Just to put it out there, I’ve been doing windows for 10+ years, high rise, low rise, everything. Haven’t worked professionally in quite a while, only just starting to work for myself. Now the kids are in school and my days are free, pretty sure I’m the only pro on the island here (Key West). I’m not looking to start a full time business, just extra play money and I also just enjoy the work.
So all that being said, I got a hit on my ad on nextdoor.com. Went over to give her a quote, million dollar house. All wood frames, nice but older glass, lots of cut-ups, 2 story. Ladder work would have been right around the edge of a pool. So not exactly easy work. I went there with 3$ per pane in mind, never quoted a house before, I only have 4 other accounts all commercial. So she shows me that she only wants the uppers done, all cut-ups, 12 per frame, 6 frames. So 216. She did not seem too thrilled with that, but she was on board. Then she changed her mind and said you know what can you just do the 6 French doors in the kitchen instead I can never get those clean? All cutups wood frames. Just outsides (whew) 15 per door, 6 doors, $270. She was pretty shocked at that too, felt like I was going to lose her so I told her I’d do it for 200$ and she agreed.
So am I asking too much for 3 per pane? Cutups are hard and not fun. I feel like they should be even more than a big window that I can do in 45 seconds. But I wanted a simple pricing plan without having to change things that would just even out over all the different kinds of windows.
Again I’m not running a business this is just extra money for me. But when I looked around at all the cutups she had and thought about what I would charge for the whole house at 3 per pane, even I was like man that’s pretty expensive. I even felt weird asking for 270 bucks for the French doors. But this would be tedious work, in full sun with no breeze in her back yard.
I’m not sure I follow with the pricing I’m more of a visual person so I’d tell you what I’d do it for if I saw a photo.
Cutups are usually 2-3x my regular price per window.
If I go for $10 a window if it was cutup I’d be at about $20 or $25 or $30 depending on the size, difficulty of access, etc.
It’s ok you’re just starting so you’ll learn from experience how to price windows better.
You should have told her well this is difficult work because of this… “…” so the price I would do it for is $270. I’ll detail the edges with a towel, make sure to wipe the sills so every things clean and no drips are left, etc
I mean I’m still fine with making 200$ for the job. I know how to do cutups and everything, it will still probably average out to 50$ an hour which is what I make for my commercial stuff.
I think your range of 20-30 for a full frame of cutups would almost equal out to the same as me charging 3$ per pane. 15 panes per door x 3$ is 45 per door. They’re tiny panes so this will be a lot wiping and detailing. I don’t know maybe I should come up with something different for cutups though, there are a lot here, also jalousies which are even more of a pain than cutups.
Yeah at 3$ a pane sure. I saw a lot posts saying anywhere from 3 - 7 per pane here. My thinking was that if I charge 3 per pane no matter the size then it would even out if the house has different sized windows. Yes 36 seems a lot to charge for that one set of windows, but if there are other bigger windows, ladder stuff, screen removal, IDK I just felt like it would all even out.
Also this is Key West FL. Everything is at a premium here. Most of the homes are well north of a million dollars. But if it’s too much then it’s too much and I would lower the price.
If I am doing the outside of French pains I price them the same as standard windows because with a water-fed pole they literally do not take any more work this would be an $8 window just for the outside for me. Maybe $10 if I wanted to add $1 for the left side and $1 for the right side but $36 is insane that takes 30 seconds to clean lol
I only charge extra for French panes when doing the inside because that’s when you actually have to take the time to get between the paned on the outside you use your water fed pole and it’s basically the same as every other window.
Thats a massive problem! Do everything you can to get one asap, I can clean french panes the same speed as standard glass maybe a few seconds more per window. $36.00 for the outside of one window is insane unless its hard water or extreme post construction
Maybe $30 (for both) depending on how I felt / what the scope of the job was. If it was less then I’d price it higher, if there were more windows I’d price it at that $30.
I sort of discount it a bit if there are alot of windows but not by too much.
You don’t think at a 100 year old house with old glass and wood frames and no caulk that a wfp will leak inside? I’m not poopooing on wfp, to each their own. But I would be worried about making a mess, and also not getting them clean. She’s never had them cleaned professionally, they’re trashed. Spider webs, butterfly turds, all kinds of crap.
The average is like 75 cents or a dollar per pane on cut ups outside only and a $1.50 a cut up inside & out. $3.00 each square outside only is a highway robbery. You are either reading about residential prices or commercial cleaning I don’t know anybody that charges a $3 for the outside of one cut up
Ok thank you that is what I needed to hear. It’s really hard going from an hourly rate to pricing your own stuff.
I feel like 1$ per pane is much more reasonable for the cutups, I’m sure I was misunderstanding the other posts as to different types of windows.
So now the question is, should I do the work tomorrow and then tell her look I overquoted you yesterday I’m sorry for the confusion, I will lower my price to 100$ for all 6 doors (a little over 15 per door), so that when I bid the next house at 1$ per cutup she doesn’t think I ripped her off?
