How $3 Turned Into a $600/Day Pressure Washing Business

This week, I sat down with Jared Barker, who runs both Live Oak Exterior Cleaning and Bark Media out of Austin, just a mile from where I live. Both companies started in 2020 after Jared’s ten years in advertising and sales at iHeart Media evaporated overnight when COVID hit.

He started pressure washing driveways with equipment loaded into the bed of his truck, learning the trade from YouTube and Facebook groups, and eventually turned his own marketing instincts into a second business helping other home service companies do the same thing.

We covered how a three dollar Facebook ad turned into a $600 job, the biggest digital marketing mistakes he sees home service owners make, and why Bark Media only works with one client per industry per market.

The Key Takeaways

Below are the most essential insights from my conversation with Jared that you can apply to your home services business today.

1. From a Truck Bed to a Flatbed, One Reinvestment at a Time

When Jared’s 100 percent commission sales job disappeared overnight with COVID, he started Live Oak Exterior Cleaning with a pressure washer and hoses loaded into the bed of his truck. He worked his way up through a single axle trailer, then a dual axle trailer, then a flatbed truck, reinvesting in equipment as the business grew.

“It started in the back of my truck. I put all the equipment, the surface cleaner, the pressure washer, the hoses, in the bed of the truck. Looking back at it, it’s kind of crazy to think that’s how that started.”

— Jared Barker

2. A Three Dollar Ad Budget Turned Into a $600 Job

Jared’s very first Facebook ad ran on a tiny budget, roughly three dollars spent before it converted into a $600 job. Combined with posting in local Facebook neighborhood groups and leaning on friends and family for the first customers, that early comfort with digital marketing helped the business scale fast.

“The very first ever Facebook ad I ran, the first day it was like a three dollar budget, or at that point I’d spent three bucks, but got a $600 conversion for a job. Knowing how to run those sorts of campaigns really helped scale the business.”

— Jared Barker

3. Learning the Trade Was Simpler Than the Business Side

Jared taught himself pressure washing and soft washing through YouTube channels and Facebook groups, learning the difference between gallons per minute and PSI along the way. He points out that low barrier to entry trades like pressure washing let you start almost immediately, unlike plumbing or HVAC, which require licensing.

“The entry to bear, the barrier to entry for pressure washing was super simple, that’s also why I could just turn key, go start tomorrow, back when I decided to leave iHeart. Versus like plumbing where you need a license or schooling.”

— Jared Barker

4. Bark Media Was Born From His Own Marketing Instincts

Jared and his wife both came from advertising backgrounds at iHeart, and referrals sent their way jumpstarted a marketing agency alongside Live Oak. It only refocused specifically on home service clients in January 2024, after nearly every prospect told him the same story of spending thousands with national agencies and getting no return.

“We quickly realized almost every client we have now has told us the same story, that they spend thousands of dollars with more national type agencies and they just don’t get any return. So we keep dollars separated, they know exactly what they’re paying us.”

— Jared Barker

5. One Client Per Industry, Per Market

Bark Media deliberately limits itself to one plumber, one HVAC company, and so on per market, whether that’s Austin, Dallas, or Sacramento. That exclusivity lets the team put full creative effort behind a client instead of splitting attention across competitors in the same space.

6. AI’s Biggest Wins Are Answering Phones and Requesting Reviews

Jared sees AI phone answering as a major opportunity for businesses struggling with lead conversion or simply too busy to pick up the phone. He also flags automated review requests sent right after an invoice is paid as a simple, high value use of AI that directly helps local SEO.

“I think AI phone calls is going to be, and continues to be, a big opportunity for businesses that maybe are struggling with lead conversion, are struggling with being too busy to answer all the phone calls.”

— Jared Barker

Looking Ahead

Jared’s biggest piece of advice for home service owners is to not get stuck in old habits, whether that means ignoring social media or being afraid to test small budget campaigns. Doing your own research, even informally through YouTube and Facebook groups, beats staying in the dark about what actually works.

“Make sure you’re doing your due diligence to educate yourself, and don’t be scared to test and try things. Especially if you have even small budgets, you can still test and try things for sure.”

— Jared Barker