Ok, so the other day I was driving through Kingston down by the police station and there they were, two guys with a pump sprayer a bunch of bottles of bleach on the ground and a box-store pressure washer. Now, I could tell just by driving by that they had no clue what they were doing, but the sad thing is, most people don’t know how to tell the difference between the good ones and bad ones.
If you ever hear the expression “you get what you pay for” you will know what I am talking about. Well in every contractor job this is true. You will get a low ball quote from some “fly-by-nighter” who does not remotely understand what it entails to get the job done right.
Unfortunately, the power washing industry is plagued with these “fly-by-nighters” or “Splash-and-Dashers” that think that because they have an “Elcheepo-Depot” pressure washer that they know how to power wash. Most of them have the improper tools for the job and they believe that bleach actually cleans without damaging anything.
You can usually find these “fly-by-nighters” signs nailed to telephone poles throughout your neighborhood. I actually saw one of these signs nailed to a telephone pole that was on private property with “NO TRESSPASSING” signs and a fence around it. What does that tell you about the ethics of that person?
Here are some questions to ask:
- Are they certified or do they have any type of license for the type of job that they are doing?
- Do they have the proper knowledge of their equipment and the cleaning process?
- Do they use a mold inhibitor to protect your home and neutralize the cleaning products?
- Do they require you to pay cash or write the check out in their name?
- Are they doing the job legally?
- Do they have insurance?
- Do they have a business license?
- Do they offer a guarantee?
- How much $liability$ are you exposing yourself to?
I have found that hiring the low bidder only causes headaches. What happens if you are not happy with the job, are they going to come back? (LOL). No, they are gone with your money because they are a one time employee. They will come out, do a half-assed job, and expect you to pay them in cash, only never to see them again.
If you have ever seen one of those home shows on TV about contractor nightmares you will always hear them say to hire the right person for the job the first time and you will not have any problems. They always say make sure they have insurance, licenses, guarantees, and are going to be there when you need them.
Protect yourself by asking these questions. Any reputable company will be more than happy to show you and documentation or give you phone numbers so that you can verify your concerns. If you don’t get your questions answered to your satisfaction – move on to the next company.