The $1M Power Washing Blueprint: 7 Lessons to Scale Any Service Business

When I pulled up to Downspout's shop in Rhode Island, I thought I was at the wrong address. The trucks were immaculate. The uniforms are crisp. The branding flawless. This couldn't be an 18-month-old power washing company... could it?

But it was. And when I met Zach Rollins, the founder, I had to know how he'd pulled this off.

Just 18 months ago, Zach was washing houses from a beat-up silver pickup truck with zero experience in home services.

Today? He's running a seven-figure business with customers booked out five weeks in advance.

The transformation feels impossible until you understand what Zach figured out early…

While his competitors argued about pressure settings and soap ratios, Zach built systems. While they chased one-time jobs, he created recurring revenue. While they showed up looking like they woke up, he invested in presentation that builds trust before he even speaks.

Here's the exact blueprint Zach used to scale from zero to seven figures in 18 months:

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Lesson 1: Be World Class at the Boring Stuff

Before starting Downspout, Zach spent over a decade in the marine industry running boats for wealthy yacht owners. 

"I met quite a few yacht owners that didn't own anything fancy. They owned ‘boring’ businesses: plumbing companies, PT rehab facilities, marine towing businesses. All these businesses that you wouldn't think could get you to where you want to be, and here they are doing it," Zach told me.

The pattern behind what made each of these businesses owner successful was straightforward too. They were people who took unglamorous industries and ran them with professional, high-touch customer service.

This principle works in any service business - HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, cleaning. Take the boring fundamentals seriously, and you'll outperform most of your competition.

Lesson 2: One Big Win Can Transform Everything

Every business has that make-or-break moment. For Zach, it came when he walked into a massive apartment complex that’d just been built across from his mom's house and pitched them. 

"I walk in and I'm like, 'Hey, do you guys get power washing done?' And they're like, 'Yeah, absolutely. Would you like to submit a bid?'"

The property manager initially said no to Zach’s bid. Then their chosen contractor pulled the classic move: complete no-show. "So they called me and they said, 'Hey, if you can get here in two weeks, you got the bid,'" Zach recalls. 

That high five-figure contract became the foundation for growth. It started out as a contract for one building, then Zach landed a three-building deal. Now? "This past year, we worked directly with their corporate team to do every single property throughout New England. We washed over 40 buildings."

One relationship done right can transform your entire business.

Lesson 3: Perception Is Your Secret Weapon

Most contractor operations don’t present themselves in the best light. Zach went in the opposite direction.

"We're kind of the anti-contractor. We're the guys that are picking up the phone, doing the right thing, and looking the part.”

Professional branding. Wrapped trucks. Clean uniforms. "The devil's in the details. How you're perceived in the market, how you look, is going to dictate whether people trust you."

When Zach shows up to estimates: "I make sure I park it where the truck's always at my back so that when I go and shake the customer's hand, they get the full picture of me and the truck."

The visual does half the selling before he opens his mouth.

Lesson 4: Turn One-Time Buyers Into Recurring Customers

Zach discovered the golden rule of service businesses: recurring revenue beats hunting for new customers.

Power washing averages $1,200-$2,500 per job. But it only needs doing a few times per year, so Zach decided to expand into setting up Christmas lights for customers too.

"Our goal is to make a customer go from a one-time purchase of let's say $1,200 bucks and turn that into $2,000, $3,000, $4,000 recurring,” he explains. 

And Downspout offers everything on a subscription basis, so rather than big annual payments, the costs are broken down across the year. Subscribers also get a 15% discount and preferred scheduling.

The cross-selling machine also works both ways: "Christmas light customers get power washing offers in the spring. Power washing customers get Christmas light pitches in the fall.”

Smart contractors build relationship machines that generate revenue year after year. Plus, Downspout’s annual subscriptions give them crucial cash flow during the slower winter months. 

Lesson 5: Pay People Like You Want to Keep Them

The trades have a retention problem. Zach solved it by treating employees like investments, not expenses.

"All of our main guys are salaried year-round. We're not laying people off. I take pride in that because there's a lot of companies out there that will just lay guys off and they don't see this as being a potential career."

But he didn't stop there. Zach created a "tip your tech" program where customers can tip technicians directly, plus the company pays a $20 bonus for every five-star review mentioning team members.

Here's how it works: After completing a job, techs tell customers, 'If you want to take care of the tip, just leave us a five-star review mentioning my name, and the company will give me $20.' The result? They're generating 1-2 reviews per day, with 40% of customers leaving reviews."

"Some of these guys are walking away with like an extra $500 a week in tips."

When people make good money and feel valued, they become evangelists who refer friends and upsell customers.

Lesson 6: Premium Pricing Filters for Better Customers

Zach shared that he tries not to compete on price alone. Instead, he focuses on value.

When customers balk at his prices, Zach doesn't flinch. He's learned to flip the script with quiet confidence:

First, he finds out who he's competing against. 

Then he poses a hypothetical: "If it was between me and this guy, prices were the same, who would you go with?"

The response is almost always the same: "Nine times out of 10, they're like, 'Oh, I'd go with you.'"

That's when Zach drives home his point: "I'm like, 'so you buy off of value, right? Not who’s cheapest.'"

By getting customers to admit they prefer his service when price isn't a factor, he proves they already recognize the value difference.

Then he delivers the closer: "If you really want to go with value, you want to secure a good company that's going to actually go to bat for you and deliver on promises, then that's us. But if you really only care about price, that's okay too. We have plenty of other customers."

This technique reframes the entire conversation from price to value while positioning his company as the obvious choice for customers who care about quality service.

Lesson 7: You're in the Relationship Business

Most contractors think great work sells itself. But that’s not how it works in the real world. 

Zach figured out the real game early: "We are not in the power washing business. We are a relationship organization, and we just so happen to be power washing, hanging Christmas lights and cleaning gutters."

This insight explains everything about his rapid success.

While competitors focused on cleaning techniques and equipment, Zach built a business people want to buy from. Wrapped trucks that build trust before he even speaks. Systems that make customers feel taken care of. Follow-ups that turns one-time jobs into lifetime relationships.

The power washing is just the vehicle. The real product is peace of mind — Zach’s customers know he’ll deliver for them.

Eighteen months ago, Zach had one beat-up silver pickup truck. Today he runs a seven-figure business with customers booked out five weeks in advance and customers on recurring subscriptions.

The difference isn't luck or connections or startup capital. It's understanding that he’s not really in the power washing business, he’s the trust business, relationship, and experience business.

The cleaning is just how he delivers value.

Master that distinction and it becomes your secret weapon for scaling your service business.

Go deeper: Check out our list of the top HVAC podcasts here.