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Is This the Business for You in 2026?

Is This the Business for You in 2026?

Think about it carefully

Jack Carr
December 29, 2025

Welcome to the JackQuisitions newsletter,

Do you know one of the most misunderstood businesses in the country?

Pressure washing.

I broke this down on a recent episode of the JackQuisitions podcast, and the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that most operators are looking at this category the wrong way.

Keep reading if you want to understand where the real opportunity is and whether pressure washing deserves a serious look in 2026.

Ready For Your Next Acquisition?

Check out these acquisition opportunities that caught my eye this week:

An HVAC business in Tulsa, Oklahoma, focused on residential and commercial service, maintenance, and installations, listed for $615,000, with sustained growth, profitability, and positive cash flow.
A dry cleaning business serving its local community and surrounding islands for over 20 years, listed for $1,200,000, generating approximately $1,000,000 in gross revenue and $535,000 in cash flow, with owned real estate included.
A residential plumbing business established in 2001, listed for $274,990, generating approximately $1,500,000 in gross revenue and $225,000 in cash flow.

Pressure Washing Is Not What You Think It Is

Pressure washing looks simple from the outside. Low startup costs. No license in most states. Cheap equipment. Endless screenshots of “$20k months” floating around social media.

That surface-level appeal is exactly why so many people get this business wrong.

Pressure washing is not a technical trade business. It is a sales, marketing, and operations business that happens to use a pressure washer. If you miss that distinction, you will stay busy, underpriced, and stuck.

Why Pressure Washing Attracts the Wrong Operators

The industry has perfect internet optics. It looks approachable, fast, and easy to monetize. That attracts weekend warriors, side-hustlers, and undercapitalized operators who believe the work itself is the business.

The reality is very different. Pressure washing carries far more operational friction than most people expect.

Some of the hidden realities include:

High variable costs like fuel, chemicals, repairs, and insurance
Equipment downtime and water access issues
Callbacks and rework
Strong seasonality in cold-weather markets

Low startup cost does not mean low operational cost. Once you try to grow, the margin pressure shows up fast.

Busy Does Not Equal Profitable

Most pressure washing businesses underprice just to stay busy. That decision creates a trap. You fill the schedule, burn through equipment, and still cannot afford to hire, market properly, or step away from the truck.

That is why so many pressure washing businesses never fail. They simply never scale.

If there is not enough margin to support labor, marketing, and systems, you do not have a business. You have a job.

The Only Two Models That Actually Work

There are really only two viable pressure washing models, and they operate very differently.

Commercial and route-based pressure washing is the cleanest model. Think HOAs, retail centers, municipalities, schools, and large facilities. These jobs are predictable, repeatable, contract-based, and boring in the best way possible. Boring scales.

Residential pressure washing can work, but only at the premium end of the market. You are not competing on price or speed. You are competing on trust, branding, and experience. That requires real investment in systems, sales scripts, and follow-up.

Why Residential Only Fails Without Add-Ons

Pure residential pressure washing does not scale on its own. The ticket sizes are too small, and the customer acquisition costs are too high.

Every successful residential operator solves this the same way. They increase the average ticket without adding new customers.

That usually means bundling services like:

Gutter cleaning
Soft washing
Window cleaning
Roof or exterior treatments

The goal is simple. Double or triple the ticket while the crew is already on site. Without this, the math never works long-term.

Starting vs. Buying Changes the Risk Profile

This is one of the few industries where starting can be safer than buying. Starting costs are low, and the downside is mostly time and effort.

Buying introduces a different risk. Many pressure washing businesses are owner-dependent jobs disguised as companies. If the owner disappears for 30 days and revenue collapses, you are not buying a business. You are buying employment with debt attached.

Before buying, you must answer a few hard questions:

Where do leads come from without the owner?
Is pricing standardized or owner-driven?
Are there contracts or repeatable revenue?
Are those contracts assignable after a sale?
Who answers the phone and follows up on leads?

If the business cannot run without the owner, it is not scalable.

The Real Skills This Business Requires

Pressure washing skill is the easiest part to learn. The real difficulty lives elsewhere.

To succeed, you need to be good at:

Marketing and speed-to-lead in a crowded market
Call handling and quoting discipline
Logistics, routing, and job selection
Saying no to low-margin, inefficient work

This is not a shotgun hustle. It is a focus game. High-density routes. High-value jobs. Clear pricing. Tight operations.

Who Should Actually Do This

Pressure washing rewards operators who enjoy operations, logistics, and marketing. It can be an incredible content-driven business with strong visuals and clear proof of work.

It punishes anyone chasing easy money or passive income fantasies.

If you treat this like a real business, it can scale. If you treat it like a side hustle, it will humble you quickly.

Tell Me What You’re Thinking

Pressure washing continues to be a popular business idea. Could it be right for you in the new year?

Share your feedback with me on X or LinkedIn.

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Disclosure: Some of the content and links in this newsletter are sponsored or affiliate links, which means we may receive payment or earn a commission if you click through or purchase. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.