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How to price window cleaning (per window, by height, with a minimum)

Window cleaning is one of the easiest services for a customer to describe, because people can count their windows. That makes a per-window price a good fit, as long as you define what a "window" is, account for height and inside-versus-outside, and set a minimum so small jobs still pay. Here's how to build each piece from your own jobs.

About the numbers here: every figure in the examples is hypothetical and only shows the method. They are not market rates. Check your local market and your own costs.

Step 1: Define what counts as one window

Per-window pricing only works if you and the customer count the same way. Write a short rule and put it in the calculator's quantity label or note, for example:

A standard single- or double-hung window, inside and out, counts as 1.
A large picture window or patio door counts as 2.
Divided-light ("French pane") windows count by groups of panes, since each small pane takes its own wipe.
Skylights and windows that need a lift or roof access are quoted on site.

Whatever your rule, use it when you log jobs, too. Otherwise your per-window pace won't match what customers enter.

Step 2: Log your next 10 jobs

For each job, note the window count (by your rule), stories, whether it was inside and out or exterior only, and minutes on site, including ladder moves, drop cloths and cleanup.

Hypothetical log for illustration.
Job	Windows	Stories	Sides	Minutes	Windows per hour
A	18	1	In + out	95	11.4
B	24	1	In + out	120	12.0
C	20	2	In + out	135	8.9
D	30	2	Exterior only	110	16.4
E	15	1	Exterior only	45	20.0

In this made-up log, one-story inside-and-out jobs run about 11–12 windows per hour. Two-story and exterior-only jobs have their own paces, which become multipliers in steps 4 and 5.

Step 3: Turn the base pace into a per-window range

Use one-story, inside-and-out as the base. Divide your hourly target (what a billable hour must earn; see the general method) by your fast and slow base pace, then add supplies.

Hypothetical example. Hourly target $75. $75 ÷ 12 windows/h = $6.25 per window (fast). $75 ÷ 11 windows/h = $6.82 (slow). Solution, pads, blades and towels add about $0.25 per window, so the base is about $6.50–$7.10 per window.

Step 4: Height is a multiplier

Upper-floor windows don't add a fixed amount. They slow every window: ladder setups, moves and more careful work. So height should multiply the per-window rate. From the log, one-story inside-and-out averaged about 11.7 windows/h and two-story about 8.9, so the two-story factor is 11.7 ÷ 8.9 ≈ 1.3. Give three-story homes their own higher factor, or an "inspect first" note if you rarely do them.

Step 5: Exterior-only is a multiplier below 1

Many customers only want the outside done. Instead of a separate price list, use a factor. In the log, one-story exterior-only ran 20 windows/h against 11.7 for inside and out, so the factor is 11.7 ÷ 20 ≈ 0.6. Check that the result still covers your setup. That's what the minimum in step 7 is for.

Step 6: Screens, tracks and things to quote on site

Screens and tracks: time a few jobs with and without them. If the base pace works out to about 5 minutes per window and screens and tracks add about 1¼ minutes, that's roughly 25% more, so a ×1.25 factor. If your customers' screens vary a lot, a flat per-screen add-on works too.
Hard-water stains, paint overspray or construction residue: removal can take far longer than a normal clean, and some methods risk scratching the glass. Don't guess in the calculator. Say "quoted on site after a test spot."
Related exterior work: if you also clean gutters or siding, offer them as separate calculators so each keeps its own unit. See the gutter cleaning and pressure washing templates.

Step 7: The minimum ticket

Driving over, unloading ladders, laying drop cloths and packing up take roughly the same time for 8 windows as for 25. Set the minimum at your shortest realistic visit × hourly target.

Hypothetical example. Shortest realistic visit 1.5 hours × $75 = $112.50, so a $115 minimum. A one-story home with 10 windows, exterior only, works out to 10 × $6.50–$7.10 × 0.6 = $39–$43, so the customer sees $115 and up. That's correct: below it, the visit loses money.

Step 8: Check it against reality

Run three past jobs through the calculator with your new numbers. If the ranges cover what you charged and earned, publish. If they come out well below what established local companies charge, your billable-hours assumption is probably too optimistic (weather days and drive time add up), or you're underpriced. Fix the inputs, not the output.

The result, as a customer sees it

This is the window-cleaning template with sample numbers (not the hypothetical ones above). Open it in the builder to enter your per-window range, height and exterior-only factors, screens option and minimum, and to put your counting rule in the quantity label.