If you're only doing one-off residential jobs, you're leaving serious money on the table. HOAs and apartment complexes need pressure washing year-round -- and they pay on a contract. One good relationship with a property manager can be worth $500 to $5,000 a month, every month, without you chasing new leads.

The Quick Answer

HOA and apartment complex contracts are priced by square footage or per-unit, billed monthly or quarterly. Here are the typical ranges:

Small community (25-50 units): $375 - $750/month (quarterly service)
Mid-size community (50-150 units): $750 - $2,000/month
Large community (200+ units): $2,000 - $4,000/month
Per square foot rate: $0.10 - $0.35/sq ft depending on surface type
Common areas only: $500 - $1,500/visit for parking lots, walkways, entrances

These are recurring contracts. You show up quarterly or monthly, clean common areas, and invoice automatically. It's some of the most stable income a pressure washing business can have.

Why HOAs and Apartment Complexes Are Worth Pursuing

One HOA contract can replace 10-20 one-off residential jobs in revenue. Here's what makes them different:

Predictable income: Annual contracts mean you know what you're earning every month.
Large job scope: Parking lots, building exteriors, walkways, pool decks, dumpster areas -- all in one location.
Lower customer acquisition cost: One signed contract vs. marketing to dozens of homeowners.
Referrals: Property managers often manage multiple properties. Impress one and you might get five contracts.

The downside is that these jobs require more planning, proper insurance ($1-2M GL is standard), and professional proposals. But once you're in, you're in.

How to Find the Right Decision-Maker

The biggest mistake contractors make is calling the front office and asking for "whoever handles cleaning." That gets you nowhere.

For HOAs, the decision-maker is the property management company or the HOA board president. For apartment complexes, it's the property manager or regional facilities manager. Here's how to reach them:

Google the property name + "property management." Most HOAs list their management company publicly.
LinkedIn: Search for facility managers or property managers in your city. Connect before you pitch.
Drive the property: Look for maintenance staff and ask who handles vendor contracts. They often know.
Local chamber of commerce: Property management companies are often members. These events lead to introductions.

When you make contact, don't lead with price. Lead with your process. Explain how you work with other HOAs, what surfaces you handle, and how you stay out of the way of residents. They've had bad experiences with contractors who disrupted parking and upset tenants.

Pricing Your HOA Contract

The key difference between a one-off job and a contract is frequency. Surfaces that are cleaned quarterly stay much cleaner than ones done once a year. That means less buildup, faster jobs, and lower per-visit costs -- which you can use to offer the property manager a better deal than your competitors.

How to Structure the Quote

Walk the property and measure everything. Break it into categories:

Building exteriors: Measure square footage, note surface type (vinyl, brick, stucco), and count stories.
Parking lots and concrete: Total sq ft of hard surface. Parking lots run $0.03-$0.12/sq ft for flat work.
Walkways and common areas: Pool decks, entrance paths, BBQ areas, dumpster pads.
Specialty surfaces: Retaining walls, signage, fencing.

Add everything up, apply your per-sq-ft rate, then offer a 10-15% discount for a quarterly or annual contract. That discount is the hook -- they get a better price, you get guaranteed work.

Sample Contract Math

A 100-unit apartment complex with 40,000 sq ft of cleanable surface at $0.15/sq ft = $6,000 per visit. Four visits per year at that rate = $24,000 annually, or $2,000/month billed monthly. That's one contract replacing 15-20 residential house washes.

What to Include in Your Proposal

HOAs and property managers receive vendor proposals all the time. Yours needs to look professional. Here's what to include:

Scope of work: Exactly what surfaces, how often, and what chemicals you'll use.
Service schedule: Which months you'll show up and roughly what time (early morning to avoid disrupting residents).
Insurance certificates: $1M general liability minimum, $2M if they ask. Have this ready before you send the proposal.
References: Other commercial properties or HOAs you service. Even one good reference matters.
Pricing structure: Per visit and annual total. Show both so they can compare to what they're currently paying.

Keep the proposal to 2-3 pages. Property managers are busy. A short, clear proposal beats a 10-page document every time.

Keeping the Contract and Growing the Relationship

Most contractors lose HOA contracts because of communication problems, not quality of work. Here's how to hold onto them:

Send a pre-visit notice: Email or text 48 hours before showing up. Residents need to move vehicles.
Send a completion report: A short email with before/after photos after each visit. This is rare and makes you look great.
Flag any issues you spot: Cracked pavement, overgrown areas, fence damage. Report it. You're their eyes on the property.
Ask for a referral after the first 3 visits: "Do you manage any other properties? We'd love to help you there too."

Property managers who like working with you will keep you around for years and hand you additional properties without hesitation. Relationships are everything in this niche.

Bottom Line

HOA and apartment complex contracts are one of the best recurring revenue streams in pressure washing. A single mid-size community can generate $1,500 to $3,000 per month with predictable scheduling and minimal sales effort once you're locked in. Start with one property, do excellent work, and use that as a reference to close the next one.

If you want to make it easy for HOA managers to get a preliminary estimate before the site visit, try QuoteSnap for free. It lets prospects enter square footage and get instant pricing right on your website -- which gets you the conversation started before your competitors even respond.

Building Pressure Washing Contracts with HOAs and Apartment Complexes