I’m with you. For a route stop, 16 panes = 40-60 depending on how big the windows are and the configuration. Maybe a 30 minute job, again depending on configuration.
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Same here. 50 sounds about right.
Now, this is for a basic clean - minimal razor/wool work. This could move up or down depending on signage on glass or obstacles.
I do feel his initial price was good for all of the paint and stuff that it sounds like he contended with. If the heavy cleaning is out if the way, you could be looking at an easy hour of work
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Based on the description, at a comfortable pace (and i’m a fat guy) i’d make close to $200 an hour at his price. i would have charged about $65
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Question: A lot of you are charging no more than $2 a pane/side. Do you not change that any for pole work?
Even if I did try offering $60 ish for both sides it’s still triple what they are used to paying.
i’m faster with a pole than by hand
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Thanks for all the comments. Bed now, but I’ll sort through them all tomorrow.
Howz about for the exterior: $2.50-$3 each for 11 large panes, $2 each for 3 doors and the 2 overhead panes for a total of $37.50-$43 (and round up in $5 increments to ($40-$45).
Interior: no idea, depends on how much steel wool work is required and how much clutter is in the way.
Prices vary by region, but no need to bid too low.
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OP: I suggest you don’t sweat it too much. You made your asking price at least once. Let it be and go focus on your next accounts. If you get bored or hungry a few months from now you can go back and revisit that store to see whether they found a cleaner they like, or whether you can offer a better price if you really need some cash flow.
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Did you charge them a $135 for the initial clean and told them you could not get it all clean on 11 windiws in and out?
Why didnt you get them completely clean? Does kind of make you look bad in their eyes because they paid so much more and the job wasn’t completely done And would take time to get the rest off.
I do believe previuis $20 price is absolutely low but your reclean price is completely high.
Actually no. I didn’t realize how bad they were till I got going. The method I had for pricing included doubling for pole work, which is how I got from $2.5 a pane to $5. Also, I’m tall, so trying to price so that it’s fair to a future employee who’s shorter. I gave them my estimate, said it could go down some in return for a regular clean schedule. Didn’t say anything about getting all the paint off. That came up while I was cleaning that there was a lot and I wouldn’t be able to get it all then (even if I had wanted to keep going they were getting close to closing by this point).
Yes my wife has window cleaning experience. About 10 years worth.
A big problem with my time is old equipment. The squeegee rubber hasn’t been replaced in years and I had streaks to clean up all over the place. Yes, I’ve ordered new blades and I can’t wait for them to get here.
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A fresh new squeegee rubber is your friend. Glad you ordered some new rubber.
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Hoosier where did you count 29 panes?
A pane of glass contains two sides. That’s 1-3 per side… still no where near they price he charged.
And especially when he said he wanted to come back and maintain them…
My residential prices are with market 7-10 per panes… 1-3 cleans a year…
Where as my storefronts are $2-3 per pane with returning every week to minimum once per month… that’s called the maintainer price… I wouldn’t pay someone $150 a week to clean my windows… I would pay that every 4-6 months though.
My store fronts are $2-$3
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I am not sure if you are talking Australian dollars or what, but i don’t see how you could make $120 US dollars per hr. I just watched the video of you cleaning that ground level window with a WFP, it took you forever. Maybe you were just doing it that way just for fun.
I agree with Steve076 that it sounds like it would be about $60 for maintenance cleans.
Try using a 4ft pole if it will reach, it not us a 8ft pole. Also us a sorbo 24" or 30" and do straight pulls. Try to do 2 straight pulls per window.
He said he had three doors. Most doors on stores here are double doors (two that swing out from the center) and I assumed two small windows overhead.
Strip mall doors are all one door here.
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That video was showing that is it possible to clean a window that has NEVER been cleaned with a WFP it was just about getting it done with 1 tool as a comparison. That being said I would NEVER use WFP on a storefront.
I would be using a 30" sorbo and smash out each large pane in less than a min.
I’m not a storefront guy so take what I say with a grain of salt.
This is what passes for storefront in my small town. $25 monthly for 12 ground story ext surfaces (2 are around the corner and are not visible). The 3 on the right are N2G, the other 9 require poling. Did them last week in less than 14 minutes, starting and stopping from when I turned the key off and turned it back on. I lost time messing with my frozen pole (23 F) and that caused me to N2N (Nose 2 Needles) with that annoying tree.
Didn’t have to detail (thank you Moerman Excelerator) and didn’t have to wipe frames although I did pull the rubber across the bottom frames.
This year I will solicit more storefronts, easy money.
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So the Moerman actually works? Been trying to decide if I should try one. Just using sorbo right now.
Yep, Liquidator and Excelerator really work. This forum had Many posts about them. preferences and experiences vary but one commonality is that people who don’t have to “unlearn” technique from traditional squeegees become more comfortable with them faster.
Lots of YouTube material on them too.
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