Start a House Washing Business in NZ

Why house washing is the highest-margin starter business in NZ

Lawn mowing is the easiest to start. Cleaning is the steadiest. House washing is the highest-margin. A typical house wash on a 3-bedroom NZ home runs $400–$700 and takes a competent solo operator 2.5–4 hours. That's $100–$200 per hour gross — significantly better than mowing or cleaning at the same skill level.

The catch: higher startup cost (you need a proper commercial water blaster, not the consumer-grade unit from Bunnings) and a bit more skill — you can damage paint, blow grout out of brickwork, or strip cedar weatherboards if you don't know what you're doing. There's a learning curve, but it's a couple of weekends, not a TAFE course.

Soft wash vs high pressure — what NZ customers actually want

The industry has split into two distinct approaches:

• High-pressure water blasting — fast, satisfying, works on concrete and most exterior cladding. Risk: damages paint, grout, soft cedar, and old sealants if pressure is too high or angle is wrong.
• Soft wash — low pressure (under 500 PSI) plus targeted chemicals (sodium hypochlorite + surfactant) that kill mould and lift grime. Slower, gentler, what Auckland's premium end of the market wants for cedar weatherboards and tile roofs.

Strong operators offer both and pick the right method per job. If you're starting out, get the high-pressure setup first (it does 80% of jobs) and add soft wash gear in month 4–6 when you have repeat customers asking for cedar.

What you can realistically earn

Standard NZ house wash pricing in 2026:

• Single-storey, 3-bed weatherboard or brick: $400–$600
• Two-storey, 4-bed: $600–$900
• Driveway / concrete pad cleaning: $200–$400 (often added to the wash)
• Roof wash (moss kill + soft wash): $500–$1,200
• Gutter cleaning: $150–$300 (great upsell)
• Solo operator, full-time, peak season: 5–7 jobs per week. Gross revenue $2,500–$4,500/wk.

Year 1 realistic full-time numbers: $80k–$140k gross. Hire one staff member by year 2 and you're at $150k+ comfortably with two going.

Seasonal pattern

Demand is heavily skewed to spring and pre-Christmas (people getting their house ready for entertaining or selling). October to March is the peak. June to August is slow. Strong operators bridge winter with gutter cleaning, moss treatment (a moss kill in autumn is the best time of year for it), and commercial work — petrol stations, takeaway shops, anything with concrete that needs blasting.

Getting your first ten customers

Same playbook as lawn mowing — website that ranks, GBP, suburb-targeted SEO content, then flyers. House washing has one extra leverage point: real estate agents.

1. Build the site and get it ranking in your suburbs
2. Verify the GBP (category: 'Pressure washing service')
3. Take genuinely good before-and-after photos. House washing is one of the most visually satisfying service businesses — the photos sell themselves
4. Get on every Auckland/Christchurch/Wellington 'house washers' Facebook group and Trade Me service listing
5. Pitch real estate agents directly. Houses being prepped for sale are a steady, premium-rate stream — agents want their listings looking sharp and they don't shop on price

Insurance and safety — non-negotiable

Public liability is mandatory — you'll be near windows, paint, cars, and people. Standard cover is $1M which costs $50–$100/mo for a water blasting operation. Don't skip this. Don't go to a job without it.

If you're going to work above ground level — two-storey houses, roofs — get height training (Site Safe in NZ runs short courses) and proper fall protection. WorkSafe takes height work seriously and one accident on a roof without proper gear ends your business.

Sole trader for now

Start as a sole trader. Use the free IRD message generator to register in 10 minutes. Incorporate later if you grow past 3–4 staff. The capital cost of the gear is high enough that some operators start as a limited company from day one to ringfence personal assets — that's a defensible call but not necessary.