Window Cleaning

Residential window cleaning needs a few hundred dollars of squeegees, poles, and buckets, and pays $60-120 an hour once you are efficient. Homeowners book twice a year, so a client list becomes reliable repeat revenue. Upsells include screens, tracks, gutters, and solar panels. It suits people comfortable with ladders and detail work.

Income assumptions: Assumes $200 average per home, 1-3 homes a day, and $45-110 hourly once skilled. Higher figures assume full-season schedules with add-on services or a helper.

Estimated earnings based on available market information. Actual earnings vary by location, experience, demand, expenses, and time invested. Earnings are not guaranteed.

$150–$600 to get started. Time to first dollar is typically 1-2 weeks.

• Squeegees and channels
• Water-fed pole or extension pole
• Buckets and detergent
• Ladder
• Vehicle

Age: 18+

Geography: Seasonal in cold climates; strongest spring through fall

1. 1Buy a professional squeegee set, extension pole, buckets, and detergent.
2. 2Practice on your own home until you can do a window streak-free in two minutes.
3. 3Get liability insurance before working on customer property.
4. 4Build a price list based on window count, panes, and stories.
5. 5Distribute door hangers in one neighborhood with mature homes.
6. 6Offer screen cleaning and track detailing as paid add-ons.
7. 7Schedule every customer for a repeat clean six months out.

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• Door hangers in older established neighborhoods
• Nextdoor and local Facebook groups
• Thumbtack requests
• Realtor and property manager referrals
• Yard signs while working
• Repeat customers each spring and fall

Price per window: roughly $6-12 per pane inside and out, with minimums of $150-250 per visit and surcharges for second stories and hard water. Screens and track cleaning add $2-4 per window. Twice-yearly plans can be discounted slightly to lock in repeat work.

Offer a discounted first clean in exchange for a review and permission to place a yard sign. Take before-and-after photos of sparkling glass, which sells better than any ad copy. Book the next visit before you leave.

• Quoting by hour instead of by window count
• Skipping insurance
• Working in direct sun causing streaks
• No upsell offers
• Risk: Falls from ladders
• Risk: Broken glass or damaged screens
• Risk: Working without liability insurance

Densify a neighborhood, raise prices, then add gutter cleaning, pressure washing, and solar panel cleaning to raise average tickets. Hire a helper for two-person efficiency, and pursue small commercial storefronts for monthly recurring contracts.

Scalability 70/100 · Passive potential 5/100 · Recurring potential 75/100

Helpful: IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center

You are self-employed, so no tax is withheld. Deduct mileage between jobs, tools, supplies, insurance, and platform fees. Set aside roughly 25-30% of profit and pay quarterly estimated taxes. Keep business income in a separate bank account to make bookkeeping simple.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Consult a professional for your situation.

Last researched: 2026-09-01 · Data quality: sample

Stored research / estimates — live data sources are not connected yet.