How to price commercial window cleaning from the full site visit

Commercial jobs include paid time that is not spent on glass

Signing in, collecting keys, waiting for access, moving between elevations, setting up hose runs, protecting public areas and working around staff or customers can all consume time. If those activities are required by the site, they belong in the job cost.

Measure the complete visit rather than estimating only active cleaning minutes.

Access method changes productivity and equipment cost

Ground-level storefront work, water-fed-pole cleaning, internal office glass and specialist access have different production rates. Pole systems bring pure-water, resin, filters, hoses and pump wear. High-access work may require specialist equipment or subcontracted access, with additional safety planning and insurance considerations.

Do not average fundamentally different methods into one unit rate unless the blended rate has been tested against the full site economics.

Frequency can improve productivity but should not erase margin

Weekly, fortnightly or monthly contracts may be faster than infrequent cleans because soil levels are controlled and the team learns the building. Recurring work can also reduce selling and route costs. However, the price still needs to recover the real visit time and any contractual administration.

Use actual completion times after the first few visits to refine the contract rather than assuming repeat work will always be quicker.

Tender pricing should separate scope from assumptions

Commercial buyers may ask for one monthly or annual figure. Internally, break that number into visits, crew-hours, consumables, equipment and overhead. State exclusions for builders' cleans, adhesive removal, unusual access, after-hours work or additional glazing so the contract does not silently expand.

Build the site price before the pane or area rate

Per-pane and per-square-metre rates are useful for comparing elevations and tender options, but they should come after the full job is costed. Calculate the required pre-tax price first, then divide by the chosen unit. This keeps fixed site-access costs visible.

A practical commercial pricing sequence

1. Map the glazing scope, inside/outside requirements and frequency.
2. Choose the access and cleaning method for each area.
3. Estimate total paid crew-hours, including site non-cleaning time.
4. Add pure water, consumables and equipment wear.
5. Add travel, parking and vehicle cost.
6. Add specialist access or subcontractor cost where required.
7. Allocate business overhead and contract administration.
8. Apply fees, contingency and the retained margin target.
9. Add tax only where required.

Common commercial window-cleaning pricing mistakes

• pricing only from glass area
• ignoring site induction and access delays
• not recovering pure-water system costs
• underpricing internal glass compared with exterior pole work
• assuming recurring contracts automatically become faster
• failing to define exclusions for specialist or remedial work

Related window-cleaning pricing resources

For residential and route-based work, read Window Cleaning Cost. For a broader method, see How to Price Window Cleaning Services.