Apartment Complex Power Washing : Where Hard Work, Planning, and Logistics Meet

One of our favorite challenges is the opportunity to help apartment complexes with their power washing needs. Not only are we able to create a more beautiful environment for a large number of people, but we get to face a new logistical challenge of completing the job.

The art of Power Washing is one that we are very familiar with—our experts know exactly how to use wands, tips, surface washers, and chemicals to safely and effectively clean nearly anything. Our previous apartment complex managers love the way their surfaces, sidings, and other amenities look after our work, but what they don’t see is the true art of planning and preparation that allow our execution to seem flawless.

As a West Point Graduate, and an Army Officer with experience in operational planning, these challenges are nothing new. However, every challenge is unique and must be planned for accordingly with strict attention to detail.

Improper planning and preparation can lead to many problems; some of which can be seen by the customer and others that can be seen in the direct and indirect costs of the job. Project Management principles must be used to ensure the project stays on scope, on time, and on cost.

There are a few distinct challenges that must always be addressed when completing larger power washing jobs such as apartment complexes. First, safety must remain the number one priority—both for our team of experts and for the many residents that live where we are working. Proper and adequate warnings are always given to the residents to know when we are servicing them, signage is posted on doors, wet floor signs are used when applicable, and towels ensure no water seeps into doorways to create a tripping hazard.

The next challenge is creating the plan and the timeline. Unrealistic timelines can put strain on our team and can cause us to fall behind. On the other hand, being too conservative may unnecessarily increase costs and time which hurt our ability to bid aggressively. With the right experience, and a thorough walkthrough of the property with our whole team, we are almost always able to create a plan that is realistic and cost-effective. Planning to be the most efficient and effective with how and where we power wash is vital. Unnecessary movement or frequent changing of equipment takes time, whereas maximizing our use of a certain piece of equipment or certain area can help us keep the job moving efficiently and, once again, keep costs reduced.

Water and chemicals are two main components of power washing that may seem obvious, but pose their own logistical challenges. For chemicals, it is necessary to have the correct chemicals and the right amount for a larger job. In this department, we find it helpful to have more than we need—what we don’t use we don’t charge but will have for future use. Buying chemicals in bulk helps us reduce these costs and pass it on to the complexes. Also, having all the possible chemicals is vital—there may be paints, grimes, graffiti, or other dirty areas that we need unique chemicals for. Water is a bit trickier. Our trucks have 350 and 100 gallon tanks respectively, but water runs out quick. Although we use water from the job site, we must ensure that the spigots are accessible, near the different areas we will park our truck(s), and that the rate of which water come into our truck is greater or equal to the rate at which we expel it: typically 4.5 gallons a minute.

Finding the right days and times to clean can also pose a challenge. Many busy complexes do not, or cannot, allow for cleaning near units at times that are too early, too late, or at the busiest points of the day (Understandably so). Not only that, but our business has other jobs for both power washing and bin cleaning that still need to be attended to. That makes the hardest logistical challenge to plan for when/where we complete the various aspects of power washing and pressure washing for apartment complexes. Every situation is different so there’s no right answer of how this will work, but proper planning allows for us and management to work out the best plan and stick to it.

Finally, we must always ensure we are able to meet the requirements for each job. That is an easy problem to solve—we have insurance for all levels of power washing work, environmental certifications, and all business licenses needed to become an official vendor for any complex. Any complex that needs additional certifications or insurance may contact us and we can make a plan to ensure all vendor specifications are met.

You can always go to our Power Washing Overview to find out more general information about powerwashing and download our free exclusive E-book!

As you can see, apartment complexes and similar commercial jobs pose unique logistical problems; we absolutely love solving them! We invite you to reach out to us if we can help make your apartment complex more beautiful or if you have a large or unique power washing challenge you would like the experts to tackle! Give us a call today!