The next 30 days, get into next year's HOA and property manager budgets
Many HOAs and property managers plan next year's spending this fall. A 30-day plan for a pressure washing company to get on those lists before spring.
Residential calls slow down as the weather turns, and most pressure washers spend late October waiting for spring. Meanwhile, a lot of HOA boards and property managers are sitting in meetings deciding what they will spend on their buildings next year. If your name is not in front of them now, next year's sidewalk, building wash and pool deck work may already be spoken for.
This is a 30-day plan to get on those lists. It does not need ads. It needs a short list, a one-page proposal and some follow-up.
Why this window matters
Many community associations and management companies work on an annual budget, and many plan it in the fall. Board members approve line items for common area maintenance, including exterior cleaning. Once a line item has a vendor attached, it tends to renew unless something goes wrong.
That means the time to pitch is before the budget is set, not in April when the work starts. A property manager who gets a clean, clear proposal in November can plug your number straight into next year's plan.
Commercial and HOA accounts also smooth out the season. A single townhome community might want sidewalks, curbs and building fronts done once or twice a year. A few of those can carry a slow month.
Week 1: Build your list (about 3 hours)
Start close to home. Within 20 minutes of your shop, list:
- HOA communities and townhome complexes. Drive by or search the map for subdivision names. Many have a management company listed on their entrance sign or website.
- Property management companies. Search "property management" and "HOA management" in your city. Note the ones that manage several communities.
- Apartment complexes. Look for on-site leasing offices. The manager often has a maintenance budget.
- Retail centers and office parks. Check for a posted management company sign.
Aim for 30 to 50 names. Write down the community, the management company, a contact name if you can find one and a phone number or email.
Week 2: Make a one-page proposal (about 2 hours)
Property managers do not want a brochure. They want something they can drop into a budget. One page, with:
- What you clean. Sidewalks, curbs, entry monuments, building fronts, pool decks, dumpster pads.
- How often. Offer a once-a-year and a twice-a-year option.
- A price range per area type. For example, flatwork per square foot and building washing per building, with a note that you will confirm after a walk-through. Use your real numbers.
- Insurance and safety. State your liability coverage and that you can send a certificate of insurance. Managers will ask.
- Before and after photos. Two or three from commercial or multi-unit jobs if you have them. If you do not, use the cleanest driveway or storefront work you have.
- How to reach you. A direct number and email, and the name of the person who will answer.
Save it as a PDF. Keep the same version on a page on your website so you can link to it in emails. The website essentials guide covers what that page needs.
Week 3: Reach out (about 4 hours)
Send a short email to each contact, then call two days later. The email:
"Hi Lisa, I own Brightside Exterior Cleaning in Raleigh. Many of the communities I work with set next year's exterior cleaning budget this fall, so I put together a one-page proposal for sidewalks, curbs and building fronts at Oak Hollow. It has a once-a-year and twice-a-year option with pricing. Happy to walk the property at no cost if it helps. Attached here."
On the call, ask one question: "When does the board finalize next year's maintenance budget?" That tells you how much time you have and when to follow up.
Offer a free walk-through. It turns a cold email into a meeting, and once you have seen the property you can give a firm number.
Week 4: Follow up and get reviews ready (about 2 hours)
Most of the first round will not answer. Follow up once by email a week later with a single line and the PDF again. Then put each property on a list to check in with in January and March.
Before anyone looks you up, make sure your Google profile can handle the attention. Property managers check reviews too. In our benchmark report, the median pressure washing company has 9 reviews, and 51.3% have fewer than 10. If you are in that group, use this slower month to ask every recent customer for a review. The Google reviews guide has scripts.
Also list your commercial services on your profile, including HOA and multi-unit work, so the profile matches the pitch. And check your hours. 63.4% of pressure washing profiles show no hours at all, which makes a business look less established to a manager deciding who to trust with a large property.
What a realistic result looks like
This is not a fast win. If you contact 40 properties, a hypothetical outcome might be a handful of walk-throughs and one or two signed accounts for spring. That still matters. A single community that books you twice a year can be worth more than a dozen one-time driveways, and it tends to renew.
The seasonality and slow-season guide covers other ways to use the winter months.
If you want help building the proposal page, review requests or outreach list, any service is available as a free 14-day trial, no card. Text or call (801) 590-3890.
Steven has spent the last several years running growth campaigns for local service businesses, pressure washing companies among them, and builds the benchmark datasets on this site from public Google listings. About the editor