What Affects the Cost of Window Cleaning? (Cost / Price)
You could be looking online, hearing what friends and family are paying for their window cleaning but wondering what makes the price of window cleaning go up and down?
On the surface you could see a home and think, that it is just the same as another home but why is the price different?
Window cleaning sounds simple, but the price can vary quite a lot from one home to another. You might be surprised when you receive different quotes for properties that appear similar and typically there are good reasons for that.
We were unsure about sharing this information, but I also wanted to share how a window cleaning business makes money? It may seem odd to bring up, but it is part of the picture that makes up pricing for many cleaning services.
In this article, we’ll focus on the Reality that affects the cost of window cleaning from the perspective of a window cleaning business carrying out the work
Basically what physically changes the time, effort, and resources required to clean your windows — and why those things influence price.
Size of the Property & Amount of Glass
One of the biggest factors affecting the cost of window cleaning is the size of the property — but it’s not just about how big the house looks from the outside.
Pricing is often influenced by:
- The number of windows
- The
size of the glass
Features such as large bay windows, skylights, and roof windows
Two homes might both be three- or four-bedroom properties, but one could have large bay windows or large feature panes of glass.
Then another home which can be smaller in size, in some cases actually have larger windows and more glass.
Even when houses look similar, the amount of glass to clean can be very different — which changes how long the job takes.
More glass often means more time, and sometimes more of a requirement to use ladders in the case that the windows are hard to reach, which naturally affects the price.
Access, Height & Complexity
How easy the windows are to reach plays a big role in pricing.
Windows become more time-consuming when they are:
- Set back behind extensions or conservatories
- Positioned above garages
- Located on third floors
- Installed as
roof windows or skylights
Some of these situations require longer water-fed poles, ladder work, or additional setup. Very long poles are slower and more physically demanding to use, and switching between tools adds time.
The more complex the access, the more effort and time involved to complete the job properly— and that’s reflected in the cost of the cleaning
How frequency of cleaning effects window cleaning prices
Regular window cleaning is typically carried out on a 4, 6, or 8-week cycle depending on the company. At Squeaky Solihull we offer a 6 weekly schedule.
These regular services are usually cheaper per visit because they’re added to an existing cleaning route.
Route work (when your home is added to a cleaning route) is more efficient — with reduced travel time and predictable scheduling for the window cleaning business — and that efficiency is often reflected in the price.
One-off window cleaning is different. These cleans are commonly booked when:
- The job needs doing as soon as possible
- A specific date and time is required
- The windows haven’t been cleaned for a long time and are
heavily soiled
One-off pricing isn’t a penalty for dirty windows. It simply reflects the extra time, organisation, and setup involved in delivering a standalone service.
One-Off Cleaning vs Regular Service
It's worth mentioning, we’re sharing this information from the perspective of a window cleaning business, so trying to be as open and honest as we can be.
Most professional window cleaning businesses are built around ongoing relationships with regular customers.
When a home is cleaned routinely, it becomes part of a planned round. This reduces admin, scheduling complexity, and downtime between jobs — which is why regular cleaning is often priced more competitively.
One-off cleans are absolutely fine, but they usually involve:
- Additional booking and scheduling
- Fitting the job around existing routes
- Committing to a specific appointment time
Because the work isn’t part of an ongoing service, those efficiencies don’t exist — and the price often reflects that difference.
Condition of the Windows changing the price
The current condition of the windows also affects the cost.
Windows that are cleaned regularly tend to stay in good condition. But if they haven’t been cleaned for months or years, there may be:
- Heavy organic build-up on the glass
- Dirt around seals and vents
- Grime on frames and sills
Restoring windows to a good standard takes longer than maintaining them, which can increase the cost of an initial or one-off clean.
Location of your home & Route Efficiency
Location can also play a part.
Homes that fit neatly into an existing cleaning route are generally quicker and more efficient to service than isolated or out-of-area properties.
When additional travel time is involved, this can sometimes influence pricing.
Work that happens behind the scenes
One thing that often surprises homeowners is how much work happens before the first regular window clean even takes place.
Setting up a new customer involves administration, scheduling, route planning, communication, and ensuring the first clean is completed to a high standard.
From a business perspective, that initial visit is often about establishing the service properly, rather than generating profit.
It’s over time — through regular, repeat visits — that a professional window cleaning service becomes efficient and sustainable.
That ongoing relationship allows work to be carried out as part of a planned route, reducing wasted time and keeping pricing fair and consistent.
Alongside this, there are unavoidable operating costs that influence pricing, such as insurance, equipment, training, fuel, and employment-related costs.
These aren’t always visible, but they do form part of the overall cost of delivering a reliable, professional service.
We hope these factors help explain why regular window cleaning is often better value over time, and why pricing can differ between one-off cleans and ongoing services.
How We Keep Pricing Simple at Squeaky Solihull
At Squeaky, we aim to keep window cleaning pricing simple, fair, and transparent.
In reality, around 95% of homes fall neatly into a straightforward quoting structure. Most properties can be accurately priced using just a few key details:
- The style of the home (such as semi-detached or detached)
- The number of bedrooms
- Whether there’s an
extension or additional features
Extensions matter not just because of extra glass, but because they often make windows more complicated to access. This includes kitchen extensions, roof lights, conservatories, or layouts that require additional setup to clean safely and properly.
For the vast majority of homes, this approach works well and allows customers to receive an accurate online quote quickly, without site visits or unnecessary back-and-forth.
If a home ever falls outside the typically quote we will always bring it up to you in a really straight forward and transparent way, no funny business or anything like that. We would never complete a job and then make a surprise price change when it comes to sending the invoice... Just thought to mention that.
We are a down to earth
friendly, local family business, we want to do things in the most transparent ways possible. So if we sound like the right company for you, please do get a quote or drop us a message for any of your exterior cleaning needs in Solihull, South Birmingham and Warwickshire.
