Janitorial services · United States
How to Start a Window Cleaning Business (Costs, Pricing per Pane, and Insurance)
Price the pane and the height. Exterior walls that are not glass are a different code.
- 67,799NAICS 561720 establishments, Census 2023
- 61.3%of those have fewer than 5 employees (41,548 ÷ 67,799)
- $78/mogeneral liability on the Insureon window page
- $1Mper-occurrence limit in that liability sample
Decision summary
- The 2022 NAICS index file lists “Window cleaning services” under 561720. It lists “Building exterior cleaning services (except sandblasting, window cleaning)” under 561790.
- Census County Business Patterns 2023, legal form
-: 67,799 establishments and 1,088,193 employees in 561720. 41,548 establishments have fewer than 5 employees, which is 61.3% (41,548 ÷ 67,799). Read from cbp23us.zip on November 6, 2026. The same count is on the cleaning report. It is not window cleaners alone. - The same file counts 18,069 establishments in 561790. The index excepts window cleaning from that exterior-cleaning line. Do not add 67,799 and 18,069.
- Insureon’s window-cleaning page, updated September 8, 2026, lists general liability at $78 a month. Insureon. The method note says the median is of cleaning businesses that apply.
On this page
0. Ground-floor glass
- Count panes, not “a house.” A slider and a divided light are different minutes.
- Interior glass and a second-story exterior are different heights. Price the one you will actually wash.
- Siding, gutters, and concrete are not this offer. The index puts those exterior jobs in a code that excepts window cleaning.
Window cleaning startup costs
A national startup total is not on this page. No squeegee, pole, or pure-water system shelf price opened on November 6, 2026. The insurance lines below are what the window page lists. The method note on that page is about cleaning businesses that apply, so read it as a sample, not a window-only average.
| Line | Figure | Where it came from |
|---|---|---|
| General liability, monthly average | $78 | Page updated September 8, 2026. The page also prints $931 a year. Sample limits: $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Method note: median of cleaning businesses that apply. |
| Workers’ compensation, monthly average | $114 | Same page, which also prints $1,364 a year. The sentence there says cleaning companies, including window cleaning. A separate policy. |
| Commercial auto, monthly average | $250 | Same page, which also prints $3,001 a year. A separate policy. Do not add it to the $78. |
| Janitorial bond, monthly average | $9 | Same page. A bond, not a liability premium. |
Permits
A state license that names only window cleaning was not opened. Not yet researched as a 50-state table. The classification that was read is the Census index: window cleaning is inside janitorial services, and exterior building cleaning excepts window cleaning. If you will work above the ground, open the local rule for that height before you sell it. Do not treat a storefront route and a roof-edge window as the same permit question.
Insurance
The window page lists general liability at $78 a month, workers’ compensation at $114, commercial auto at $250, and a janitorial bond at $9. Updated September 8, 2026. Headings say average. The method note says the median is of cleaning businesses that apply for quotes. Ladder and pole work may sit outside the form you are shown. Get the quote for the heights you will sell.
Does the pane pay?
Profit on one pane is the price minus soap and blades minus the minutes. Profit for the month also has to clear insurance, the pole, and the vehicle once you know those bills. The janitorial count does not set the price. No national price per window was opened. A divided-light window is more minutes than a single sheet. Type the minutes you measured.
Price one pane
Type what you charge per pane, what soap and blades cost per pane, and how many minutes that pane takes. Empty stays unknown.
10. A second route
Add another person when paid panes already overflow the week and the contribution still covers a wage and the drive. The section number is an outline label, not a headcount. A Bureau of Labor Statistics wage for window cleaners was not opened as its own occupation page.
First 90 days
- Days 1–14: count panes on houses or storefronts you can reach from the ground.
- Days 15–45: price insurance for those heights. The $78 figure is the window page’s general-liability sample, with the method note above.
- Days 46–90: time real panes in the tool. Buy a water-fed pole only after those panes cover materials, minutes, and the month’s fixed costs.
When to stop
Drop a window when the minutes and the soap use up the price, or when the height is work you have not priced. The tool hides break-even panes in the first case. Gutters and siding stay on the gutter and pressure-washing pages.
Questions people ask
How do you start a window cleaning business?
Start with ground-floor panes you can reach, and price the pane before you buy a water-fed pole. The 2022 NAICS index lists window cleaning services under 561720, the janitorial code. It lists building-exterior cleaning under 561790 and explicitly excepts window cleaning from that line. A squeegee shelf price was not opened on November 6, 2026.
How much does it cost to start window cleaning?
This page does not have a national startup total. Insureon’s window-cleaning page, updated September 8, 2026, says the average general liability figure is $78 a month. The method note says the median is of cleaning businesses that apply, not a window-only book. Poles, a ladder, and a vehicle are separate quotes.
How much should I charge for window cleaning?
On this page, a pane pays when the price covers soap, blades, and the minutes for that pane, and the month’s panes cover the fixed costs you type. The tool prints break-even panes only when that contribution is positive. No national price per window was opened.
How many window cleaning businesses are there?
Census County Business Patterns 2023 counts 67,799 employer establishments in NAICS 561720. 41,548 have fewer than 5 employees, which is 41,548 ÷ 67,799, or 61.3%. The index puts window cleaning in that janitorial code, so 67,799 is not window cleaners alone. The same file counts 18,069 establishments in 561790, and the index excepts window cleaning from exterior building cleaning.
Do I need a window cleaning license?
A state page that licenses only window cleaning was not opened on November 6, 2026. High work and a water-fed pole are not the same job as interior glass. Other states are not yet researched. Open the local business registration and, if you will leave the ground, the rule for that height.
How much is window cleaning insurance?
Insureon’s window-cleaning page, updated September 8, 2026, lists general liability at $78 a month, workers’ compensation at $114 a month, and commercial auto at $250 a month. The method note says the median is of cleaning businesses that apply for quotes. The general-liability sample is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Do not add the monthly figures into one premium.
Are storefronts and houses the same price?
Not on this page. A route of glass doors and a two-story house have different minutes and different height. Price the panes you will actually wash. The tool does not split residential and commercial for you.
How do you price one pane?
Type the price per pane, soap and blades per pane, the minutes for one pane, and a loaded hourly rate. Empty stays unknown. Break-even panes appear only after you also type the month’s fixed costs and the contribution is still positive.
When should I add a second route?
When paid panes already overflow the week and the contribution still covers another person and the drive. A pole price was not read. Do not add a route because a hoped-for list of storefronts would look full.
Still open
- 67,799 is all of NAICS 561720. Window cleaning is one index line inside it.
- No squeegee, pole, or pure-water shelf price was opened.
- No 50-state license table. A window-only license page was not opened.
- The insurance method note is cleaning businesses that apply, not a window-only book.