I just had all the windows on my house cleaned (about 75 or so) and the outside areas under the roof pressure cleaned (to get rid of those pesky round bus nests) today.
There were two guys doing the work and they had a high pressure machine and a nice truck.
They were here for 1 hour.
Here is the invoice:
Clean windows - $325
Pressure cleaning - $225
Total - $550
I know that I live in a nice area of Boca Raton, but these prices seemed high to me.
That is $275 per hour per person to wash windows…who need to go to college, when you can charge those rates?
[COLOR=Black] Any comments? [/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black]Did you catch “two guys and a nice truck” ROFLOL Also, “who needs college?” I spewed my coffee through my nose when I read that![/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black]Another interesting post from the thread (same guy)[/COLOR]
After 24 hours of contemplation on the future of window washers, here are some more of my personal thoughts on the situation.
I don’t think I was not ripped-off, just overcharged.
I am not mad at my wife or at anyone, just AMAZED at how much window washers charge for their services.
The fact that they did the job in one hour vs 5 hours is sort of irrelevant, this is not highly-skilled labor, it is washing windows. If I had 300 windows, then the job may take 5 or 6 hours and I would think the price they charged was MORE reasonable. The fact that it only took them only 1 hour, indicates to me that they overcharged me and were no more efficient than anyone else.
I employ a house cleaner for $15 per hour that cleans all the “inside” of my windows solo in about 3 hours. Why do I pay her $45 total to clean all the inside of my windows and it costs $550 to clean the outside (that is a 12x difference)?
There was NO fancy equipment used on this job. I can see charging a lot of money to clean the windows outside of the Empire State building, but this is a personal residence. They used a hose, bucket, brush, soap, squeegee, rags, power compressor, and a ladder. According to Lowes.com, the most expensive pressure washer is $999.00.
I made the leap to 40 hours per week as a farce, but it is entirely reasonable to expect a window washer in Boca Raton to make 1/2 of what I projected….thus, $225,000 per year cleaning windows is very impressive as I assume 1/2 the time will be devoted to driving to the next sucker.
As far as comparing a window washer to a surgeon, come on now. It takes 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and another 4 years of residency to learn how to take out an appendix. In addition, many doctors are $200,000 in student loan debt after school. I would wager that someone could learn to be a professional window washer in a month or two.
Let me summarize why I posted this thread. I can easily afford to get my windows cleaned for $550 and did not bat an eye, I was just amazed that they charged this much. When I see school teachers (classic underpaid profession) making only $40,000 per year after going to college for 4 years and compare them to a window washer (no college needed) charging $275 per hour, I have to scratch my head and ask why. Perhaps this is a Boca Raton thing or is only isolated to my neighborhood, but several TUGers (very thrifty group of people) have posted that this is a reasonable fee. This indicates to me that there is a potential “Imbalance” in the supply and demand for window washers.
It is my new recommendation for anyone seeking extra income or someone that was recently laid off, to pick up a brush, squeegee, and get to work. I have obviously underestimated the demand for such important skills. Just for fun, I will plan on cleaning my own windows next time and see how long it takes me. Even if they are not perfect, what the heck, I just saved $1,000 (as this is pre-tax money savings for me).
Some defend and others attack. A lot of resentment among the "attackers’ regarding how much MORE money their window cleaner makes than them!
This is why working for people making $5,000/day is way smarter - it avoids the whole resentment issue, and they happily pay out fractions of what they are generating.
“6. I made the leap to 40 hours per week as a farce, but it is entirely reasonable to expect a window washer in Boca Raton to make 1/2 of what I projected….thus, $225,000 per year cleaning windows is very impressive as I assume 1/2 the time will be devoted to driving to the next sucker.”
he has buyers remorse. Only if we did make that kinda bank driving around…
let him clean his windows next time and see how fast he grabs that phone.
That person should be glad to get the price they got. If they called me I would have charged more. I guess the fact that it would have taken me longer,by this persons rationale they would have got there moneys worth. what ever!!!
I actually read that same thread a while back…what an idiot. Some people with b*tch about anything, yet are too lazy to get up off there own fat butts to do anything.
I love your response Steve! two thumbs up over here!
Talk about funny, I read through a couple pages of that forum, seem there are more people on there that think that he is jerk, and should stop whinning. Also not sure but it seems like the guy has some frenchies on his house too. But it intersting to see how different people view Window Cleaning, whan not talking to Window Cleaners.
Some of the posts there are funny
reply # 29
Reminds me of the lady that had her appendix out and got a bill for $2,000 from the doctor. She thought it was high and asked for an itemized bill.
The doctor replied:
Removing appendix - $100.
Knowing where to cut - $1,900.
reply #39
Additionally, any accident that you had while cleaning the windows would result in a hospital visit. The good news is that would have been a deductible medical expense which your window washing isn’t (unless it’s a rental property)??
reply #43
Can I pay you $275 an hr to quit whinging about maintenance of your $2million house with the 75 windows and 6 bathrooms with granite, etc, etc?
and lastly, Reply #45 (I think this is Steve)
Or, hire a part time fireman with no insurance, and when he damages your windows, home, or falls, you take the responsibility.
I believe that not necessarily doing the work but having the knowledge to do it right is a way of looking at this situation. If you look at this as if you were a homeowner (DIY’er), you would have to rent a power washer, use it without hurting yourself, damaging your property and then returning it to a tool rental company within 4 hours if you want to save money. Turn around, go home, drag a 20’ ladder out of the garage (unless you have to rent one of those too). Set it up, Use Windex and paper towels, cuss at all the streaks that you are leaving behind, Waste a day or two of your life for mediocre results. $550.00 doesnt sound that bad of a deal.
Also, “who needs college?” I spewed my coffee through my nose when I read that![/COLOR]
