What is a fair price to charge per pane for store front window cleaning?
A fair price is whatever you decide to charge for your time.
Personally, when I get a call for storefront work, I ask how many panes of glass they have, if they’re interested in a one time cleaning or want a maintenance contract, where they’re located, and if they they’ve had a local window cleaner drop his route in the area.
Based on the information I get I’ll decide. Unless the stars align, I usually just charge based on the time it takes me (always including travel time for on call cleans for store fronts- both ways)
Never below my my minimum which is usually $99 based on which city I’m going to.
I do have one store that I do for $40 and another for $50 who are on maintenance contracts where I can come at my convenience during the month. The only way I every go below my minimum is if they are on a monthly maintenance contract and I can come at my convenience.
Don’t underprice hoping to obtain a lot of volume. It never works well that way. Price for a quality service and if the volume comes, which it naturally will, then decide. But don’t cutt your own throat before you had a chance to breathe.
Oh yeah, another thing. I don’t make my living on storefronts. I make my living on residential so take my words for what their worth.
Thanks for the advice, my business is 95% Residential. I only have a view commericial accounts. I am just trying to pick up a few more to get me through the winter months. Commercial is so cut throat here its almost not worth it.
It depends on the type of storefront cleaning your chasing. I do some stripmalls where I charge each individual business $15 for door plus 2 large windows inside and out I can average between 6 and 7 of these an hour doing top quality work. Keeps me at about 90 per hr Im happy 15 dollars the customers happy. I build the relationship with the customer which keeps them loyal.
Some large storefronts like restraunts, doughnut shops and retail stores My rate might drop to 65 or 70 an hour but there are extra perks like meal vouchers, free doughnut and coffee and long service contracts. Even had discounted dental and 50% tires for trucks.
It all depends on the type of cleaning you prefer. I like to see many different people each day and love the hustle and bustle and competition. Residential can be more lucrative but I prefer business people like myself as opposed to the crazy people you can run into behind the doorbell. I also like to go to work each day and not waite for people to call me. Solicitaion and referrals= CASH
One doesn’t always run into a decision-maker when soliciting businesses.
Owning/managing a business and being crazy are not mutually exclusive. 
There are many ways to solicit potential residential customers as well as commercial/storefront.
I always seek referrals from residential customers.
Yea imagine how cut throat it would be if you had illegal immi - errr ummm oops I mean “undocumented workers” here doing a Freddie Kruger to the market.
I stay away from the commercial. Unless they call me through my website like they usually do (because i don’t waste my time seeking them out) all it takes is I get their address, google street view the business, tell them about what I would charge to clean the side that I can see. They * GASP * And tell me that’s more than double what they payed the last guy that doesn’t show up anymore, and end of convo. Every once in awhile I get “well come out and give an estimate on the entire thing.”
Just Residential for me. And I can almost hear the it. "your in Texas…great weather all year around… Well it’s all about perception. Here winter is winter. People think winter - they stop cleaning like everyone else…wait till spring attitude.
btw it will be in the 20’s this week and snowing. How’s that for great window cleaning weather.
My storefronts run from 15.00-40.00
I estimate by the time it will actually take me to complete it, after the all-time-consuming initial cleaning that is. After that, if I think its going to take me ten minutes, then its $10. 20 Minutes, $20, etc.
Don’t sell yourself short though. I’m trying to get out of the habit of selling tiny $6 2 window jobs just for the sake of selling the job.
What about drive time?
Most jobs around these parts come in “clumps”, considering I’m in one of the most heavily populated areas in the country. When selling jobs, I try to stay out of areas that I know are going to be a hassle to get back to (i.e. rural/suburban areas). I would much rather spend a day or 2 blasting up a main drag through 10 towns on my route than go chasing work all over creation… therefore, i don’t really factor in driving time.
Although, I can see how this wouldn’t be an option in other, less densely populated parts of the country
Okay.
Its more about quantity than price for me 
It’s more about profit than quantity or price for me.
Quantity + hustle = profit
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Hi all, I have a small handyman business In Culpeper VA and a potential client asked me about cleaning the windows at a commercial storefront so I stumbled upon your website and thought I could educate myself in the window cleaning area. Already got some good information. Thanks.
Welcome John.
