Avoiding Fake Pressure Washing Companies

We have all seen those satisfying TikTok videos of pressure washing. They make commercial pressure washing look way too easy. If you know what you are doing and have experience, then sure. But if you want to get the results you see online – you know, the ones where the before and after looks night and day, you need professionals.

However, you must understand that anyone can buy equipment and start a business. Sometimes, these are inexperienced people who have just started. In the worst case, they are a complete scam. You need to avoid fake companies to hire a legitimate company that will get you the desired results. Here is all you need to know.

What Makes a Pressure Washing Company Legitimate?

When choosing a pressure washing company, you must look out for a few things. These indicators act as qualifiers. Any company that provides professional and expert commercial pressure washing services, will not hide the following things.

They would proudly display them. This is because these factors act as marketing as well. And they would happily display their experience, credentials, tools, equipment and satisfied customers.

These are the things you need to keep an eye out for:

1. Holds Required License and Credentials

Credentials are important. Very important. And this is one of the first things you should ask to see. Asking for licenses or credentials is the fastest way to filter out the fake companies. It actually costs money to get an appropriate license.

Heavy duty treatments require chemicals that can be dangerous to plants, pets, and wildlife if not handled correctly. Almost all chemical treatment providers offer some sort of training and accreditation. Companies will need to go through a process and trainings for these types of recommendations but don’t hesitate to ask.

As a result, license and credentials mean that they know what they are doing. And that will also give you peace of mind that your property is safe.

First and foremost, the company should be a registered business entity. Now, the exact process of checking whether a company is registered or not might vary. It will depend on where you live.

Try asking for proof that they are a registered business. You can also visit your city government’s website and see what companies are registered.

2. Has A Reliable Cleaning Process

Pressure washing is a specialized service. Let’s be honest. Most people willing to work can learn how to pressure wash but not everyone can do a good job and deliver a final product without lines and markings. We are sure there are plenty of YouTube tutorials. Some of them may even be good.

However, watching good tutorials will not make you good at pressure washing overnight. Pressure washing is a specialized service; companies (and their workers) need to have the right expertise, equipment, and experience to get good at it.

And with experience, you are bound to develop a cleaning process. Real pressure washing companies will not hide their process. This is because customers want to know what the company will do.

So, when they walk them through the process, it builds confidence. In addition, a good process ensures that customers trust them.

That is why you should always think about their process. This is one way to know that they are a legit company with experience.

3. Plenty of Customer Testimonials

What is a better way there to check a company’s legitimacy other than from other paying customers? Check for customer testimonials. This is crucial. There will be good reviews if the commercial pressure washing company has done good work.

There are tons of ways of checking for reviews and testimonials. Good reviews and testimonials are one of the most important factors you can judge a company by. One way to do this is to search the business’ name.

They should have a Google My Business page. Customers will review it there. Moreover, companies will also have testimonials on their site.

In addition, you should look out for fake reviews as well. Fake customer reviews can be pretty hard to distinguish.

However, a good rule of thumb is to look for any unnatural language. Things that sound a bit off or too stiff. Real reviews will have solid examples of the experience they had with the company.

4. Ask for Before and After Pictures

Another great thing to look for is before and after pictures. As they say, a picture can say 1000 words. Nothing gives you a better idea of how well the pressure washing company does than solid photo evidence.

Customers themselves will post before and after photos. Check to see the specific differences. House washing has a lot of different aspects. It could include the driveway and the outside of the house.

Check out these areas and compare the pictures. If they look clean, you find yourself good company.

5. The Right Equipment

As we mentioned before, pressure washing is a specialized skilled job. One that requires specialized equipment.

So, you should check whether the company has the right equipment. It is a good sign that they can be trusted if they do. It is a very simple thing. However, it also shows they are serious enough to invest in the right equipment.

6. Transparency

Companies that are trying to scam will likely be very secretive. In contrast, a real pressure washing services company will be transparent with you. And we mean transparent when it comes to everything.

They would give you all the details they want. When you ask a question, they should answer it appropriately as well.

Then there are also the costs. Scammers will try to be vague about the price. However, a real and reputed pressure washing company knows that the cost matters. Reputed commercial pressure washing companies will always give you a detailed quote.

This is very important as well. The quote should have all the details you want about the services. So, always look for transparency. And this can be for everything – cost, equipment, expertise, license and more.

Insurance – A Very Important Topic

All the points we mentioned above are very important. There is one particular aspect we would look to take a deeper look at – insurance. To be more specific, general liability insurance. This is the bare minimum.

Now, you may wonder why insurance is important in the first place. And what does it matter whether the company has it or not? Well, pressure washing might seem simple, but things can go wrong.

Pressure washing uses high-pressure water to clean away the gunk. Now, imagine the high-pressure chipping a small part of your driveway. Or any kind of injury happened? If the company you hired is not insured, you are liable.

Yes, you read that right. That is why it is important to ensure the pressure washing company you chose is insured.

What Insurance Should They Have?

That is an excellent question. The minimum is general liability insurance. This insurance will cover bodily harm, medical payments, property damage, and personal or advertising injury.

Property damage and bodily harm are particularly important. You do not want to be liable for a mistake someone else made. It would hurt when you need to pay out-of-pocket.

In some cases, if a worker is injured on your property, it might open you up to a potential lawsuit. That is why it is crucial to check for insurance.

The Best Way to Avoid Being Scammed

Now that you know how to vet a company, we also wanted to tell you how to tell when something is fishy. Some fake companies make it pretty obvious. It is easy to tell that they are trying to scam you.

However, some are pretty good at it. And you might not realize it before it is too late. So, here are some eyebrow-raisers you should keep in mind.

If the Price is Too Good to Be True

Pressure washing services have expenses. Companies need to pay for the worker’s labor, equipment, consumables like chemicals and solutions for cleaning, and more. The point we are making is; it is not a cheap business to run.

So, if you see a price quote that seems too good to be true, it is probably a scam or the provider you are looking at doesn’t actually use professional treatment methods. Do not fall for rock-bottom prices.

Fake companies lure unsuspecting customers with low prices you cannot say no to. They make it seem like a deal compared to other companies. But be careful of these scammers.

There is a caveat, though. If a company is new, it might run promotional campaigns with low prices. However, they cannot offer unrealistic prices. They have to keep the business running. So, you can also ask them about their credentials and licenses to make sure.

Pestering About Upfront Cash Payment

This is a huge sign. And a very bad one. If the company is asking for the full amount to be paid in cash in advance, chances are it is a scam. Think of it this way, and you are paying for a service. You do not know what it will look like until the work is done.

You might be satisfied, or you might not be. And the burden is on the company to do a good the job as expected and worthy of the payment. So, why would a customer pay the full amount before work starts?

However, it makes sense to pay some portion of the money as a safety for the company itself. That way, the company is also sure to get paid once they do a satisfactory job.

So, walk the opposite way when someone asks for the full amount to be paid in cash in advance. It is a clear red flag.

Trying to Artificially Hike Up Price

Fake pressure washing companies will try to artificially hike up the price. They may say things like the cleaning solutions are eco-friendly and whatnot. The truth of the matter is most widely used, and effective cleaning solutions are already as eco-friendly as they can get. Are they just using dish soap?

So, chances are the company you are trying to make a deal with is artificially raising the price to get you to pay more. That is a big no-no. Unfortunately, nowadays, many fake pressure-washing companies take advantage of environmentally cautious people.

So, don’t fall for these scams. Remember our point about transparency. Real pressure washing companies will not try to sell you any vague cleaning process or solutions. They will explain their process clearly. And that also includes the chemicals and solutions they use.

Is Hiring a Professional Pressure Washing Company Worth It?

The answer is a big yes. There are tons of benefits to working with a professional. Firstly, you can rely on the quality.

When you hire a professional company, you are sure they bring expertise. Which means you will get good service. Secondly, it can even end up saving you money. Yes, that is right. Most times, taking the DIY route is cheaper.

However, pressure washing requires specialized equipment. And commercial pressure washing equipment is not cheap.

Not everyone happens to have pressure washers and all the necessary equipment lying around. You will need to buy all the equipment yourself.

Professional and expert pressure washing companies that run a business can afford it since it is an investment. They know they can recoup the costs by providing high-quality services to customers. That is why it is worth it to go with a professional company.