Pricing & Minimums

Conversation
1

So I’ve been charging $10 a window in and out, screens, tracks, and sills wipedown.

Recently I decided to raise my prices to $12 for all that.

The lady was like “that’s it?” Lol.

I also round it up to the nearest quarter. So for 18 windows at $12 per window with all the screens tracks sills included I come up to $216 and round it up to $225 then add a sales tax to it.

Other day I got a call and ended up charging $14 per window and got the job !

My mind was blown that I could charge higher prices like these.

I was wondering what are the prices you guys charge? Do you charge as a whole package? Do you have separate pricing per item? Like $10 per window in and out, $2 tracks ? etc.

I also want to have a $225 minimum which I will implement on all new customers I think…

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I’m at $15/double hung (screens and sills, no tracks) and $225 minimum.

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How much per track?

Also what do you do / say if customer says “the price is high?”

Do you discount it at all or just move on?

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I can’t remember the last time I was asked about tracks. I don’t do them. I’d want at least $2-$3 extra per window to clean them, though.

“Yep, you have a lot of windows.”

Learned long ago not to discount a job “just because”. Any negotiation has to be two sided - win/win. Want a lower price? we can reduce the scope of work (which windows would you like me to skip?), or you can give me additional work (not just the promise of additional work; actual scheduled jobs).

I have a longtime realtor customer who negotiated a lower price for his home window cleaning by asking if he could get a discount if he had me clean his office windows, too. That man understands business. He is one of my best customers to date, and refers me incessantly to his customers.

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5

Determine the level of service that you will provide.
($0.00 = whatever price you decide)
Windows = $0.00 or $00.00
Tracks = $0.00
Screens + $0.00

So assume a standard window is $5.00; in/out = $10.00.
Tracks need to brush debris lose, vacuum, scrub, wipe dry = $4 to $5
Tracks just brush, vacuum, wipe with damp towel = $3
Screens washed and towel dried = $4

Examples:
$10 in/out + Track brush $3 + Screen clean $4 = $17.00
$10 in/out + Track clean $4 + Screen clean $4 = $18.00

Exterior only:
$5 Out + exterior sill/track brush $3 + Screen clean $4 = $12.00

Say what you do, do what you say. There’s a charge for that.

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6

Thank you Garry.

Those are some high prices lol.

$17-$18 per double hung with all those services is a good place to be…

I thought $10 per window with all those services included was the cutoff in terms of pricing for window cleaning.

But once I raised my price to $12 then $14 I see that I was leaving money on the table all this time.

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7

It sort of is a game to see what your market can afford. Raising your prices a tad helps you to see where the edge of the envelope of comfort is.

Don’t forget that there will be ones that gasp at your price. We get that from time to time.

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8

Those prices can ad the invoice up. Usually neglected windows are quite the chore to get clean, and if you charge less and do less (those two go hand in hand) it certainly shows with the finished product and the customer will probably not be happy. I always do a little extra when I can and let them know I “threw this or that” in for them. Large homes that require lots of man-hours is more than homeowners can do themselves. Running cheap numbers will burn you out. The job I did today I finished about an hour and a half sooner than I expected; it is on the water and lots of wind splashing waves against the seawall. I will be down the street beginning of next week and offered to touch up the back windows then while I’m nearby. It will be quick and simple to stop by, and they really appreciate my level of service even though they are paying premium price. Give value, sell your service.

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