How to Start a Pressure Washing Business in Australia
Pressure washing has low startup costs and satisfying, photographable results - which makes it one of the easiest businesses to market.
Pressure washing has a marketing advantage most trades would kill for: the before and after is dramatic and obvious. A filthy driveway turned bright in an afternoon is the best advertisement you'll ever have - which is why the businesses that do well are the ones that photograph everything and get found locally.
Equipment that earns
A domestic machine from the hardware store will frustrate you and take three times as long. The working setup:
- Commercial pressure washer (petrol, decent PSI and flow rate)
- Surface cleaner attachment - the spinning disc that cleans driveways evenly and fast
- Hoses, wand, tips and a water tank if you're not always near a tap
- Ute or trailer to carry it all
The surface cleaner is the difference between a professional result and zebra stripes. Budget for it from day one.
Know what you're cleaning
Driveways and paths are the bread and butter. House washing (soft washing), roofs, decks, fences, pool areas and commercial forecourts are the upsells. Each surface has its own technique and chemical approach - learn soft washing before you touch a painted house or a roof, because high pressure in the wrong hands does expensive damage.
Paperwork and pricing
ABN, business name, and public liability insurance - you'll be spraying high-pressure water around windows, render and cars, so insurance matters. Price per job by area or by the surface: a standard driveway, a full house wash, a roof. Have a minimum call-out so small jobs don't cost you money in travel.
Marketing: the photos do the work
Take before-and-after photos and short videos of every single job. Post them in local Facebook groups, put them on your Google Business Profile, and build your website around them. No other trade gets to show such an obvious transformation - use it.
The searches are local and specific: "driveway cleaning", "house washing", "pressure cleaning" plus a suburb. A website with a page for each service and each area you cover, loaded with your real results, is how those searches become your enquiries. That's the structure behind our cleaning and exterior cleaning websites.
Starting from zero? The Business Starter service handles the name, domain, website and setup together so you launch looking established.
Pressure washing business checklist
- ABN and business name registered
- Public liability insurance in place
- Commercial pressure washer bought
- Surface cleaner attachment bought
- Soft washing technique learned before house or roof work
- Per-job pricing set with a minimum call-out
- Before-and-after photos taken at every job
- Google Business Profile live
- Website with a page per service and area
Want to Improve Your Google Visibility?
SEO varies enormously depending on your website, your market and who you're competing against, so there's no fixed package. Tell me what you do and where you work, and I'll tell you honestly what's realistic.
Talk to Mike About SEOCommon questions
- How much does it cost to start a pressure washing business?
- A few thousand dollars gets you a commercial machine, surface cleaner, hoses and insurance. It's more than a mowing or cleaning startup because the equipment matters, but still one of the cheaper trades to enter.
- Do I need a licence for pressure washing in Australia?
- No specific licence for general pressure washing. You need an ABN and public liability insurance. Roof work at height may trigger additional safety requirements depending on the job.
- How do I get pressure washing customers?
- Before-and-after photos in local Facebook groups, a Google Business Profile full of your results, and a website that names your services and suburbs. The transformation sells itself - your job is making sure people see it.
Written by Mike - Web Guy Mike
I build and look after websites for Australian tradies and small service businesses. Every site is built by me - no outsourcing, no account managers. More about Mike.