How much does window cleaning cost?
The simple answer to this question is: “it varies”.
In this blog post we’ll outline the main reasons for this variation as well as our standard approach to pricing.
Window Cleaning Culture
First, price will vary depending on the window cleaning culture in the country in which you live. For example, here in the UK most residential customers have their windows cleaned externally on a regular basis e.g. monthly, two-monthly or quarterly. While in the US, Europe and Australia people only tend to have their windows cleaned once or twice a year, inside and out. In the US in particular, houses are typically much larger than the average UK home and may also have fly screens which need to be cleaned. The cost per clean in the UK is therefore much lower than in the US where the average price of window cleaning is in the region of USD 300-500 (about £230-400)!
As we’re based in the UK, let’s focus in on the factors that drive variability in window cleaning prices here.
Location in the UK
Window cleaning prices will be affected, to a certain degree, by where you live in the UK. Local house prices, the local economy and job market can all influence window cleaning prices. For example, costs will typically be higher in London than other areas of the UK.
Number and Type of Windows and Frame Material
In the UK there is a lot of variation in the size, age and style of homes and therefore the number and type of windows at each property. Generally, the more windows you have the more you will pay for your clean. However, the type of windows you have and the material the window frames are made of will also influence price, with certain styles of window or frame being more labour intensive to clean than others. Some common window and frame types include:
Timber framed sash windows;
Timber framed Georgian style windows;
Modern uPVC double-glazed windows;
Modern windows with powder coated aluminium frames.
Window Cleaning Method Required: Traditional or Water-Fed Pole?
There are generally two methods used to clean windows:
Traditional methods involve using hand tools and cloths and will most often utilise ladders for access to higher windows.
Water fed pole aka Reach and Wash systems use purified water, fed through an extendable, telescopic pole with a brush on then end.
Neither method is better or worse per se. They are each suited to different applications. For example, internal windows will always need to be cleaned traditionally to avoid spraying water indoors. Particularly heavy dirt on first cleans or one-off jobs will usually need to be tackled by hand as well. Water fed pole methods have the advantage of being able to reach some otherwise tricky windows and are much more efficient at cleaning certain window types e.g. modern leaded windows, or windows with lots of smaller panes.
Who is Offering You the Quote?
Window cleaners can range from individuals to large companies and, as such, business overheads vary significantly between providers with costs reflecting this. Experience and the quality of a clean and reliability of service will also vary considerably. Things to consider when comparing quotes from different window cleaners are:
Are they a new starter, or experienced and established?
Are they local to you?
Are they a sole trader or a VAT registered business?
Are they insured?
Do they pay tax or do they take a lot of cash in hand?
If they employ staff, are the staff on the books or paid cash?
We (RJT Window Cleaning) are a family run business based in Kent (southeast England), where we have been operating since 2009. We are VAT registered and fully insured. Our company culture is strong and we have good employee retention with low staff turnover. We look after our small team of friendly staff so that they look after our customers.
Our Approach to Pricing Jobs
Here are a few things that we consider when pricing up a window cleaning job:
How often will the windows be cleaned?
Is it a one off or a regular clean?
Will it be external only or inside too?
Will the first clean be particularly difficult e.g after building work?
How easy is it to access the property and to reach the windows?
Are there any tricky windows e.g. in the pitched roof or over conservatories?
What methods will need to be used for example traditional or water fed pole/reach & wash?
Prices for External Window Cleaning
We tend to break each job down into a number of “units”. As a general rule, one window = one unit but we may count two smaller windows together as one unit or a larger window with lots of smaller panes as three or four units. We then apply a standard price per unit.
This ensures that all our prices are consistent and fair across the board and none of our customers are subsidising any of our other customers by paying too much. For much larger jobs with lots of windows, we may be able to bulk price and charge a lower unit price.
Our standard pricing is for regular (monthly or two-monthly) external window cleaning, including frames and sills, and can range from £10 for the front of a small, terraced house to £200 for a very large modern house with lots of large windows and glass balustrades. For a typical, mid-sized house our average price for regular external window cleaning is £25-35. For further pricing examples check out the Pricing Guide page of our website.
For one-off cleans, cleans carried out less frequently or for cleans following building work we apply the following pricing structure:
3 or 4 monthly = standard pricing + 20-25%
6 monthly = standard pricing + 50%
Ad hoc / one off = standard pricing + 100%
Pricing for Builders Cleans
These are window cleans carried out on newly built or extensively renovated homes immediately after building work and are charged per hour. This is because you can never tell exactly how long they will take. We are able to give a reasonable estimate but there is the possibility that cement spatter or silicone smears could significantly hamper progress.
Pricing for Internal Window Cleaning
We also recommend internal window cleaning at least once or twice a year to ensure the best results. There are two sides to every pane of glass after all and interior glass gets dirty too, particularly if you have children or pets around! Our pricing rule of thumb for an internal window clean is one and a half times our standard external pricing. This is because internal windows take longer to clean than external windows as they tend to be cleaned less frequently and significant care is needed when working in people’s houses to avoid spillages or damage to furniture and ornaments.
So, for example, the internal window cleaning on a property where the external window clean is £20 per month would cost an additional £30.
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Other window cleaners may use other approaches to pricing jobs. For example, a common approach is to have a rough per hour turnover target and then to price a job based on an estimate of how long it is likely to take. In fact, we used to quote in this way but we found that this often leads to haphazard pricing and jobs that are under- or over-priced. Pricing done in this way also becomes more variable when you have more than one member of a team trained to carry out quotes (as we do).
So, as you can see there are lots of factors to be taken into consideration when pricing window cleaning jobs and when comparing window cleaners and their quotes. We hope this will help when it comes to deciding which window cleaning quote to go for.
If you have any questions about our services or would like a quote for your window cleaning, please Contact Us.