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Should pressure washing companies be licensed

Should pressure washing companies be licensed??


  • Total voters
    0

Ron Musgraves

Past President
Staff member
When Henry Posted this a few day back, I was 100% for it. Now I would likly say I'm not sure.

I guess it would all depend on the way it was handled. Tony make a great point, once they get in they just keep regulating until we are on the outside looking in.
 

RMedbery

New member
I Agree, it not going to change it much. The criminal thing burns me because we operate in a community called Robson. Its a private retirement community an we service common area.

It a large residential setting, contractors kept robbing old people. Over charging an some flat stealing stuff.

Now we have to have every employee that comes thru the gate background tested by there people. The cost is not 50 bucks, try 150..

Of course we pass that on to them, this started making me think. Did it improve the service? Are the actual home owners safer? will I sleep better knowing my own help are not guys that have been convicted of crimes?

They started this three years ago, because they are a city within themselves they keep track of stats. They practically eliminated the problems.

This was done because they are simply private enterprize, we know in the real world this stuff doesnt work. Why because those crooks just moved to easy pray. You cant protect everyone.
Perfect example of how things work in the private sector but will fail miserably if done with the heavy hand of government.
 

Henry Bockman

New member
The sad thing about this whole discussion so far is that very few people are voting. What's the matter with you all, don't you have an opinion on this? Don't you think the pressure washing industry has evolved enough that there should be some type of licensing for it? A licensing requirement will also give some credit to PWing as an industry.

VOTE!
 
By all means. I think it hurts our industry by not having it licensed. I see these Datsun pick ups with these little washers. No ID on the trucks. They undercut the industry with less than avg. quality of work. Customer gets upset and our industry gets a bad name.

Here in California, at least for garage cleaning, they are requiring that you get a discharge permit at the minimum. You need to prove that your rig is able to do the work and that your equipment meets the requirements set forth by the EPA for disposal of Class II Hazardous Waste. That sure weeded out the undesirables.

I think that we need more requirements for each of the fields of pressure washing so that it becomes specialized.

Look it, I am a garage cleaner. However I know nothing about KEC. Should I just go into a restaurant and start doing exhaust under a fly by night name; a business lic that I just got yesterday? When I screw up... no problem. Just close that one down and go get another business lic and start all over.

I would expect that field to have requirements for my company to follow and fines if I do not. Just because I have a pressure washer, doesn't mean I know everything about all fields of the industry.

I know garages. thats what I stay with. I have 20 years experience in the parking garage field. Unless I have some standardize training, I should not go into fleet washing, KEC or any other type of pressure washing work until I do get trained. The state should be encouraged to help standardize the field.


That's my 2 cents.
 

Ron Musgraves

Past President
Staff member
The sad thing about this whole discussion so far is that very few people are voting. What's the matter with you all, don't you have an opinion on this? Don't you think the pressure washing industry has evolved enough that there should be some type of licensing for it? A licensing requirement will also give some credit to PWing as an industry.

VOTE!
sic code would mean more
 

Henry Bockman

New member
There are government codes for pressure washing now. I don't remember what they are, or if they are sic, naics or what but they do have them.

They are also broken down to:

exterior building cleaning
steam cleaning
graffiti removal
pressure & power washing

There may be more also.
 

RMedbery

New member
STILL no one has said how a $50 license will add credibility to anything or eliminate the hacks. You cant just say it will and make it so..........HOW? Heres a hint.....................IT WONT!

There has been a large certifying body in KEC for many many..........many years. I know certification is not the same as licinsing, but there are governments out there that require licinsing, and to get licensed you have to be certified by this particular body. So some areas require licensing AND certification. And all this can cost thousands of dollars. You would think everyones problems would be solved.............all the hack gone...........all the consumers protected......guess what. Just as many hacks as there were before. What is scary is that there seems to be an abnormal amount of hacks with this certification. I guess they think they can hide behind the logo and certification.

Im telling you, licensing will do nothing to do what you think its going to.
 

Tony Shelton

Environmental Consultant / Past Director
By all means. I think it hurts our industry by not having it licensed. I see these Datsun pick ups with these little washers. No ID on the trucks. They undercut the industry with less than avg. quality of work. Customer gets upset and our industry gets a bad name.

Here in California, at least for garage cleaning, they are requiring that you get a discharge permit at the minimum. You need to prove that your rig is able to do the work and that your equipment meets the requirements set forth by the EPA for disposal of Class II Hazardous Waste. That sure weeded out the undesirables.

I think that we need more requirements for each of the fields of pressure washing so that it becomes specialized.

Look it, I am a garage cleaner. However I know nothing about KEC. Should I just go into a restaurant and start doing exhaust under a fly by night name; a business lic that I just got yesterday? When I screw up... no problem. Just close that one down and go get another business lic and start all over.

I would expect that field to have requirements for my company to follow and fines if I do not. Just because I have a pressure washer, doesn't mean I know everything about all fields of the industry.

I know garages. thats what I stay with. I have 20 years experience in the parking garage field. Unless I have some standardize training, I should not go into fleet washing, KEC or any other type of pressure washing work until I do get trained. The state should be encouraged to help standardize the field.


That's my 2 cents.

That's only one cent after taxes you big California Liberal!! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 

Trey Posey

New member
I agree with Tony and Roger in the little that I have read of this thread, you guys are crazy for wanting to get the govt involved and crazy if you really think it will add credibility, how about you add credibility to what you do and let the govt keep its hands in the other messes they create
 

Doug Dahlke

Donating Member
Lots of good thoughts posted on this subject. While my emotions would tell me, yes we should license , my brain tells me it won't make a difference. Georgia recently passed requirements for builders. Several different classifications and anyone who wants to be a builder/remodeler must now have a GC license. Even with licensed companies now performing work you still hear the stories of the bad contactors that screwed the customer and or did lousy work. Having a license is no gaurantee that you do quality work.

The government can't do much of anything right and letting them set standards and enforcement for the industry is probably a waste of time. I think orgs like the UaMcc can do more to promote the industry and give it credibility than the government will ever be able to do. It will take time and money. In only three and a half years in this business I have seen a lot of damage and heard many stories from homeowners about poor quality work, damage to property, etc. I don't think requiring a company to have a license will change that.

I do agree with what Jim that depending on what you do, before you are issued a business license you should prove you have the proper equipment to do the job.
 

Henry Bockman

New member
I think you guys are missing some information.

The Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) is already involved in Maryland. You must have a MHIC license to stain decks. Clear sealers are okay, you don't need a license to use thompsons for example.

But, you don't need one to clean decks, and that's where most of the damages happen. Now they are saying if you use chemicals when power washing, you need a license. BUT, if your using soap, you don't. This is the problem, the rules to stipulate whether you need a license or not don't make any sense. Soap is a chemical!

Decks are damaged when washing, not staining. I'm trying to get the MHIC to create different guidelines that will require everyone that does residential pressure washing to be licensed.

As it stands now, the hacks don't need a license because they all use high pressure to clean and to remove deck stains, they use turbos to strip decks so they don't have to use "chemicals" that require a license. Now tell me, if you had these stipulations that decide who needs a license, what would you do? They won't drop the laws so they only thing we can do is get them to make sense.
 

Doug Dahlke

Donating Member
I think you guys are missing some information.

The Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) is already involved in Maryland. You must have a MHIC license to stain decks. Clear sealers are okay, you don't need a license to use thompsons for example.

But, you don't need one to clean decks, and that's where most of the damages happen. Now they are saying if you use chemicals when power washing, you need a license. BUT, if your using soap, you don't. This is the problem, the rules to stipulate whether you need a license or not don't make any sense. Soap is a chemical!

Decks are damaged when washing, not staining. I'm trying to get the MHIC to create different guidelines that will require everyone that does residential pressure washing to be licensed.

As it stands now, the hacks don't need a license because they all use high pressure to clean and to remove deck stains, they use turbos to strip decks so they don't have to use "chemicals" that require a license. Now tell me, if you had these stipulations that decide who needs a license, what would you do? They won't drop the laws so they only thing we can do is get them to make sense.

Under those circumstances I agree with you, license companies. It also proves what many have said here. The government agencies making these regulations are idiots. Fixing the mess in your region where government involvement has screwed it up looks like a necessity. Asking for government interference in areas it doesn't exist should not be done for the very example you have given.
 

RMedbery

New member
As it stands now, the hacks don't need a license because they all use high pressure to clean and to remove deck stains, they use turbos to strip decks so they don't have to use "chemicals" that require a license. Now tell me, if you had these stipulations that decide who needs a license, what would you do? They won't drop the laws so they only thing we can do is get them to make sense.
And if they do get that license they will STILL be hacks.
 
I know it won't stop the hackers, at least not at first. But it depends on the state if this would work.

For example:

In California, the owner who hires the garage cleaner MUST hire from a list that the gov gives to the owner. HE HAS NO CHOICE. There are currently 12 companies qualified to clean Parking Structures in N. California. If you hire from outside the approved vendor list, someone turns you in, or you get caught, the owner will be fined $3,000 each day the work that was done plus disposal fee's. The pressure washer will be fined up to 10k and be banned for 1 year, but good luck in getting another permit.... they will be watching you very closely. If it happens again, they will go after both parties even more aggressively.

Word got out on this and the hackers stopped with the cleaning of a garage after a few got fined.

This list is updated every month. If your state did this, there would be allot less hackers and the industry pricing would stabilize for the quality the owner and state expects.
 

RMedbery

New member
In California, the owner who hires the garage cleaner MUST hire from a list that the gov gives to the owner. HE HAS NO CHOICE
Yeah thats what I want, the government telling me who I can and can not hire. Yet another perfect example of why the government should stay out of it.
 

Tony Shelton

Environmental Consultant / Past Director
I know it won't stop the hackers, at least not at first. But it depends on the state if this would work.

For example:

In California, the owner who hires the garage cleaner MUST hire from a list that the gov gives to the owner. HE HAS NO CHOICE. There are currently 12 companies qualified to clean Parking Structures in N. California. If you hire from outside the approved vendor list, someone turns you in, or you get caught, the owner will be fined $3,000 each day the work that was done plus disposal fee's. The pressure washer will be fined up to 10k and be banned for 1 year, but good luck in getting another permit.... they will be watching you very closely. If it happens again, they will go after both parties even more aggressively.

Word got out on this and the hackers stopped with the cleaning of a garage after a few got fined.

This list is updated every month. If your state did this, there would be allot less hackers and the industry pricing would stabilize for the quality the owner and state expects.

If every state did that they'd all be as broke as California is.

owner will be fined $3,000 each day the work that was done plus disposal fee's. The pressure washer will be fined up to 10k and be banned for 1 year, but good luck in getting another permit.

Just to show you how dumb it is, why is the "hack" who is not on the list able to get a permit in the first place? And how can he be banned from something he's already banned from by law?

Yet another perfect example of why the government shouldn't be involved.

Keep posting from more restrictive states. This just gets better and better.
 

Henry Bockman

New member
And if they do get that license they will STILL be hacks.

True but then when they damage property they will have insurance to fix it. And, the MHIC will investigate them to see if they will let them keep their license, or renew it. That means the home owner is protected and the hack will get educated, or put out of business, or go to jail.
 

RMedbery

New member
This is fruitless. The people who want government involvement in every aspect of life will never be convinced less government is better. Im done.
 

Rick Moore

New member
The hack is not going to get a license, and still do his washing. Only the businesses that follow the rules will get the license and hacks will be hacks.
 

Tony Shelton

Environmental Consultant / Past Director
The hack is not going to get a license, and still do his washing. Only the businesses that follow the rules will get the license and hacks will be hacks.

A few years ago we had three HVAC companies come to our house under the home warranty.

The first one said I needed a blower motor for $500.00. I tested the motor by hooking it straight up and found it was good (why couldn't the first tech have done that?) and asked for a second company to come out.

The second company told me my system was too old and the entire thing needed to be replaced due to a lack of maintenance. ($3500.00)

I called a third company on my own. In less than 5 minutes my system was up and running. He traced the wires to a fuse that was blown hidden behind a rafter.

Both were licensed, both were trained, both were thieves and hacks.

Since then I dumped the home warranty company and do my own work now.

Hacks will buy and train for licenses. It won't stop them.
 
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