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Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

adding window cleaning service

RCIA Founder

I think it is a natural add on service for any roof cleaner, as well as installing christmas lights, or Chimney Sweep.

Roof Cleaning Cleveland (216) 323-0552 · Oct 26, 2012

I've thought about adding it. Have you looked into wfp's?

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

Roof Cleaning Cleveland (216) 323-0552 wrote:
I've thought about adding it. Have you looked into wfp's?

I have, seems like the way to go, but I've only talked to the guy that does my parent's house in NJ ... he didn't even know what I was talking about, lol

Apex Roof Cleaning · Guest

I voted yes, one of my first commercial jobs I actually landed because I said I did windows. There is a little technique to it, ( I watched a guy clean the windows of an apple store) I call this a secondary service, If you have already established a good relationship with the HO I offer it. But its not something I broadcast. Its very cheap to buy a pole and squeegee. I actually cleaned windows yesterday. Now how much to charge I am still figuring that out.

Roof Cleaning Tallahassee · Guest

Mike, sounds like a great add on especially if you are getting as many requests that your getting.

Guest

The only problem is if you have to do the inside of the windows is the homeowner has to be home and you will also be responsible if anything is missing. Now if your just doing the outside then i say yes but average price per window is about 4-6 dollars. one side. Also keep in mind you have to remove all the screens and then put them back. Too much work for me and not enough profit. I vote no. Stick to what service yield the best profit and perfect them as your main service.

2nd part to the equation is if your only going after commercial then i would say yes becuase its only the outside and it can keep you busy during the winter but again very low pay and you have to do high volume and do it quick.

Roof Cleaning Severna Park MD · guest

I'd say yes, we offer window cleaning and were too darn slow cleaning the outside with a pole and squeegee, so we purchased a WFP. It's much faster and every window cleaning company in MD also pressure washes, so I don't want to give that work up. There is a definite learned curve for the squeegee technique, it's not as easy as it looks to have a completely streak free window.

We charge about 10-12 per average double hung window. Price is a little higher for screen, sill, track and frame cleaning. I get asked all the time for windows and came down from $15 per window to land more jobs.

A lot of people in my area are doing them in and out for 5-6 bucks a window, I wouldn't touch a window cleaning job that low.

jcstomper · Oct 27, 2012

are you talking about just exterior? because the soft wash mix i use cleans windows and lets them dry spot free.... i sell it as a house, exterior gutter, AND window cleaning.....

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

@ Mike "Stick to what service yield the best profit and perfect them as your main service." that's a good point and one that I struggled with before deciding to get into it. I don't want to give the window cleaning guy the opportunity to become the power washing guy. Also, I plan to spend a couple months learning then training my employees to do the labor, and since it will mostly be an add on to existing customers, I think it will be worth it.

@ Phil ... seems like the WFP is the way to go these days?!? Since it's only something I'll inititally offer as an add on service, there won't be any marketing/advertising costs, so at $12-$14 I should be able to add a decent amount to my bottom line.

@ JC ... interior & exterior, planning to do chandeliers also. I have a few ideas in the back of my head, but this winter I'll work on maintenance contracts (gutter cleaning, window cleaning) and different package options.

Right now, I show up at a house, right down what they want on my proposal form, then suggest a few up sells (exterior gutters, front porch, etc.) and give them a total. Next season I plan to implement a silver, gold & platimum package that I'll offer my clients.

Presentation is everything in my opinion and I'm all about keeping things simple ... with that in mind I want to create something that my customer can see and point to & say "I want that one."

Apex Roof Cleaning · Guest

as mike mention the only window cleanings I have done, have been outsides only. We don't do the insides, and the HO takes the screens off. The other job was commercial.

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

Apex Roof Cleaning wrote:
as mike mention the only window cleanings I have done, have been outsides only. We don't do the insides, and the HO takes the screens off. The other job was commercial.

any plans to expand do the insides & wash the screens?

Oct 27, 2012

Roof Cleaning West Chester PA wrote:
I had at least 50 customers ask me this season if I wash windows. This year I didn't have time, but next season I'm adding it. Almost all of my pressure washing and some of the roof cleaning/gutter cleaning will be done by my helpers (OHSA complient), so I think I'll have the time and energy to get it of the ground. I had been referring my clients to a couple other companies, but I want it under my umbrella going forward.
How many of you guys plan to add window cleaning in the future? And for those that already offer it, do you perform the labor yourself and is it easy to find laborers that can do it?

I used to advertise window cleaning back 18 or so years ago. But, windows can take half as long as an average roof, all for $50.00 or so. It's hard to get good $ for window cleaning. Here in my part of Florida, I know 2 window cleaners, that I recommend to customers of mine. They both get $50 to $75 for an average home exterior.

Now, if you want to add something that makes decent $ try tree trimming!

If you are young enough to do that, then you just need an arborists chainsaw [very small one handed saw] Here in Florida, you can just cut up the branches etc and leave a neat pile by the road and the homeowner can call for a free pickup from the county trash pickup people. You can make $50 in 10 minutes at that!

"WE DON'T DO WINDOWS, but we will cut that big branch that's rubbing your roof for $50.00"

Apex Roof Cleaning · Guest

I don't plan on doing screens or insides no. HO wants to get the roof done, I say we also brighten gutters, house wash and clean the outside of the windows. If they take me up on any more of my offers its an upsell. Not a secondary service. As Mike mentioned, I think focusing effort to perfect a service like roof cleaning is better.

I am a roof cleaner but I also clean windows. I'm not a window cleaner who also cleans roofs.

waxman18324 · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute Of America

Mike and Phil,

Years ago when I worked in facilities management at The World Trade Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, Barnard College and the JP Morgan buildings in NYC we dealt exclusively with J. Racenstein for supplies and support. Here is their website(http://www.jracenstein.com/) if you didn't already have it. They also support the roof cleaning industry as a dealer for some items.

Hank

white fox · Guest

the past two years we offered window cleaning exterior only and homeowner removes screens. This year we did windows on 8 out of 10 houses. A slow window cleaner is a poor window cleaner. Sometimes you wonder if its worth it but we have landed several large jobs this year over our competition simply for the fact that we offered it. Thyere are times I tell my sales guy dont even offer it if its a super old house with each pane divided -like a old wood frame w glass set in it. But at the end of the day I say its a good deal. As far as insides thats a pain we dont because of the fact the homeowner needs to be there if somthings missing u get the blame and you gotta be super carefull with dragging dirt in or dripping water from your squeege. As far as a WFP i know 2 guys that are pros that want to sell them. I got a local guy that does good work and is always super busy. Paid 5 g for his and he never uses it

Roof Cleaning Severna Park MD · guest

I think it's a no brainer to add window cleaning, but insides you do need to take a little more care. We like to clean the insides first, especially if we are doing anything outside that we get our clothes or equipment a bit dirty. Wear some of the shoe covers or take your shoes off inside, make sure your ladders are clean prior to entering their home, too. Ensure that you have a way to protect their paint if you put your ladder on their walls to clean a high window inside, too, that is my least favorite part.

Trust me, your window cleaning competitors either do some pressure washing/roof cleaning or they will be soon, so that forced my hand for window cleaning, even though it isn't the most fun or profitable service we offer.

I also don't believe any house wash leaves a window spot free, it just doesn't happen, you just haven't seen the spots close up. The only way you're getting a spot free rinse is with water that has been stripped of dissolved minerals, etc.

Apex Roof Cleaning · Guest

I have been wanting to try this, has anyone ever used their roof cleaning pump to shoot window cleaning mix, onto the window? Mix up 3 gallons in your pump and just shoot it onto all of the windows.

Dan

Roof Cleaning Severna Park MD · guest

Dan, it would most likely be a waste.. You'd have to agitate the window and squeegee it off to get a spot and streak free finish.

Apex Roof Cleaning · Guest

Roof Cleaning Severna Park MD wrote:
Dan, it would most likely be a waste.. You'd have to agitate the window and squeegee it off to get a spot and streak free finish.

Ya, I know some guys were trying to say that they could use AC's bleach wash and charge like an extra $50 for a window cleaning. That is where the idea was coming from.

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