I had a commercial client ask me to bid buildings they manage. 8 of the 10 buildings were 1 or 2 stories, but two had windows with a max height of 45’ (see picture below). I have a 37’ Xero hybrid pole, and have only used a WFP a few times. Should I:
- Realize I’m out of my league, let them know I can’t do the bigger buildings and risk losing all the other ones I can do?
- Is it possible to my pole from a ladder to get to the highest windows?
- Bid the price including the cost of a lift
- Invest in a pump and a longer pole. We’re a pretty new business so the budget is not super large, but if the job were to more than pay for the pole it would be worth it. It just seems like a long way up for a new guy.
Thanks for your help!
Option 4. You’ll then be ready for more buildings like this in the future.
I would definitely NOT WFP at height from a ladder.
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Yeah talk to Wcr, they have financing and specials and stuff so might be worth a call. But I personally wouldn’t get a pole larger than 55’ it so. Five stories is a work out and poles get really squirrelly at that height.
i do 5 stories easily with my new gardner extreeme 47. and i also listened and got some belay glasses (still getting used too them) they kind of mess with my equilibrium a lil lol
where are you located? maybe you can partner with a neighboring cleaner for this one?
When you find yourself out of your league…start a new league.
DO NOT wfp from a ladder… very very stupid…I’ve done it.
A lift is an option for sure. I would choose a lift over wfp for over 4 stories. Less stress on the body.
Yep get a longer pole…May not need a pump…I’m strictly DI and no pump needed a 50+ ft.
really a lift after 4? its not that mich strain imo
What I would do for this particular job is rent a small scissor lift for like $200/day(charge it to the customer) probably only need for 4 hours and then use it to lift you high enough to where you can reach the top windows with your current pole once you get the $$$ from the job then maybe invest in a larger pole or repeat this process on other similar jobs until you have the $$$$ for the best pole that will last you many years if you treat it right.
Having the lift could also kill another bird with the same stone if the glass is more dirty than you expect then you have the option to do those that it can reach by hand.
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How should I go about bidding a job like this? The other 3 sides of the building look pretty similar to this one. There are roughly 1000 panes total. I live in Missouri, so prices are probably lower than on the coasts.
My idea would be like this. Anything on the ground floor would be about $2-$3 for both little high and big lower. I call them channels. Than above ground floor I would charge $3 per framed window up to the bottom 3 or 4 depending on the actual height. They should only take 1 minute per framed window at most. Than the next top 2 sections I would charge $4 per framed window since they will take another 30 seconds or so each. But the top arched sections I would shoot for about $5 per framed window as they will for sure be the hardest to do. I don’t do waterfed at this time but have done a lot of research in the last year getting ready for it and trying to figure things out the best. Maybe now that I chimed in others will either correct me or tell you something similar hopefully.
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The other sides must be bigger, or I am miscounting. I get just under 750 panes if they are about like this side. I am brand new at Window Cleaning, and I have never done any WFP work. So, I am guesstimating, but I know what I would bid on this building for outside only. (probably way off)
I came in lower than @anon55228717, so I am anxious to see what the other experts say.
Not sure how much you need to fork out for your system of choice to reach this, but considering there is another tall building like this plus the other 8 small ones, you should be able get your money back with no problem.
I like @Steve076 's suggestion, because he combines 3 and 4 in a logical way, and he makes a great point about the first clean possibly requiring more effort than you would want to tackle the first time using the larger pole.
Again, I am a noob, so my opinion here really doesn’t matter, but I enjoy chiming in, so I hope you guys don’t mind. I am learning a lot from this forum and the great advice given here, and I am looking forward to the day when I can look back at this thread and apply this to my venture.
Thanks for your feedback! Just to clarify, one side is just like the one from the picture, the other two are a bit bigger and have a few more panes.
