Industries Served: Cleaning the Residential Market

by Diane M. Calabrese | Published September 2026

 

 

Governments and realtors promote home ownership as a sure way to accrue wealth. Well, perhaps not a “sure” way but a method of accrual more certain than riverboat gambling. If a residence never requires maintenance or delivers surprises like pinhole pipe leaks, and the roof shingles stay put in high wind, and the water company does not flush one of its lines into the property, then yes, gains are possible.  That is if property taxes and insurance do not outpace income.

How does any of the foregoing matter to members of our industry that serve residential customers? It all factors into how much prospective residential customers will be able to spend on projects like cleaning awnings, softwashing roofs, and washing windows—all worthy endeavors that may be put off when replacing pipes consumes income.

Members of our industry who serve residential customers do best when they anchor their companies in an area where homeowners not only want but also can pay for services. Older homes have a way of consuming funds in a way newer ones usually do not.

The U.S. Census Bureau, with its interactive options for analysis of regions and demographics, is a good resource for getting a picture of a particular geographic location. For instance, a contractor in a metropolitan area may want to limit service area according to likelihood of calls.

The density of jobs is as important as the number of jobs for a contactor. Traveling 30 miles each way to clean a driveway can be a money loser if it represents the rare call from an area.

There’s a reason contractors define their service areas. Travel costs, including sitting in congested traffic in metro areas, must be weighed. An option for serving residential customers at a distance is to add a surcharge, and some customers will happily pay it.

But back to the older versus newer homes parameter. Many home buyers underestimate the cost of owning an older home. While owners of older homes find themselves replacing plumbing fixtures, drywall, paneling, ceiling tiles, or water heaters, owners of new homes may be more able to afford to have their windows cleaned by professionals and their decks maintained.

Consequently, providing service to residential customers requires understanding their top needs. Also understand that owners of older homes generally spend less on improvement and maintenance.

The Census Bureau reports that more than half the owners of older homes spend less than one percent of their home’s value on improvement and maintenance. Owners of newer homes spend a median of 1.5 percent of the home’s value annually on improvement and maintenance.

The home ownership rate in an area must be high enough to create a pool of customers. But in an area with a well-managed pool of renters, a contractor can be successful by dealing with the management company that handles the exterior cleaning of the rental homes.

The 2024 American Community Survey (by the Census Bureau) put the total number of housing units in the United States at 146,740,964, with 65.3 percent of them being owned by the occupants.

In some parts of the United States, the turnover of homeowners increases the opportunities for providers of exterior cleaning services. Realtors want clean exteriors, windows, decks, and driveways before the house goes on the market.

Many realtors also recommend softwashing roofs. Clear gutters and downspouts are also musts.

Power washing contractors have immediate contact with residential customers, but distributors and manufacturers make the services they provide possible and successful.

“At Deco Products Inc. one of the most interesting ways we serve the residential industry is by offering free training and technical education to applicators, helping them better understand proper surface preparation, breathable sealing technologies, and long-term maintenance,” says Missy Tanguay, the business development manager at the company.

“This education helps homeowners receive longer-lasting, more reliable results while reducing common issues like peeling, whitening, and premature coating failure,” explains Tanguay. “By supporting contractors with ongoing guidance, we help create better outcomes for both the applicator and the homeowner.”

Deco Products is based in Denver, CO. Tanguay, in addition to her role at that company, is currently serving as a member of the PWNA Welcome Committee.

PWNA [Power Washers of North America] itself offers training opportunities to members. So, too, do UAMCC [United Association of Mobile Contract Cleaners] and the IWCA [International Window Cleaning Association].

Contractors serving residential customers can augment their credentials beyond licensure required by municipalities and states by documenting the training and certifications completed. Homeowners welcome evidence that the work for which they contract will be done correctly.

In addition to providing a summary of credentials, contractors can provide a summary of answers to often-asked questions. They can do this on their website, app, or a laminated card (if resources allow).

A card, laminated or not? Yes, it’s time to consider re-establishing human contact. The card doubles as reminder of the contractor. It can be shared with a neighbor who asks who did the work, etc. The higher the volume of work available in an area, the more valuable such tools for reaching out to customers become.

Keep the outline on any promotional card short and simple. Emphasize on-time arrival, cordial interaction with neighbors (not parking in their spaces), protection of plants, collection of wastewater—all-in-all a focused and excellent job.

A home is the biggest investment most people make. Owners want to be confident contractors will be kind to it.

The tactile, tangible nature of putting something like a card in an owner’s hand builds connection with the person. Telling the homeowner to scan a QR code reinforces the sense many people have that human connections are fraying. A contractor need not become a new best friend, but some demonstration that he or she views the homeowner as more than a digital entity will bring results.

At the completion of a job, skip the survey. Surveys are coming at people from all directions, so much so that they have become an annoyance.

Respect the time and space (home) of a residential customer, and do a great job. That will bring referrals.

Distributors and manufacturers can assist the end user contractor in the residential sector in many ways. Training, such as that offered by Tanguay’s company, is an excellent bridge and a fortifying one.

Distributors and contractors can do what they do routinely: keep improving the efficiency of tools on which the end user relies.

 

Residential Array

Which services might a residential contractor offer? Exterior washing is just the beginning.

Exterior washing plus mold and algal inhibitor application are the ways it continues. Driveways, patios, and walkways fall into the mix as  do decks and fences.

When quoting a residential job, a contractor should be ready to quickly assess needs in addition to an exterior wash and quote a price. Perhaps trash bins need cleaning. There may be stains on a driveway that demand attention especially before a house goes on the market.

Adding specialties to the residential roster of services provided can strengthen a contractor across seasons. Add solar panel cleaning, wood restoration, or waterproofing to the repertoire—all following proper training.

Distributors serving a large group of residential contractors can consider offering training in techniques for which they supply tools and ancillaries. Through their professional societies contractors also have abundant opportunity to become versed in additional services.

One of the difficulties in the residential sector is competition from unlicensed contractors. Municipalities in many parts of the country require licensure; but they do not enforce the requirement, or they enforce it selectively.

The best recourse for professional contractors in the residential sector who are undercut in price by those working outside the rules is to be an active participant in a professional society. Also convey to prospective clients—in a gentle way—the importance of using a professional service provider.

Contractors can also form alliances to better serve customers. Busy house painters may be interested in subcontracting for exterior washing. A power washing contractor cleans, and then the painting company applies the coating.

We could all tap imagination more. Take a close look at all the components of a residential setting and think about the services that might benefit the homeowner.

Are the covers of window wells soiled? Removal, cleaning, and replacement might be something the homeowner would pay to have done.

What about the statuary? Would it look better and last longer if properly cleaned?

Could the timbers around raised garden beds benefit from an environmentally friendly wash, one that will discourage wasps from perusing them for hive attachment sites? Is the potting table in need of a wash?

Think broadly in all seasons—there are dryer vents to clean, holiday lights to hang, and (in some places) snow to remove. Then interact boldly.

If everyone retreats to the digital realm, few will notice whether surfaces are clean or dirty. In providing service to the residential sector, members of our industry have a chance to begin to restore human interaction in a cyber-driven world.