How much does it cost to start one of these side gigs on your own? The cheapest tool on this list costs a few dollars. The priciest costs several hundred dollars. A permit, a license, or insurance can add more on top, depending on where you live.
Each gig here is a trade. That means hands-on work you do for customers yourself, with no app or company in between. Here is each trade, ranked from its cheapest tool to its priciest.
Cheapest to most expensive
- Gutter scoop, for cleaning gutters: $6.17 at Gutterworks’ own store.
- Cleaning cloth, for cleaning houses: $7.99 at E-Cloth’s own store.
- Window squeegee, for cleaning windows: $11.83 at Ettore’s own store.
- Dog leash, for walking dogs: $24.99 at Ruffwear’s own store.
- Snow shovel, for shoveling snow: $39.97 at Snow Joe’s own store.
- Reel mower, for mowing lawns: $99.97 at Sun Joe’s own store.
- Electric pressure washer, for detailing cars: $169.00 at Sun Joe’s own store.
- Gas pressure washer, for power washing driveways: $529.00 at Generac’s own store.
Every price above is the store’s own listed price, checked on Sep 16, 2026. Each one is for a single tool, not a full kit.
Gutters
A ladder is also part of the cost for this trade. We did not confirm a current ladder price to show here.
NEXT Insurance has no gutter-cleaning category. Its landscaping category is the closest match. NEXT says its landscaping insurance can cost as little as $50 a month.
California’s contractor board, the CSLB, lists 40 named specialty trades. Gutter cleaning is not one of them. The closest named trade is roofing, which covers different work. That is California’s state list only. Your own city may have its own rule.
House cleaning
NEXT Insurance’s janitorial category is the closest match for house cleaning. NEXT says its janitorial insurance can cost as little as $41.67 a month.
Texas has a tax rule worth knowing if you clean homes there. The Texas tax agency says housekeeping by a self-employed person can be free of sales tax. Two things must be true. The person must count as an employee of the household. They also must not work as a subcontractor for a company, such as a maid service. If you are not sure which fits you, ask the agency. That is a Texas rule, not a national one.
Windows
NEXT Insurance sells a window-cleaning category by that exact name. NEXT says its window cleaning insurance can cost as little as $41.67 a month.
Washington state’s labor agency, L&I, requires many contractors to register. Its own page names 63 specialties as examples, including roofing and painting. Window cleaning is not one of the named examples. The full list is not published anywhere we could find. We could not confirm whether window cleaning is included.
Dog walking
One federal park near San Francisco requires a permit for commercial dog walking. It is the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In 2026, the fee is a $350 one-time application plus $300 a year for each walker’s badge. Walkers there may take up to 6 dogs at one time. That rule covers this one park’s own land, not dog walking everywhere.
Snow shoveling
Syracuse, New York, requires a yearly license for anyone in the business of snow plowing or removal. The fee is $50, plus $10 for each piece of equipment used. It also requires $1,000,000 in general liability insurance. It requires $500,000 in auto insurance too, naming the city as an additional insured.
Syracuse’s own rule is written for plowing. It does not say whether hand shoveling alone, with no truck, falls under it. We could not confirm the answer.
Mowing lawns
NEXT Insurance’s landscaping category is the closest match for mowing. NEXT says its landscaping insurance can cost as little as $50 a month.
Florida’s licensing agency, the DBPR, publishes its own list of jobs that need a state license. Lawn maintenance is listed as something that does not need one. That is Florida’s state rule only.
Detailing cars
Portland, Oregon’s rule names mobile power washing services. A detailer who pressure-washes cars at homes there should ask the city if this applies to them. The city requires an authorization before wash water goes down a drain. Water can never go into a storm drain.
Driveway power washing
The gas pressure washer above is the priciest tool on this list.
NEXT Insurance sells a pressure-washing category by that exact name. NEXT says its pressure washing insurance can cost as little as $75 a month.
Fort Worth, Texas has its own permit for mobile commercial cosmetic cleaning. It covers washing vehicles and outdoor surfaces done for pay. That is a Fort Worth city rule only.
What you owe in taxes
None of these numbers are the whole picture.
The IRS is the U.S. tax agency. It says you must file a return once your net self-employment earnings reach $400 in a year.
Self-employment tax is separate from income tax. The IRS says the rate is 15.3%. No employer takes this out for you. You pay it yourself, on top of income tax.
This is general information, not tax advice. A tax professional can help with your own numbers. For more on how payment apps report your pay, read what a 1099-K actually reports.