Window cleaning · pricing guide
Window cleaning pricing: how to quote a job that actually pays
"Per pane" pricing breaks down the moment a job has second-story access, storm windows, or a storefront route — access difficulty moves the real cost more than pane count does. Here's the cost structure, the formula, and where quotes go wrong.
Last updated September 17, 2026
What a window cleaning job actually costs
Window cleaning pricing is the process of turning a job's real costs — labor, equipment and supplies, access difficulty, and business overhead — into a rate that accounts for more than pane count alone. Labor typically runs $30–$55 per hour for a one- to two-person crew; equipment and supplies like squeegees, solution, and poles add $5–$20 per job; access equipment for hard-to-reach work adds $0–$50+; and overhead — insurance, equipment wear, software — should be budgeted as 10–15% of revenue. Access difficulty is the line a flat per-pane rate ignores completely: second-story exterior panes, storm windows that need removal, and screens all add real time a ground-floor interior clean doesn't carry.
Pane count sets the baseline. These costs set the real price:
| Cost component | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Labor (per hour, 1-2 person crew) | $30–$55 |
| Equipment & supplies (squeegees, solution, poles, per job) | $5–$20 |
| Access equipment (ladders, lifts — for hard-to-reach jobs) | $0–$50+ |
| Overhead allocation (insurance, equipment wear, software) | 10–15% of revenue |
Access difficulty is the line a flat per-pane rate ignores completely. Second-story exterior panes, storm windows that need removal, and screens all add real time a ground-floor interior clean doesn't carry — price the access, not just the glass.
The pricing formula
Cost-plus pricing works backward from the margin you need:
Price = Total cost ÷ (1 − target margin)
Total cost: $70 labor + $12 supplies + $15 access equipment = $97
Target margin: 30%
Price = $97 ÷ (1 − 0.30) = $139
A flat "$4 a pane" quote on 25 panes ($100) undercuts this by nearly 30% once ladder work is factored in.
Common pricing mistakes
A ground-floor pane and a second-story pane behind a fixed shutter are not the same job. Build access difficulty into the rate, not just pane count.
Storefront work is won on route reliability and volume, not the lowest price — a rate that only works at high volume breaks the moment one stop drops off the route.
Removing, cleaning, and rehanging screens or storm windows adds real time per window. Quoting the glass alone and discovering the screens on-site is a margin surprise, not a professional estimate.
See this math on your own numbers in 10 seconds.
Free profit calculatorBeyond one job: pricing every job the same way
The formula above works job by job. Running it across storefront routes and large commercial bids is what the paid tools below are built for.
Price for a living, not just this job
Three tools for three parts of the business
Pick the one that matches where you're stuck right now — there's no bundle for window cleaning yet, so mix and match.
- Estimate & Pricing Calculator — labor, travel, and the margin you need, $24.99
- Commercial Storefront Route Tracker — routes, service frequency, and recurring revenue, $24.99
- Large Commercial Bid Estimator — scope, labor, travel, and project economics, $29.99
FAQ
- Do I need a window cleaning business template, or just a pricing calculator?
- Start with the calculator if pricing is the immediate pain point. Add the Storefront Route Tracker once you're managing recurring commercial accounts, and the Bid Estimator once you're quoting large commercial jobs.
- What should a window cleaning pricing calculator account for beyond pane count?
- Access difficulty (ground floor vs. second story vs. lift-required), screens and storm windows, and travel — a per-pane rate alone misses all three.
- How is a commercial storefront route priced differently from residential window cleaning?
- Storefront routes are won on reliability and volume across many stops on a schedule, not a single job's margin — the Commercial Storefront Route Tracker prices the route as a whole instead of one storefront at a time.
- How do I bid a large commercial window cleaning project?
- Large commercial bids need scope (pane count and access type by floor), crew size, travel, and contingency for unknowns like locked-out areas — the Large Commercial Bid Estimator is built specifically for that math.