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Begin with ground-level storefront routes and one- and two-story homes, using a squeegee kit, ladders and possibly a water-fed pole with purified water. Form the business, insure it for ladder and property risks, follow OSHA ladder rules once you hire, and price per window or per pane with add-ons for screens and tracks. Build recurring storefront routes for steady income and sell residential cleans in spring and fall.
Key takeaways
- Storefront routes (monthly or every few weeks) give steady cash between residential seasons.
- Ladders are the main hazard. OSHA's general industry ladder rules apply once you have employees.
- A water-fed pole with purified water keeps more work on the ground and speeds up exterior glass.
- Price by window or pane, with clear add-ons for screens, tracks, hard water and interior glass.
- Rebooking reminders turn this year's spring clean into next year's without a single ad.
Window cleaning has an appealing setup: a starter kit that fits in a small vehicle, a skill that gets faster with practice, and customers who need the same windows cleaned again next season. It also has one real danger, which is height. The companies that last pick their work carefully, invest in technique and safe access, and build recurring routes that keep the van moving in slow months. This guide covers the work, safety and insurance, equipment, pricing, first customers, back-office systems and regional seasons.
What does a window cleaning business do?
Three markets, each with its own rhythm:
- Storefront routes. Ground-level glass on shops, restaurants, offices and banks, cleaned on a schedule (weekly, every two weeks, monthly). Small tickets, many stops, very steady.
- Residential. Homes cleaned inside and out, usually once or twice a year, with screens, tracks and sills. Larger tickets, seasonal peaks.
- Low-rise commercial. Two- to four-story offices and apartment buildings, often with a water-fed pole or lift. Higher-rise work involving rope descent systems, suspended platforms or boom lifts is a specialty with its own training and OSHA requirements. OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.27, for example, requires written certification from the building owner that rope descent anchorages have been identified, tested, certified and maintained, and does not allow rope descent systems higher than 300 feet above grade unless the employer shows other access is not feasible or would be more hazardous. Leave this work until you have the training and the gear.
Related services include screen repair, hard water stain removal, gutter cleaning, solar panel cleaning, skylights and post-construction glass cleanup (paint, stickers and debris, removed carefully without scratching). Pick one or two to start.
A word on technique: speed with a squeegee comes from practice on real glass, not from buying better tools. Spend a few weekends cleaning windows for friends and family before you charge strangers, and time each job. Your timings become the basis for your prices, and the practice saves you from streaks, drips and missed corners on your first paid jobs.
Safety, legal basics and insurance
None of this is legal or insurance advice, and local requirements differ, so confirm each point for your own city and state. Register the business the way any service company does, with an EIN (free when you apply directly with the IRS) and a business account. Our EIN guide covers that step. Ask your city whether you need a local business license.
Ladders. Ladder work is where this trade gets dangerous. OSHA's ladder rule for general industry, 29 CFR 1910.23, covers rung spacing, inspecting ladders before initial use in each work shift, facing the ladder and keeping at least one hand on it while climbing, and not carrying objects that could cause a fall. Work on an active construction site, such as post-construction cleanup, can fall under OSHA's construction rules instead, including 29 CFR 1926.1053 for ladders. Once you have employees, OSHA's rules apply to your workplace. Practical habits regardless of size: inspect ladders before use, use stabilizers or standoffs that keep the ladder off the glass, set the base on firm footing, keep three points of contact, and never overreach. When a window can be cleaned from the ground with a pole, do that instead.
Insurance. General liability is the policy for broken glass, damaged screens or frames, and a passerby who trips over your ladder; confirm with your agent what yours covers. Insure tools and the vehicle. Read the policy for any height limit or exclusion, and ask your agent directly before you take on upper-story work. If you hire, the SBA lists workers' compensation as required for businesses with employees, with laws that vary by state, and it is a real cost in a ladder trade. Our insurance guide covers each policy.
Glass damage claims. Scratch disputes happen, and the cause is not always obvious. Inspect the glass and photograph existing scratches and damage before you start, use a scraper only where appropriate, and put your policy on scratches and scraping in writing before the job.
What equipment does a window cleaner need?
Traditional kit:
- squeegee handles and channels in a few lengths, with quality rubber;
- applicators (strip washers) and a bucket designed for them;
- scrapers for paint and debris, used carefully and only where appropriate;
- towels and detailing cloths;
- a tool belt or holster;
- an extension pole for upper panes reachable from the ground;
- ladders sized for your homes, with stabilizers and levelers.
Water-fed pole system:
- a telescoping pole with a brush head;
- a water purification setup (deionization resin, reverse osmosis or both) so glass dries without spots;
- hose, reel and, for some setups, a tank and pump in the vehicle.
Water-fed poles keep you on the ground for much second- and third-story exterior work and are fast on storefronts and frames. They do not replace squeegee skill for interiors. Prices vary by setup and region, so price systems with a supplier before buying. You can start with a squeegee kit and ladders, then add a pole once exterior work proves out.
How do you price window cleaning?
Price per window or per pane. Customers can count windows; they cannot judge hours. Define your unit (a standard double-hung window inside and out, for example), then add modifiers:
| Factor | How it affects the price |
|---|---|
| Inside and out vs exterior only | Interior work adds a second cleaning per window, plus time to move furniture and protect floors |
| Height and access | Ladder work on upper floors costs more than ground-level glass |
| Window type | French panes, casements and storms take longer than plain glass |
| Screens and tracks | Priced per screen or as an add-on package |
| Hard water or construction debris | Priced separately, after a test spot |
| Frequency | Recurring storefront and twice-yearly residential clients earn a lower unit price |
Storefront routes are priced per visit, based on panes and frequency. Keep a minimum so a single small storefront still covers the stop. Build every price from your cost per working hour, which our pricing guide explains, then sanity-check against local competitors.
Quotes for homes can often be done from photos or a street view plus a few questions (how many windows, any French panes, screens). Speed matters, and Thumbtack makes the same point to its own pros: its refund policy page says many customers hire the pro who is quickest and most helpful. A same-day photo quote beats an estimate appointment next week.
How do you get the first window cleaning customers?
Storefronts: walk in. Pick a commercial strip, clean one window free as a demonstration if the manager agrees, and leave a card with a per-visit price and schedule. A storefront owner is buying reliability, so show up on the agreed day every time.
Residential: neighbors and seasons. Clean one house well, then leave a flyer on nearby doors offering the same day next week. Spring and fall reminders to your past customers can grow into a steady source of residential work, because the same windows need cleaning again.
Partners. Realtors (listing prep), property managers (move-outs, common areas), builders (post-construction cleanup) and house cleaners who do not do exterior glass.
Marketplaces list window requests, often one-time. Paying per lead to compete with other pros for a single cleaning can work early. Weigh it against what a recurring storefront or a twice-yearly homeowner is worth when you win them directly. The window cleaning industry page explains how we market this trade.
Systems to set up from day one
- Route scheduling and recurring invoicing. Storefronts on a cycle, visits generated automatically, invoices sent or cards charged after each one. A custom CRM can run that cycle plus residential rebooking.
- Rebooking reminders. Every residential job sets a reminder for the next season. An email or text from you in March to last spring's customers fills April.
- A business phone with missed-call texts for the calls you cannot take on a ladder. See business phones.
- A website with clear services, a window-count quote form, photo upload and your service area.
- A Google Business Profile with photos of sparkling glass (shot from inside, toward the light).
- Email on your domain, set up so quote emails reach inboxes.
How seasonal is window cleaning across regions?
- Northern states: residential peaks in spring (after winter grime and pollen) and fall (before holidays and storm windows). Exterior work becomes hard below freezing, though storefront routes continue in many places with adjusted techniques and additives. Some owners add holiday lighting installation or gutter cleaning in late fall.
- Mid-Atlantic and central states: long spring and fall seasons, with summer heat slowing work midday.
- South and Southwest: year-round work, with hard water spotting and dust in arid regions and pollen spikes in spring in the Southeast. Sun-heated glass dries solution quickly, so early starts help.
- Coastal areas: salt spray can mean more frequent residential cleaning.
Pair window cleaning with pressure washing or gutter work and the same customer list supports two or three visits a year. Browse the other trade guides on our start a company hub, or ask us for a free system quote of your phone, website and booking flow.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a license to clean windows?
Check with your city and state before you start, since requirements vary. Many cities require a general business license, and high-rise work brings extra OSHA requirements such as those for rope descent systems.
Should I buy a water-fed pole right away?
It depends on your work. For exterior glass on two-story homes and storefront frames it saves ladder time; for interior work you still need squeegee skills. Adding one once exterior jobs are steady keeps the spending in step with the work.
How do you price windows: per window or per hour?
Per window or pane usually works better, with add-ons for screens, tracks, hard water and height. Customers can count windows, and you benefit as you get faster.
What are the OSHA rules for ladders?
The general industry rule, 29 CFR 1910.23, covers ladder design, inspection before each shift and safe climbing; construction sites fall under 29 CFR 1926.1053. They apply to employers, so read them before your first hire and train every worker.
Sources
General information for service-business owners, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state; check with a qualified professional for your situation.