How Much to Charge for Window Cleaning
Window cleaning pricing comes down to one decision — per pane, per window, or a whole-house flat rate — and getting it wrong either leaves money on the table or prices you out of the job. This guide breaks down all three methods, the factors that move the price, and how to set a minimum that keeps small jobs profitable, so you can send a professional estimate the same day.
Per-pane pricing: the industry standard
Per-pane is how most residential window cleaners quote, because one pane of glass is a unit clients can picture and verify. One pane is one section of glass — a standard double-hung window is two panes, a picture window is one, and a French door can be fifteen. Settle this first: most quoting disputes start with a client hearing "per window" while you priced "per pane." Be explicit — count panes, not openings — and write the definition on the estimate.
As a broad illustration, residential panes commonly land in the $8–$15 band when cleaned inside and out, and lower for exterior-only. These are illustrative ranges, not quotes — your market decides. A second-story specialist with water-fed poles prices differently than a generalist with a ladder and a squeegee, and both can be right for their setup.
Build your number from costs up: minutes per pane (a pro handles a standard pane in two or three minutes; cut-up windows, storm windows, and French doors take longer), water purification or solution, equipment wear on poles, squeegees, and DI systems, drive time, insurance — height work raises your premium — and taxes. If that math says $11 and your market's illustrative band is $8–$15, you are in a sensible spot.
Whole-house pricing: simpler quotes, bigger tickets
Many residential cleaners quote one flat rate per house instead of counting panes. It is faster on the phone, easier for clients to say yes to, and it raises the average ticket — a client who would have asked for "just the front windows" takes the whole house when the price is already set.
As a broad illustration, a single-story home commonly lands around $150–$250 for interior and exterior; two-story homes often run $250–$400. Exterior-only work cuts the total roughly in half. Bundle screens, sills, and tracks into the package price — it simplifies the sale and keeps you from nickel-and-diming on site.
One caution: resist bait-style pricing. A "$99 whole house" ad that becomes $299 at the door buys one job and a permanent bad review. An honest, itemized quote builds the repeat route that sustains a window cleaning business — put the scope in a short free estimate before you start.
Quote it, then invoice it — free
Billia's free invoice generator turns your window cleaning quote into a professional invoice with line items, tax, and a clean PDF.
Create my invoice — freeThe factors that move the price up
Five things change the price faster than anything else:
- Height. Second and third stories mean ladders, poles, or lifts — plus more insurance and slower work. Price height as a multiplier or a separate line item, never as an afterthought.
- Screens, sills, and tracks. Screen cleaning is real labor. Add a per-screen line item — commonly $2–$5 as an illustration — instead of swallowing the time into the base price.
- Hard water stains and paint overspray. That is restoration work, not cleaning: razor work, specialty products, sometimes a second pass. Quote it separately, in person when possible.
- Storm windows and French doors. A storm window can take three times as long as a standard pane. Price the hassle, not the glass area.
- Skylights. They are slow, awkward, and usually dirtier than everything else. A per-skylight line item keeps them fair.
Commercial work is its own lane: storefronts and offices price per pane too, but the money is in frequency. A weekly or monthly route at a modest per-visit price beats one-off jobs — schedule it, invoice it monthly, and you get the closest thing this trade has to recurring revenue.
Price from your costs up, not from the ad down
The formula is unglamorous but it works: (hours on site × the hourly rate you need to earn) + water, solution, and equipment depreciation + travel + insurance + margin. The margin funds the water-fed pole system that replaces the ladder — and the slower, safer workdays.
Then set a minimum service fee. A four-pane house still costs you drive time, setup, and teardown, so many cleaners set a floor commonly around $125–$150 as an illustration. State it on the estimate — "minimum service call $135" — and small jobs stop losing you money.
Finally, qualify before you drive. A five-minute call — how many windows, any storm windows or French doors, hard water stains, which stories — tells you whether you can quote by phone or need to see the house. Free estimates cost fuel and time; spend them on jobs you have already half-sold.
Quote it, then invoice it — free
Billia's free invoice generator turns your window cleaning quote into a professional invoice with line items, tax, and a clean PDF.
Create my invoice — freeWindow cleaning pricing does not need to be complicated: per pane for transparency, whole-house packages to raise the ticket, and separate line items for screens, stains, and height. Define what a pane is, list extras in writing, and keep a minimum that protects small jobs.
Treat the ranges here as starting points: check what window cleaners in your area charge, and let the numbers — not nerves — set the price.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge per pane or per window for window cleaning?
Per pane for residential work — it's transparent, scales fairly to big jobs, and clients understand "each piece of glass." The important part is defining it: a standard double-hung window is two panes, a French door can be fifteen. Put the definition and the pane count on the estimate so nobody does the math differently at the door.
What is a fair minimum charge for a window cleaning job?
A minimum service fee, commonly around $125–$150 as an illustration, keeps small jobs profitable by covering drive time, setup, and teardown. State it on every estimate so a tiny job never quietly loses you money.
How much should I charge for screens and tracks?
Charge them as separate line items with their own per-piece price, commonly $2–$5 per screen as an illustration. Clients who want them will choose them, your base quote stays competitive, and the upsell grows the ticket without awkward selling on site.
How do I price storm windows or hard water stain removal?
Price both as restoration work, not a standard clean — storm windows take much longer per pane, and stain removal needs specialty products and sometimes a second pass. Assess in person when possible, and get the add-on price in writing before you start so there are no surprises at the door.