What are typical window cleaning prices in 2026?
A typical residential window cleaning job costs $184 to $387, and most people pay about $266, according to Thumbtack’s window cleaning price data (updated March 2026). Small jobs start near $106 and large homes reach $685 or more.
The same guide quotes real per-window and per-pane prices from pros around the country, which is the useful part for setting your own card:
| Unit | Examples in Thumbtack’s 2026 guide |
|---|---|
| Per window, inside and out | $4 (one Salt Lake City pro: $3 outside plus $1 inside) to $6 or $7 (pros in Texas) |
| Double-hung (counted as two windows) | $8 per window |
| Multi-pane | $4 per pane; a five-pane window is $20 |
| Window tracks | $1 or more per window |
| Post-construction | A pro at $4 a window charges $5 for construction cleanup |
| Hourly | $50 an hour national average, $25 low end |
Those per-window numbers are low compared with what a two-person crew needs to earn in most metro areas, which is why established companies quote by the house and use per-window math internally. The sections below build that card. For equipment, insurance and finding your first clients, see how to start a window cleaning business; this page is only about the price sheet.
Per window or per pane: which unit should you price by?
Price per window on standard homes and per pane on divided-light, French and multi-pane windows. A “window” is a single sash opening with one or two large panes; a “pane” is each separate piece of glass with its own frame. Define both on your quote so a 15-pane French door is never mistaken for one window.
| Window type | How to count it | Typical minutes, inside and out |
|---|---|---|
| Single-hung or casement, one pane | 1 window | 4 to 6 |
| Double-hung, two sashes | 1 window (or 2, as some pros count it) | 6 to 8 |
| Picture window, large | 1.5 to 2 windows | 6 to 10 |
| Sliding glass door | 2 windows | 8 to 12 |
| French door, 15 lites each side | 15 panes per door | 15 to 25 |
| Divided-light window, 6 lites | 6 panes | 6 to 10 |
| Skylight | Priced each | 10 to 20, roof access |
| Storm windows | Window plus 50% to 100% | Double the glass, removal and refit |
The minutes column is the point. A per-pane price of $3 to $5 is not a different price; it is the same minutes-based price applied to glass that takes longer to detail. Time ten windows of each type on your first jobs, write the averages down, and your unit prices will stop drifting.
A residential window cleaning price list
A working residential card has an outside price, an inside price, add-ons for screens, tracks and sills, a story multiplier and a minimum. Here is one you can copy. The numbers are starting points for a two-person crew; adjust them to your costs, not to the cheapest competitor.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum visit | $125 to $150 | Covers drive, setup and insurance |
| Standard window, outside only, ground floor | $4 to $6 | Pole or ladder, squeegee or water-fed |
| Standard window, inside only | $3 to $5 | Includes sills wiped |
| Standard window, inside and out | $7 to $11 | Most quotes are this line |
| Second story | Plus 25% to 50% per window | Ladder moves and risk |
| Third story or steep access | Plus 75% to 100%, or quoted | Water-fed pole may be faster than a ladder |
| Per pane (French, divided light) | $3 to $5 per pane, per side | Count panes on the walk-through |
| Screens | $2 to $5 each | Remove, wash, dry, refit |
| Tracks and sills, deep | $1 to $3 per window | Thumbtack: $1 or more per window |
| Hard water or mineral stains | $5 to $15 per window after a test spot | No promise on etched glass |
| Sliding glass door | Counted as 2 windows | Tracks are a separate line |
| Skylight | $15 to $40 each | Roof access and fall risk |
| Post-construction glass | Plus 25% to 100%, or hourly | Paint, stickers, stucco; razor work needs a release |
| Recurring plan (2 to 4 visits a year) | 10% to 15% off | Card on file, reminder text |
Put the inside-and-out price first on your website; it is the line clients compare. Keep the card to one page and give it to every client with the invoice. The free price list template is built for this; replace the house cleaning rows with the ones above. If you sell house cleaning alongside windows, the guide to house cleaning prices covers that side of the card.
What moves a window cleaning price up or down?
Stories, access, glass condition and frequency move the price more than window count. A 20-window ranch cleaned every quarter is a very different job from a 20-window three-story on a slope that has not been cleaned in five years.
- Stories and ladders. Every ladder move is time and risk. OSHA’s Stop Falls campaign is aimed at exactly this work; your insurance carrier prices second-story work higher and so should you. A water-fed pole can make upper exterior glass faster than a ladder, which lets you keep the story premium as margin.
- Condition. First-time cleans on neglected glass take twice as long: oxidation, screen-burn, hard water and paint. Quote a first-clean price and a lower maintenance price.
- Screens and tracks. Thumbtack notes that removing and wiping screens is often standard, but deep track cleaning is an add-on. Decide what your base includes and say so.
- Inside access. Furniture, blinds, plants and window seats slow interior work. A quick walk-through before quoting the inside is worth it.
- Frequency. Quarterly clients are faster and cheaper to serve; price the plan lower and the one-time call higher.
- Drive time. Count it. At the IRS standard rate of 76 cents a mile (July to December 2026), a 30-mile round trip is about $23 before anyone’s wages.
Three worked quotes, from costs to price
These quotes use hypothetical numbers so you can see the method: time per window, crew cost, drive, then overhead and profit, checked against the market averages.
Shared assumptions
- Two technicians at $22 an hour each ($44 an hour for the crew).
- Vehicle at $0.76 a mile. Supplies (soap, rubbers, towels) about $0.25 per window.
- Overhead 25% of price, profit 20%, so direct costs are 55% of price.
Quote 1: one-story ranch, 18 windows, outside only
- 18 windows × 3 minutes = 54 minutes, plus 20 minutes setup and pack-up. Crew time 1 hour 15 minutes: $55.
- 14 miles: $11. Supplies: $5. Direct cost: $71. Price: $71 ÷ 0.55 = $129.
- Quote: $129, about $7 a window outside only, just above the $125 minimum. Thumbtack’s Salt Lake City example of $3 outside would give $54, which is why a minimum exists.
Quote 2: two-story colonial, 30 windows inside and out, screens and tracks
- 14 ground-floor windows × 6 minutes = 84 minutes; 16 upper windows × 9 minutes (ladder or pole outside, inside normal) = 144 minutes.
- 30 screens × 1.5 minutes = 45 minutes; 30 tracks × 2 minutes = 60 minutes. Setup and pack-up: 30 minutes. Total crew time 6 hours 3 minutes: $266.
- 18 miles: $14. Supplies: $8. Direct cost: $288. Price: $288 ÷ 0.55 = $524.
- Presented as 14 windows at $10, 16 upper windows at $14, screens at $3 and tracks at $2.50: $140 + $224 + $90 + $75 = $529, just above the $524 cost-plus price. That is above the $266 most people pay on Thumbtack because the typical job is smaller and often outside only, and it is still inside the $685 high end. If the client balks, remove the tracks line ($75) before you touch the window rate.
Quote 3: three-story townhouse, 12 windows outside with a water-fed pole, 4 skylights
- 12 windows × 5 minutes with the pole = 60 minutes. 4 skylights from a roof anchor, 15 minutes each = 60 minutes. Setup: 30 minutes. Crew time 2.5 hours: $110.
- 22 miles: $17. Supplies and pure water: $10. Direct cost: $137. Price: $137 ÷ 0.55 = $249.
- Quote: 12 windows at $10 and 4 skylights at $35: $260.
The profit calculator runs the same math for a month of jobs, which tells you whether your card pays a second crew.
How do commercial window cleaning prices and route pricing work?
Commercial window cleaning prices come in three tiers: storefront routes priced flat per visit, mid-rise buildings priced per pane or per elevation with pole or lift work, and high-rise work priced per drop with rope descent or a swing stage. The storefront route is where most small companies make steady money.
Storefront routes
A route is a list of shops cleaned on a fixed schedule, outside only, often weekly or every two weeks, with inside glass monthly. Prices are small and the volume is the business: a small storefront with 4 to 8 panes might be $15 to $40 a visit outside, a restaurant with a glass wall $40 to $100. The number that matters is revenue per hour on the route. Twenty storefronts within a mile, 10 minutes each, at an average of $25, is $500 in about four hours including walking time. Twenty storefronts spread across the county is a loss.
- Quote per visit and bill monthly by card; a dozen $25 invoices are not worth chasing.
- Offer three frequencies and price the weekly one lowest per visit.
- Clean before opening hours; most shops want you gone by 9 a.m.
- Add doors, sills and the inside of the entry glass as the standard scope; it is what the manager sees.
Mid-rise and lift work
Two- to four-story offices, schools and medical buildings are priced per pane per side, often $2 to $5 outside with a water-fed pole, or by elevation when a lift is needed. Pass the lift rental through as a line item. Expect to supply a certificate of insurance and to work around tenants; see office cleaning prices for how commercial buyers compare bids.
High-rise and rope descent
Rope descent work is a different trade with its own rules. OSHA’s general industry standard for scaffolds and rope descent systems, 29 CFR 1910.27, requires that before a rope descent system is used, the building owner inform the employer in writing that each anchorage has been identified, tested, certified and maintained to support the required load. Companies price this work per drop (one descent line on one elevation) rather than per pane, carry much higher insurance limits, and train to industry standards. Do not add it to a residential price card; if a building asks, refer it or partner with a certified high-rise company and take a referral fee.
Frequency discounts, plans and minimums
Sell a plan of two to four visits a year at 10% to 15% off the one-time price, keep a $125 to $150 minimum, and price the first clean on neglected glass higher than the maintenance visits that follow. Repeat clients are faster to clean, cheaper to reach and the reason route-based companies are profitable.
How the plan math works (hypothetical)
A quarterly client at $240 a visit, 10% off, pays $864 a year. Winning that client cost you one estimate and one first clean. A one-time client at $266 costs you a quote, a drive and a sales conversation every time, and most of them call back in two years, not one. If your average client stays three years, the plan client is worth $2,592 and the one-time client about $400.
Minimums and bundling
A six-window job cannot pay for the drive at any per-window rate, so hold the minimum and offer to fill it: add the storm door, the exterior light fixtures or the gutters. Window and gutter companies share trucks for a reason; see the gutter cleaning guide for how that work is priced. Solar panels are another fill-in for the same water-fed pole and pure water, usually quoted per panel; see what to charge for solar panel cleaning.
Seasonal pricing
Spring and the weeks before the holidays are peak. If you are booked out more than two weeks, raise one-time prices 10% for new requests and keep plan clients at their contracted rate. Offer winter plan visits at a small extra discount to fill the slow months.
How to present a window cleaning quote
Present the quote as a short written estimate with the window count by type and story, the sides included, each add-on as its own line, what is excluded, and a booking link. Walk the house, count out loud, and send it before you leave the driveway.
- Count by type. Standard, large, French panes, sliders, skylights, by story. Write the count on the quote so the client can check it.
- State the sides. “Inside and out” or “outside only” on every line.
- List add-ons separately. Screens, tracks, hard water, post-construction. Clients drop add-ons; they rarely drop the job.
- Exclude in writing. Etched glass, failed seals (fog between panes), paint removal without a release, and glass you cannot reach safely.
- Offer the plan. One line with the per-visit price at the discount.
- Make booking one click. A quote the client can approve and schedule online gets booked more often than a PDF and a phone number.
The cleaning estimate template gives you the format, and quoting software such as Broombook shows the client an instant price from your rate card on your booking page, lets them pick a date and save a card, and sends the reminder before each plan visit. See features for what is included.