How to Get Commercial Pressure Washing Contracts (6 Steps + Free Bid Kit)

If you want to know how to get commercial pressure washing contracts, you don't have to wait for a property manager to call you. These are the 6 steps to go get recurring commercial work on purpose, from picking your first targets to keeping the contract. The free bid kit below has the site walk sheet and 6 copy-paste AI prompts for the writing.

How to use the bid kit

1. Do the commercial-ready checklist once. It's Part 1 of the kit. Finish it before you contact anybody.
2. Print the site walk sheet (Part 2) and fill one in at every property you bid.
3. Open ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini (the free versions work), copy one prompt, replace every [bracket] with your real info and paste your walk sheet where a prompt asks for it. Read everything before you send it: the AI doesn't know your local rules, your insurance or your costs.

Why commercial work is worth going after

I've done commercial work for places like the post office and shopping centers. They'd call with an emergency: corporate was coming in next week and the place had to look right. Every one of those jobs came off my Google page, because I moved fast and went out and did the job.

That work found me. You don't have to wait for it. The steps below are how you go after it on purpose, and the real money is recurring work: the same property, cleaned monthly or quarterly.

Step 1: Pick the right first targets

Skip giant hospitals and government bids at first. Start with properties you drive past every day that have flat concrete and get dirty fast:

• Strip plazas and storefront sidewalks
• Restaurant dumpster pads (greasy, and they need cleaning often, which makes them a great first one)
• Drive-thru lanes
• Gas stations
• Apartment complexes

Start with what your rig already handles: flat concrete and a surface cleaner. Here's the prompt that builds your first target list, with who decides at each one (Prompt 1):

I run a pressure washing business in [city, state]. My equipment: [e.g. 8 GPM hot water unit / 4 GPM cold water + surface cleaner], and I can work [days/hours, e.g. nights and early mornings].
List the 15 best types of commercial properties for me to go after first, starting with recurring flat-concrete work like dumpster pads, drive-thru lanes, storefront sidewalks, gas station pads, strip plazas and apartment complexes.
For each one give me: what usually needs cleaning, how often it typically needs it (monthly / quarterly / yearly), who usually makes the decision (store manager, district manager, property manager, facilities company, HOA board), and one thing to say that would matter to that person.
Put the ones my equipment can already handle at the top, and skip anything that needs lifts, high-rise access or a big crew.

Step 2: Get commercial-ready

Property managers will ask for a few things before they let you on site. Have them ready so you can answer the same day:

• Certificate of insurance (COI). A one-page document from your insurance agent that proves you're covered. A lot of managers want their company listed on it, as certificate holder or additional insured. Ask your agent how fast they can send one, and whether your policy covers commercial jobs.
• W-9. The IRS form a business uses to collect your tax info before they pay you. Fill it out once and save it as a PDF.
• A water plan. A lot of cities don't allow dirty wash water into storm drains; Clean Water Act stormwater rules are enforced locally. Check your city or county rules and know how you'll block drains and recover water where required.
• Cash flow for net 30. Commercial customers often pay within 30 days of the invoice, not on the spot. Don't take on more work than you can float.
• Your Google Business Profile. Add "commercial pressure washing" as a service. If you haven't set up your profile yet, the steps are in how to start a pressure washing business.

Prompt 2 in the kit writes a one-page capability sheet you can email or leave with a property manager: who you are, what you clean, how you work, service options and contact info.

Download the walk sheet and all 6 prompts as one .txt file (free, no email).

Step 3: Find the person who decides

The employee at the counter can't sign a contract. You need the person who handles exterior cleaning:

• Plazas and apartment complexes: read the leasing sign out front. It usually shows the management company and a phone number.
• County records: look the property up on your county property appraiser website to find the owner of record, then search that company to find who manages it.
• Restaurants and stores: ask the manager, "Who handles your outside cleaning?" It's often a district manager or a facilities company.

When you reach them, use their name and the property's name, and keep it about their building. Write the contact on your walk sheet so every follow-up goes to the right person.

Step 4: The first contact

Keep it short: who you are, what you noticed at their property, and who handles exterior cleaning. Offer a free test spot somewhere they walk every day, like the sidewalk by the front door, so they can see the difference for themselves.

Can't reach them in person? Send a short email with a photo of their own property and one question. Either way, always leave a capability sheet and a card. Here's the prompt for the walk-in script, email and voicemail (Prompt 3):

Write three short first-contact messages for a commercial pressure washing prospect.
My business: [business name], [city]. My name: [your name].
Property: [property name and type, e.g. Bayside Plaza, a strip center].
Decision maker: [name and title, or "unknown"].
What I noticed: [e.g. gum and dark stains along the storefront sidewalk, greasy dumpster pad behind the restaurant].
Offer: a free test spot on [area] so they can see the difference.

1. WALK-IN SCRIPT (under 45 seconds out loud): introduce myself, say what I noticed, offer the free test spot, ask who handles exterior cleaning, and ask where I can leave my capability sheet.
2. EMAIL: subject line under 8 words that mentions the property by name, body under 90 words, mention I attached a photo of their [area], one clear question at the end.
3. VOICEMAIL (under 20 seconds): name, business, the property, the test spot, phone number said twice.
Sound like a local owner, not a salesperson. No buzzwords, no "I hope this email finds you well."

Step 5: Bid it right

Do a site walk before you price anything. Note every surface and its size, the stains (gum, oil, grease), the water source, the drains, the hours you're allowed to work and how often they want it done. Write down anything that will slow you down.

To measure, open Google Earth on a computer, use the Measure tool, click around the area and connect back to your first point to close the shape. The area shows on the right. Then check it on site.

Price from your real time (setup, cleaning, cleanup and the drive) at a real hourly rate, plus supplies. Ask about hours, since a lot of commercial work happens at night or before opening. Don't bid at a loss to win the job.

Then send a one-page proposal: scope, what's not included (like rust or paint), frequency, schedule, price per visit, payment terms and your COI attached. Offer a better rate for monthly than for quarterly. This prompt turns your walk sheet into the proposal (Prompt 4):

Turn this site walk sheet into a one-page commercial pressure washing proposal.

[paste your filled-in walk sheet here]

My business: [business name], [city, state], [phone], [email].
My prices: [e.g. my hourly target, chemical cost per visit, any per-sq-ft or per-pad prices you use].
Price it per visit from my time on the walk sheet (setup, cleaning, cleanup and drive) at my hourly target plus supplies, and show your math in a separate note to me (not in the proposal).
Offer two options: MONTHLY (a better per-visit rate) and QUARTERLY.

The proposal needs these sections:
- Property + prepared for [decision maker]
- Scope of work (every surface, with square footage)
- Not included (from my walk sheet)
- Frequency + schedule (allowed hours, how we handle cars/people, water/drain plan)
- Price per visit for each option
- Payment terms [e.g. net 30, invoice after each visit]
- Insurance (COI attached)
- After every visit: a photo service report
- Acceptance line (name, title, signature, date)
Keep it to one page, plain language, no hype.

Prompt 5 drafts a simple recurring service agreement to go with the proposal. Have a lawyer review it before you use it.

Step 6: Keep the contract

Commercial decisions are slow, so follow up: day 2, day 7, day 21, then once a month. Never pushy, always short.

Once you have the work, keeping it is about being easy to work with:

• Be the company that answers when they have an emergency.
• After every visit, send a service report with before/after photos and the next visit date.
• Tell them about problems before they notice them.
• After a few good months, ask if their company manages other properties. Managers refer other managers.

Here's the follow-up sequence, service report and "other properties" ask (Prompt 6):

A) Write my follow-up messages for a commercial proposal I sent to [name, title] at [property] on [date].
- Day 2: short check-in that they got it (text and email versions)
- Day 7: one useful detail about their property (e.g. the dumpster pad smell in summer, the entrance before a busy season)
- Day 21: offer the free test spot again or a quick call
- Then once a month: a one-line check-in, never pushy
Each under 50 words, friendly, from a local owner.

B) Write a service report text/email template I send after every visit:
"[Property] — service completed [date]. What we cleaned: [list]. Notes: [anything we found, e.g. a stain that needs a second pass]. Before/after photos attached. Next visit: [date]."
Make it short enough that the manager can forward it to their boss as is.

C) After 3 good months, write a short message asking if their company manages any other properties that need the same service.

The 6 steps in one list

1. Pick flat-concrete properties you drive past every day.
2. Get your COI, W-9, water plan and cash flow ready.
3. Find the property, facilities or district manager who decides.
4. Make a short first contact and offer a free test spot.
5. Do a site walk, price from your real time and send a one-page proposal.
6. Follow up, send service reports and ask about their other properties.

The full walkthrough video is on the Pressure Washing Plays YouTube channel.