mill companies are started by people with little experience, training, or industry knowledge. Some companies are merely the average “handyman” with a homeowner grade machine from the local home store.

Unfortunately, anyone can buy a pressure washer and start up a business calling themselves a (ahem) “pressure washing company“. Most of these start ups fail within the first year or two due to pricing that is unrealistic, and/or the inability to provide the kind of service customers really need. Many are using the wrong kinds of cleaners and methods that cause damage, often unseen, to the properties they are cleaning. The only benefit to the customer is that they get a cheap price, and they have a shot in the dark at getting what they wanted clean.

What Constitutes A Professional Company

pressure washing company

A professional company you can count on for guaranteed premium results and unmatched service.

As stated above, just about anyone can buy a machine, form a business or DBA (doing business as) and become a “pressure washing company”. That doesn’t mean that everyone should! In Florida, pressure washing companies are a dime a dozen. There are literally hundreds to choose from, with more popping up every day. In my own neighborhood, two neighbors have put shoddy homeowner grade equipment on a trailer, and tried to start a business in just the last year.

Many people think that experience isn’t needed just to blast stuff with water, and if you’re not careful, that’s exactly what you’ll get. When it comes to pressure washing companies in the Jacksonville, Florida area, there are no licensing requirements. All one needs is a legal business registered with the state, proof of paid local business tax, and insurance. Unfortunately, many of the $99 house wash $75 driveway start up guys don’t even have this. To top it off, most of them don’t have any real experience cleaning, but hey, they’re cheap and they can spray water!

A professional pressure washing contractor is going to have all of these things. In the case of Ultrasoft Pressure Washing LLC, we are a properly documented Limited Liability Company, we pay our local business tax, and we have great insurance. Not only do we have a $1 MILLION (per occurrence) general liability insurance policy, we also have exactly the right kind of coverage needed.

Our policy has blanket coverage for our customers, as well as having a very important “care and custody” clause. This clause ensures that not only is our company properly covered, but the actual property that we’re working on is covered as well. Most general liability policies don’t have this coverage, so be careful who you deal with. If something goes wrong, often the thing that the contractor is actually working on (your home or commercial building) is not covered by the policy! This means that if something does happen to your property, you could be left out in the cold. The last thing you want is to struggle to squeeze blood from a turnip, trying to repair your damaged home chasing a fly by night “contractor” for the money.

Professional Industry Knowledge

power washing professional equipment

Having the right equipment ensures a good professional cleaning, with consistent results customers can rely on.

On top of having all of the right things to legally operate a business, you want to make sure whoever you hire has the equipment and expertise to quickly and efficiently clean your property. You should expect that they can get the right kind of results, and a knowledgeable pressure washing contractor should be able to explain their processes as well as what to expect for an end result.

Not every kind of stain can be removed, and not every kind of surface can be cleaned. Many tough stains can be removed with the proper detergents and specialty cleaners. For instance, Ultrasoft Pressure Washing LLC offers premium rust removal services using a high quality, specially designed, contractor grade product. Many rust stains can be removed using cheaper products, but they are often dangerous to use, and can cause unwanted damage when used improperly.

One of the things that sets our company apart from others is the fact that we are networked with hundreds of other industry leading professionals, suppliers, manufacturers, and companies. We are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the latest cleaners, detergents, processes, and knowledge as our industry evolves.

Safe, Effective Processes

Hiring a professional power washing contractor means you should be able to expect safe, effective cleaning, with guaranteed results. Anyone calling themselves a professional should be using low pressure washing methods almost exclusively. Only a few types of cleaning require high pressure anymore. Knowing when to judiciously use pressure to clean surfaces, as well as what surfaces can tolerate it, and which ones can’t comes with time and experience.

Long gone are the days of high pressure blasting away at dirt and grime. With our advanced methods, cutting edge cleaners, knowledge of surfaces and their proper maintenance, we are able to offer low pressure cleaning on almost anything. In some cases pressure is necessary to achieve the best results, but on exterior surfaces of most homes, high pressure is the last thing you want.

High pressure cleaning forces water into places it should never be like attic insulation, under siding, etc. It can blow out window seals, tear screens, damage paint, blow chunks of stucco right off of your walls, and more. With a company like Ultrasoft Pressure Washing LLC, our processes are refined from years of experience, training, and education.jacksonville pressure washing

Cleaning two story houses from the ground, using low pressure and advanced cleaners.

A professional contractor will use contractor grade detergents and cleaners designed specifically for the task. They won’t be using dish soap and cleaners from the dollar store that are meant for your kitchen or bathroom. A big part of professional cleaning is using the right product for the job. The right cleaners will allow the use of lower pressure, and do a better job of leaving your home looking nice. The wrong cleaners can dull paint, etch glass, and cause other issues you don’t want.

We’ve already been there with the high pressure blasting. We know the wrong way to do things, because we did them years ago when that’s just the way things were done. We don’t need to practice on your home or business, and leave you hoping you’ll get it done right without damaging things in the process.

Honesty, Integrity, Guaranteed Pricing

How many other companies can say they know the right way, because they’ve had experience doing things wrong? There are many so-called contractors who are simply going about things the wrong way still today. Most of them are simply just uneducated and uninformed, even if they are experienced.

Recently someone unrelated to the industry boasted to me about “paying attention to every detail” so that they “never get anything wrong”, and how I would do the same if I wanted to be the best contractor. I thought long and hard about that statement, then I realized something.

This isn’t a perfect world, and nobody is perfect regardless how hard they try. As a contractor, I strive to pay close attention to even the most minor things. Often times I find myself spending extra time cleaning small details that most people probably wouldn’t notice, just so I never have a customer come behind me and say, “why did they miss ______”, whatever it may be.

When I sat and thought about it, I realized it is not the “perfect” person who thinks they can do no wrong that anyone should hire. Personally, I wouldn’t hire that type of person either. Their ego may cloud their judgement on what they’re really producing. Instead, what one should look for in a contractor is someone who knows that mistakes and errors can happen, and has the integrity to be there to correct it when it does.

As a consummate professional, I don’t need someone to hold my feet to the fire to get things right.  I treat every customer’s home or business as if it were my own, and I have a vested personal stake in the outcome of every job. I charge fair prices that are enough to ensure I have the time to provide my customers the best service they can get. This guarantees that we don’t cut corners and rush through jobs.

Think about it for yourself. Do you want the person who imagines everything will be perfect (in their mind) or the contractor who you can count on to do whatever it takes to make things right? Most reasonable people will always choose the latter, and choosing that doesn’t mean getting the lowest price.

Knowing Which Contractor is The Right One

  • Properly trained, uniformed staff.
  • Professional grade equipment and cleaners, as well as the knowledge to use them properly.
  • Understand your needs, and be quick to respond to your requests.
  • Proper licensing and insurance that actually protects your assets.
  • The ability to deliver on their promises, as well as knowing the limits of cleaning technology.
  • Readily available customer references.
  • Honesty, integrity and the resources to guarantee and stand behind their work.

When dealing with a pressure cleaning service business like Ultrasoft Pressure Washing LLC, you can rest assured you will get all of this and more. So don’t wait, head over to our contact form and get a free estimate for your job today!

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