- Spencer Claeys is the owner of Northwest Pro Wash.
- Power washing and cleaning roofs and gutters are easy side jobs, he says.
- Claeys says you don't need much equipment or experience to start making money.
This essay is based on a conversation with Spencer Craze, owner of Northwest Pro Wash, and has been edited for length and clarity.
Cleaning roofs and gutters can be one of the easiest, yet high-paying side jobs. You can earn more than $1,300 in a single day.
There's a lot of demand
I've been doing this for about four years now. I started with basic pressure washing and went door to door. We cleaned exterior walls such as driveways and decks. Business was great, but people kept asking me if I did roofing.
Demand was so strong that we finally decided to give it a try. I've been much busier since then.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I stopped going door to door. But people still need to maintain their homes, so we ran Facebook ads that included four different services. Roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, high pressure washing, roof and gutter combination. Even though roofing and gutter options have become more popular, I still use Facebook ads to find customers.
I live in Washington State, where we have a lot of trees and a lot of rain. In other words, a lot of things fall from the sky. Moss grows on the roof and the rain gutters tend to get clogged. This is the perfect area for this business.
Money is amazing
The first time I charged $300 for a complete moss treatment and gutter cleaning. Now I charge her twice as much for 3-4 hours of work. I work with one other person and make about $3,000 a week. When it was just me, my goal was $2,000 a week. Also, tips are usually received between $30 and $100.
Before that, I was working a job that paid about $15 an hour. Now I can make hundreds a day. Sometimes I think, “It's rubbish.'' Things that could have been made in a day would have taken weeks before, and I don't have a boss.
Additionally, I spend a lot of time talking to clients and it's just really relaxing. I work with cool people every day. Sometimes they give me beer while I work. Some people gave me a bottle of Jack Daniel's as a gift, and I also received a chainsaw, pizza, and other dinners.
People really appreciate when you do a good job. When they are appreciated, they know that you worked hard and earned enough money, and it feels great.
I was a little worried at first, but
I had no idea what chemicals to use or what to do. Actually, on my way to my first job, he looked up how to clean a roof on YouTube. But I did it and now I teach people how to clean roofs on YouTube, so I've come full circle.
It only took me a few weeks to get used to my first job. It's very simple, so there's no need to overcomplicate it.
Roof cleaning involves blowing or brushing away debris that has fallen from trees. You will also need to treat your roof with some sort of basic chemical (basic, not acidic, as moss and other fungi prefer an acidic environment). Next, make sure that nothing, such as branches, is touching the roof. I use a leaf blower to clean the gutters. That's basically it.
You don't need many tools. Use leaf blowers, ladders, and brushes. There is also a soft wash tank for spraying the roof, but you don't need that to get started. Alternatively, you can use a powder treatment such as laundry detergent or zinc powder. Either one is fine.
I worked almost every day as long as I could.
There is another person working with me now. We typically work on the rooftop six days a week. You can get away with roofing a few times a day.
Even though I'm taking a step back to pursue social media and coaching people on how to build their businesses, I'm still out on the rooftop cleaning.
Some roofs are more difficult than others
Depending on the roof, it could take several days. Before setting the price, you need to check the size and slope of the roof. Installing a harder roof is an option, but the pay will be higher.
There was a certain roof where I was looking, but there was no money they could pay me to climb up there. Old roofs can be slippery and difficult to walk on.
It's a young man's game
I'm 27 years old, so I'm not old yet, but cleaning roofs is more of a young person's job. After you're 40 or 50, you don't want to climb the ladder anymore. Stay safe. Wear ropes and sturdy boots if necessary. I've been doing this job for years and I've only ever heard of one person falling.
But if you're a young person, I don't think there's anything better than just going out and cleaning. You can get money right away. If you knock on the door right now and walk out, you could make $300 to $500 today.
If you're making money with a unique and lucrative side hustle, email Jenna Gyimesi at jgyimesi@businessinsider.com.
