When starting a window cleaning service business, one major way you can stand out from the competition is your pricing strategy. But this doesn’t mean you need to set rock-bottom rates. Instead, you can use your pricing to position your business, communicate your value, and maximize your profits—all while satisfying your customers.

It’s a delicate balance, but it’s one worth mastering. This window cleaning pricing guide will help you understand what factors to consider when setting your prices, plus how to develop a pricing strategy that draws customers to you rather than your competition.

How to set window cleaning prices that balance value with profit

Most residential window cleaners charge per pane of glass. This tends to be more straightforward than charging an hourly rate or by square foot—especially since it doesn’t cut into your profits if your team is quick and efficient.

To set window cleaning prices that make your customers and your bottom line happy, follow these steps:

1. Check local rates

Residential window washing services, like those from Nashville’s Window Ninjas, help homeowners keep their homes bright and clean. (Source)

Your local area’s window cleaning rates might be higher or lower than the national average, so it pays to do a little research on your competition. Knowing what they charge per pane or per hour gives you a solid starting point when setting your own window cleaning prices. 

Residential window cleaning pricing guide

The average residential window cleaning price in the United States is $220, and most jobs cost anywhere from $150 to $302. Cost per window ranges from $4 to $15, and size, window height, and style also determine the final price. 

For example, washing a double-hung window typically costs about $8, compared to a picture window with eight panes, which typically costs about $40—or $5 per pane.

Home services site Angi provides a quick look at the average cleaning cost per window pane to give you a better idea of how pricing per pane might pan out:

• Double-hung (or double-pane) window: $4 per pane
• Standard picture window: $5 per pane
• Casement window: $7 per pane
• Storm window: $7 per pane
• Sliding glass doors: $7 per pane
• Large single-pane picture window: $12 per pane
• Skylight: $12 per pane
• Tri-fold bay window: $28 per window

As you can see, costs go up as windows get larger or as the number of panes increases. This higher cost covers the extra time and labor required to clean larger areas or detail extra trim.

Commercial window cleaning pricing guide

Boston’s Cliffhangers provides commercial window cleaning and high-rise window washing services. (Source)

While you might be able to charge per pane for residential jobs, commercial services often include factors that may make it more appealing to charge by the hour. These can include the need to clean multiple large picture windows and doors, not to mention accessing windows in high-rise office buildings. 

The average cost for commercial window cleaning is $40 to $60 per hour, while high-rise window cleaning services jump up to about $170 per hour. 

Some window cleaning businesses also take on jobs cleaning the windows of newly constructed homes. These jobs can be a bit more intensive than a residential service since you’ll need to clean off construction dust and debris.

With all the extra scrubbing involved, the average cost of cleaning new construction windows is between $4 and $5 per pane—and up to $7 extra for windows covered in putty, paint, or other hard-to-remove materials.

2. Factor in job-specific window cleaning costs

The most popular types of windows in the US often have between one and three panes. (Source)

Certain jobs may require a larger time investment or might include unique cost factors. For example, you may charge a lower price for a small home with 10 traditional double-hung windows than you would for a home of a similar size that includes a French door, two sliding glass doors, and a skylight.

What influences window cleaning costs?

Some job-specific factors that can influence your final price include:

• Types and number of windows: Multi-pane or large windows require more time to clean, and larger homes often take a longer time to clean because they have more windows.
• Interior vs. exterior windows: Some jobs may require you to only clean exterior windows, while others need you to remove dust and grime buildup from both exterior and interior windows.
• Glass doors and picture windows: Putting the sparkle back on picture windows that are larger than 3 to 5 feet or sliding glass doors? You can count them as two panes in your cost estimate. 
• Hard-to-reach windows: Washing windows on the second story or above requires additional equipment, like a ladder or extension pole, and also poses additional safety risks for your window cleaning crew. That’s why second- and third-story windows typically cost $3 to $5 more.

It’s also a good idea to check how dirty the windows are before you hand the homeowner your estimate. Windows with a light layer of dust require less time to clean than windows caked in grime. Plus, hard-to-clean substances like hard water or paint will likely require special materials to restore windows to their original shine.

Should you charge to clean window sills, screens, and tracks?

GorillaDesk’s dynamic estimates give your customers the choice to pay for extra services. (Source)

It’s up to you whether to tack on an additional small fee for cleaning window sills, screens, and tracks—or to clean them at all.

Some window washers include a basic cleaning for these items and don’t charge extra. Others skip cleaning these altogether—or only clean window screens. If they do charge, most window cleaning companies charge anywhere from 5 cents to $5 for window tracks, sills, and screens.

An option is to leave the choice in the hands of your customer and offer two different cleaning packages. A lower-cost package could include very basic or no cleaning of the window sills, screens, or tracks alongside cleaning the glass, while a higher-cost package could include a thorough scrubbing of the sills, screens, and tracks.

Using service business software like GorillaDesk makes it easy to create dynamic estimates that help customers understand their options. By creating a dynamic estimate, you give homeowners accurate estimates based on the exact specifications of their home—all the way down to each individual window.

3. Add up your business costs

Excess grime and mineral deposits can raise the cost of your window cleaning services. (Source)

Pricing your window cleaning services requires you to take a look at your business expenses. This shows you what you need to earn per job to at least break even—or better yet, make a profit. Your final window cleaning prices should consider the total cost of labor, material, and overhead expenses.

How to calculate the total cost of a window cleaning job

You can use this formula to calculate the total cost of a project:

Total Cost = (Labor Cost + Material Cost + Overhead Cost)

For example, let’s say your labor cost for the job was $45 for three hours of work, your material cost was $100, and your overhead cost was $75.

That means your total cost equals $220.

Labor costs

Whether you’re running your professional window cleaning service solo or managing a team, getting a grip on your labor costs is crucial. You need to know how long each job should take and how much you’ll pay yourself and your team in order to set prices that cover these costs.

When tallying up your labor costs, be sure to account for these items:

• Hourly wages and any overtime pay
• Benefits such as health insurance and retirement plan contributions
• Payroll taxes, including Social Security and Medicare taxes
• Workers’ compensation insurance
• Training costs, both for new hires and ongoing development
• Travel time between job sites
• Administrative time spent on job estimates, paperwork, and customer communication

Window cleaners make an average of $14.28 per hour in the US, and wages vary by location, education, and experience. Depending on your local area’s idea of fair pay, this can help you figure out your basic labor costs as long as you have a time estimate for each job.

Material costs

You should also consider the cost of supplies and materials, like soap, ladders, and drying cloths, when estimating your window cleaning prices. Some jobs may require you to invest in specialty window cleaning tools, like roof rigs and safety equipment for cleaning high-rise windows.

Your window cleaning material costs may include: 

• Cleaning solutions: All-purpose window cleaner and specialized cleaning products for removing mineral deposits
• Cleaning supplies: Squeegees, microfiber cloths, buckets, scrapers, blades, and sponges
• Other equipment: Extension poles, ladders, and water-fed poles
• Safety gear: Harnesses, non-slip shoes, safety glasses, and helmets

Don’t forget to regularly review your materials list and expenses to account for any changes in cost over time.

Overhead costs

Last but not least, factor in your overhead costs to determine how much you’ll need to earn per window cleaning job to make a profit. Most window cleaning companies’ overhead costs include:

• Insurance, including general liability, vehicle, and workers’ compensation insurance
• Vehicle payments and fuel costs
• Marketing and advertising costs, such as your website and platforms like Google Business Profile
• Office expenses, including rent, utilities, and office supplies
• Scheduling, booking, and accounting software
• Licensing and permits
• Uniforms

Again, it’s important to regularly review your overhead costs. This allows you to adjust your prices as your expenses go up or down, which means you’ll always charge your customers a fair price that also results in a profit for you.

Get the most from your advertising budget: Learn which marketing metrics and channels matter most when it comes to getting the word out about your business.

4. Calculate your profit margin

Your profit margin reflects your total revenue minus all expenses. The general consensus is that most cleaning businesses earn a profit margin of 10–28%. 

Many in the business seem to agree that profit margins are higher for residential-focused window cleaning businesses compared to commercial-focused ones, and industry data agrees. IBISWorld reports that the latest window washing industry profit sits at 6.7% of revenue.

To calculate your window cleaning business profit margin, you need to start by calculating the total cost of each window cleaning job, then figure out how much to charge your customer for that job by calculating your total price.

Window cleaning pricing formula

Once you have a target profit margin, you can use that along with your total cost to determine a fair price that accounts for your expenses and pushes you past the break-even point.

To calculate your total price for a window cleaning job, use this formula: 

Total Price = Total Cost + (Profit Margin Percentage x Total Cost)

Using the total cost of $220 we previously calculated, let’s say we’re aiming for a 15% profit margin for our business. Here’s how we’d calculate the total price using those numbers:

$220 + (15% x $220) = Total Price of $253

By multiplying our target profit margin of 15% by our total costs, we can determine that we need to add $33 to our total cost to make a profit; this gives us a total price of $253.

5. Win more jobs with custom quotes

GorillaDesk’s cleaning business software includes tools for creating custom estimates. (Source)

One way to positively impact your profits is to offer custom quotes and dynamic estimates. These allow you to cater to customer needs and preferences by creating choose-your-own estimate packages or customizing quotes to special requests.

Using a digital system instead of paper makes it easy to offer personalized pricing that still factors in your costs and target profit margin. It also improves your accuracy in the field and streamlines estimate approvals. No more playing phone tag or delaying service to bring paperwork back to the office.

GorillaDesk’s window cleaning business software helps you create tailored estimates by tagging services as “required,” “recommended,” and “optional.” This creates a positive customer experience where clients have the knowledge and power to choose which services fit their needs.

Built-in customer relationship management (CRM) tools help you keep track of important client notes—including a complete customer history along with any business documents you’ve created, like custom estimates and invoices.

These features all add up to a major boost in efficiency. Now, instead of shuffling paperwork, you’ll have more time to win over new customers or hop in the van and polish the next set of windows.

GorillaDesk makes it easy to run a profitable window cleaning business

To earn a profit from your window cleaning company, you’ll need to think carefully about how you price your services. Choosing prices that aren’t too low but also don’t deter customers is a balancing act.

If you’re just starting out, it often helps to charge competitive prices, then gradually increase those prices once you’ve earned a good reputation. Use business software like GorillaDesk to remain profitable during this time and continue running your business like a well-oiled machine. 

Start your 14-day free trial now to find out how GorillaDesk can help your window cleaning business grow.