Setting up a pressure washing business in Wisconsin

Choose the structure first

Decide whether you will work under your own name or form an LLC. The choice affects the filing fee, the annual report and who signs contracts.

An LLC costs $130 to organize online, or $170 on paper. After that, the online annual report is $25. Working as a sole proprietor avoids both fees, and it leaves you with self-employment tax on what you earn.

The structure comparison covers the trade-offs. Make the call before you buy insurance or open an account, because both ask for the business name.

$130 / $170 / $25Wisconsin charges $130 to organize an LLC online, $170 on paper, and $25 for the online annual report. — Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, fee schedule, retrieved 2026-09-29

Name the registered agent and the office

The Articles of Organization need a registered agent and a registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, so you name a person or a service.

The office must be a real street address in Wisconsin. A mailbox service, a P.O. box or an answering service does not count.

The principal executive office may be elsewhere. The form says it need not be in Wisconsin.

The registered office must be a physical Wisconsin address, and the principal executive office need not be in Wisconsin. — Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Articles of Organization form, retrieved 2026-09-29

Get the EIN and register for taxes

The EIN is free from the IRS, and Wisconsin's tax registration is $20 for two years. Get the EIN first, because the state application uses it.

Registration covers the seller's permit and the employer account. If you plan to hire, add the employer account now.

The registration guide has the steps, and the sales tax page covers what to charge tax on.

$20 and $0Wisconsin business tax registration costs $20 for two years, and the IRS charges nothing for an EIN. — Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Business Tax Registration, retrieved 2026-09-29

Line up insurance before the first helper

Workers' compensation applies at three employees, or at $500 in wages in a quarter. Get a quote before you hire, not after.

The penalty for going without is double the premium owed or $750, whichever is greater. The owner can also be personally liable for benefits paid.

The hiring page explains the contractor test that decides whether a helper is an employee.

$750 minimumWorkers' compensation is required at three employees or $500 in a quarter, with a penalty of double premium or $750 minimum. — Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, retrieved 2026-09-29

Decide where your wash water goes before your first job

This is the step most trade guides skip. Wisconsin's DNR permit names mobile commercial power washing, and it requires a coverage letter before you discharge to waters of the state.

The DNR charges no application fee for most general permits, so the cost is the plan and the time. File the notice at least 30 business days before you expect to start discharging.

Read the destinations page first, then the application guide if any of your jobs will need coverage.

The low-impact permit may cover mobile commercial power washing, and requires a DNR coverage letter before discharge to waters of the state. — Wisconsin DNR, Low-Impact Discharge general permit WI-0066575-01-0, retrieved 2026-09-29

Questions