Selling Maintenance

[cgland]

How do you approach customers with regards to selling maintenance services on hardscaping that used to be touted as "maintenance free"?

Chris

[scaper27]

I did a job for a customer to clean and seal. It was a regular customer and it was my real first job and I was nervous as heck. I am still afraid of pushing it, because I hear horror stories of people freaking if their pavers or wall discolr or if its not sealed right. Maybe one day I will get balls to sell it more

[cgland]

To be honest, I'm a little nervous to do it as well. It doesn't take much to start exposing aggregate on a paver, so you definately have to be careful. You also have to be concerned w/ chemical runoff...everything is going "green" these days.

Chris

[scaper27]

You are right about the green thing.

[tcalb2]

That topic makes me nervous, I just completed a walkway that I posted on this site. When I did the super sand there was still moisture inside the block from the prevous day and it was overcast. Alot of the sand stuck to the top of the block and looks like crap but the home owners didn't seem to notice. I feel like I screwed them so i might go back in the spring and clean then with some eflo cleaner. I was afraid to say anything and open a can of worms like cgland is saying. These people aren't crazy about using chemicals on their lawn I don't see them loving me pouring eflo cleaner on the walk. Do you have any suggestions to help stop the chemicals from running off in to the lawn when you rinse the chemicals off the walk?

[Colonial]

This scares me to no end. I have had afew people call this fall to seal theres, i have bascially told them its so easy you can do it, jusy because off the "green" fear nad screwing something up.

Chris your techniseal certified... how was the course? worth it?

[cgland]

The chemical gets watered down pretty much, so it won't hurt the turf, but it smells really "chemically"
The cert test was no big deal really. It was a full day class w/ a test at the end. Some of the questions were tricky, but if you have some common sence you'll do OK.

Chris

[tcalb2]

I'm yet to do a wall job for myself. I can only imagine installing a wall only to have to clean it months later. My old company I worked for got sub contracted by belgard to clean a wall project. It was a mess I was there for weeks. The eflo was soo bad we ended up replacing the wall.

[Grn Mtn]

....These people aren't crazy about using chemicals on their lawn I don't see them loving me pouring eflo cleaner on the walk. Do you have any suggestions to help stop the chemicals from running off in to the lawn when you rinse the chemicals off the walk?

its just like when you powerwash a deck or house, soak the lawn and any surrounding plants with water first so they don't "drink" up the chemical cleaner. if your really concerned about it have someone shop-vac'ing up as you spray?

[JZap]

I have an idea, pour the efflo. cleaner into a Simple Green Container before you go out there! haha Seriously though, one of the owners of our company wanted his patio sealed. He asked for the gloss sealer. Once we sealed his 500 sq ft patio and his 300 sq ft walkway, his wife didn't like the "Wet look." Mike Szot knows this story too I believe. We went through , ohhhh I'd say 15 gallons of stripper, to completely remove the sealer:frusty: It stinks like pine oil concentrated by 100. We did water down the lawn and everything, but the fact they have kids there concerned us and they ended up making a daytrip b/c it smelled that bad.
I mean this process is what it is... if you want to avoid the chemical smell that means you're gonna have to use a milder solution, scrub harder, take more time and so on.

[cgland]

One of the chemicals...either the efflo or the cleaner is eco-friendly. I can't remember which one.

[mckeeland]

what do you guys charge for cleaning and or sealing?

[JZap]

T & M... just like installing pavers, every patio is unique. Is it old and dirty? moss? access? need repair? poly sand?
We typically go and clean one day (might only be a couple hours or a whole day) then come back 3-4 days later assuming there has been all sunny days. Then seal. So, the cost of all your rollers, cleaners, sealants, drive time, labor, and gas.

[mckeeland]

i realize that, but what are average man hour involved in cleaning and sealing. i don't do that much and would like to put together some numbers for our new and existing installs. i am sure they vary but i cant go out and measure every single cleaning and sealing job, i need to be able to give customers a price, be it a ball park or what ever.

[JZap]

Assuming it's a newer install. It only takes about two hours for us to clean 400-500 sq ft with 2 guys. We clean it with the degreaser/cleaner then the efflo. remover. We use a pressure washer ***ON LOWER PRESSURE*** like a wide spray so as not to disturb the poly sand, etc. The issue is you have to go there, clean, then come back a second time. So we charge for the travel time. To seal, I guess I'd say it takes about 4 hours to seal this same size patio with 2 coats with 2 guys. We tried this out at a owner's house (see previous posted nightmare in this thread) to find out how long it took. It's basically like painting the floor. If you know how long it takes you to paint something use that as a guide. But the cleaning is what really varies from job to job. (grease spots, tire marks, etc)

[mckeeland]

thats a gives me a good idea. i have cleaned a lot of our jobs, but it is always part of the project at the end. that gives me a better idea of what i am looking at. Thanks John.

[JZap]

No prob, we were thinking of offering this as an option on a patio quote when it is installed. "Optional- Patio to be cleaned/sealed 6 months from install date for $XXX" Maybe offer one price if they sign then and more if they decide after the fact.

[mckeeland]

or it can be a good thing to through into the estimate and tell them that the job comes with a free sealing. they don't know what that costs, it might be the thing to persuade them to go with you. some people love the word free.

[JZap]

For us, I would just be afraid that might price me out of the job initially. If you split it out, you could always keep that in your back pocket. "I would be willing to seal for Free if you sign today!" Or by the end of the week or whatever.

[mckeeland]

thats probably better.

[JZap]

This way they see what it's actually worth and looks good for you.

[allhardscaping]

To gte the poly sand off the pavers your best route is a heated pressure washer. Low pressure and wider tip of course. The hot water will take it right off though.

If you are cleaning a patio that is within ayear old you'll have to clena efflo. By the time it hits grass it is so watered down it wont matter. Just to be safe prewet the lawn and bushes where it might flow though.

If it is over a year and shows no efflo signs then just clean it. We would pressur ewash it with low heat. No chems unless needed for stains.

Come back the next day and sweep sand and seal. It sucks paying 5,000 for a heated pressure washer but if clenaing/sealing is a service you will offer it is well worth it. It makes jobs go so much faster, especially when you get the moldy or mossy joints and stained pavers. Chems fo rthe whole year will add up to a lot more than that.

(if your investing in a pressure washer go with a high gpm like 5+. it will flush nasty water off a big driveway a lot quicker.)