So I just went through this whole cooling tower cleaning mess for my factory, and man, did I learn some stuff about pricing the hard way. When we first noticed the gunk building up in our units, I figured I'd just call the first company that popped up on Google. Big mistake. Dude shows up in a rusty van with a pressure washer and charged me $2500 after two hours of work. Felt like robbery.

How I Planned My Budget

After that disaster, I sat down and did actual research. Made a spreadsheet and everything. Called eight different companies and made them break down their pricing. Learned there are two main ways they charge:

• Per-ton pricing: Like $15-25 for every ton your cooling tower handles. Our 100-ton unit would hit $1500-2500.
• Flat rates: Basic clean around $800-1500, full chemical treatment $2000-4000.

Where I Got Screwed & How I Saved

First company snuck in "chemical disposal fees" for another $300. Another quoted $1800 then tried charging extra for "heavy buildup removal." Learned to demand:

• Itemized quotes with every single cost broken out
• Off-season discounts - saved 20% booking in February
• Pre-cleaning inspection so they can't invent "surprise" charges later

Ended up going with a local crew charging $95/hour. Two guys worked 7 hours for $665 total. Bought my own chemicals wholesale ($240) instead of paying their 300% markup. Total saved $1600 compared to my first rip-off job.

My Stupid Mistakes You Should Avoid

Almost hired this "certified" chain company until my buddy warned me their franchisees rent the brand name but have zero training. Also caught a scam where they quote cheap then say your unit "needs emergency parts replacement." Final tips:

• Film your unit before and after - protects you from shady "damage" claims
• Pay ONLY after seeing actual grime removed (I made them show me bucket samples)
• Schedule cleanings at 3AM unless you enjoy screaming matches with your production manager

Now we budget $900/year per tower including maintenance kits. Saved our plant $14k last year just by not being clueless about this stuff anymore. Don't be like past-me.