Pressure washing has long been one of the more accessible ways to enter the exterior cleaning industry, but commercial work can require more than a pressure washer and a vehicle.
Large buildings introduce additional challenges around height, access, water handling, equipment and labor. As a result, entrepreneurs entering commercial exterior cleaning are increasingly looking at technologies that can expand the types of properties they can service without building every job around traditional high access equipment.
Automation is becoming part of that shift. The International Federation of Robotics reported that global shipments of professional service robots increased 24% in 2025 to almost 250,000 units. Professional cleaning remains one of the major application categories for service robotics.
For pressure washing businesses, drones offer another way to approach exterior surfaces. Rather than replacing every conventional cleaning method, they can be used where height, access and the size of the property make conventional equipment more difficult or expensive to deploy.
Top pressure washing franchise alternative
SkyPSI is building an Operator model around commercial drone cleaning, giving entrepreneurs access to equipment, training and operational support without requiring them to adopt a traditional franchise brand. The company’s program starts at $3,000 per month and includes the Apellix Power Wash B2 flight kit, manufacturer training, commercial cleaning instruction, front line support and marketing guidance.
The B2 is designed for exterior cleaning and has published capabilities of up to 32 minutes of flight time and up to 195 feet of reach. SkyPSI lists pressure washing, soft washing and window cleaning among the applications supported by its commercial cleaning platform.
The model leaves customer acquisition and account ownership with the operator. SkyPSI provides the equipment and support while operators build their own commercial relationships. Qualified operators also receive one guaranteed paid commercial cleaning job, giving new businesses an opportunity to gain field experience while developing their own customer base.
