The pressure washing business is an ideal choice for someone with low capital because the overhead is low compared to most other businesses. If you know where to look and what to look for you can buy all the equipment you need to get started with your own pressure washing business for under $1500.

I don't recommend buying a pressure washer from retail giants such as Wal-Mart, Sam's Club or Home Depot because those pressure washers will not last long enough on the job. The water pumps on those machines will burn out quickly because of the heat and a new water pump can set you back $400-$500 dollars.

You need a commercial grade unit, with a commercial grade water pump for your pressure washing business. I've seen these units on craigslist.com in used condition for under $500 dollars, and if you look in your local paper you should be able to find some great deals on used commercial grade pressure washers.

Also keep in mind you are going to need a truck and a trailer to carry your equipment. To save on expenses look for a smaller, used trailer that will suite your business needs.

After that the only recurring expenses you will have is your business insurance which you can procure for around $100-150 dollars a month. You will also have equipment maintenance expenses, but that is inexpensive if you know the right equipment to buy in the first place and you take care of your equipment when out on the job.

You may be thinking, well what about marketing expenses? There are many ways you can advertise your pressure washing business for free or for a low cost. Simply by putting your business cards in local businesses and distributing flyers around the neighborhood should result in some calls from new clients. There are also a myriad of different ways you can advertise online for free.

Let's say, you get a call from someone needing their home pressure washed. The average price charged for pressure washing is around $350-400 dollars per home. Many times prices can range up to $600-800 if they want their driveway or patio done or a roof cleaning. Many of these jobs you can finish in 4-6 hours after you have had the experience of completing a few of these jobs on your own. This is residential work we are talking about here; the commercial work is even far more profitable.

What about the learning curve? Anyone with a physically able body and some common sense can do pressure washing work. It's not that hard and it's not rocket science, however there are ways you can make mistakes costing thousands of dollars and it helps to have someone that's been through the trenches show you what to do.