Overview: Window Cleaners
Winter is hard on glass. By spring the outside of your windows wears a film of road salt, sand and furnace exhaust, and the low sun shows every streak of it. That's why spring is the busy season for window cleaners, with fall as the other good slot before the cold makes water work miserable. Book early if you want April rather than June.
A full visit covers more than the panes. Screens come out and get washed, tracks and sills get wiped, and on older houses the storm windows come down or go back up. Many quotes price those extras separately and count panes rather than windows, so ask what the number covers. Sealed double and triple glazing has one limit worth knowing. Fog between the panes means the seal has failed, and no squeegee can reach it.
Ask who's actually climbing the ladder and whether they're covered. In British Columbia, WorkSafeBC warns that you could be held jointly liable for premiums a hired contractor doesn't pay. It lets you pull a free clearance letter online before the crew shows up.
Our listings show what each window cleaner says on its own website: what a visit includes, its hours, and what customers report in public reviews. Pick your province, then your city, to find crews that work near you.
What window cleaning costs in Canada
Check whether the quote counts windows, panes or glass sides. Interior glass, screens and tracks may be separate services.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum residential booking | C$100–C$150per scheduled visit | Minimum total charged for an ordinary residential window-cleaning visit when the measured work would cost less.A floor for the visit, not an extra fee to add to every pane. Confirm the minimum and what service it covers. Apply the contractor’s minimum only if it exceeds the calculated charge; do not add the minimum on top.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: The minimum booking amount, applied to the agreed glass-cleaning service Budget separately or confirm: Unlisted screens, deep tracks, stains and specialist access |
| Exterior glass cleaning | C$4–C$10per standard glass pane, outside only | One ordinary accessible pane; a window containing several panes is counted accordingly.Glass-only rate; the minimum visit charge can override a small pane total. Screens and detailed tracks are separate unless your chosen package bundles them.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Exterior glass cleaning during a scheduled whole-home visit Budget separately or confirm: Screens, detailed tracks, mineral stains and high-access equipment; Minimum visit charge if the pane total is too small |
| Interior and exterior cleaning | C$8–C$20per standard pane, both sides | The same pane cleaned inside and outside, with ordinary access.Glass-only rate; the minimum visit charge can override a small pane total. Screens and detailed tracks are separate unless your chosen package bundles them.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Interior and exterior glass cleaning on one visit Budget separately or confirm: Screens, detailed tracks, stain restoration and unusual access; Minimum visit charge if applicable |
| Screen cleaning | C$3–C$5per screen | An intact removable screen washed during the same window-cleaning visit.screen repair, replacement and a separate call-out Add this only when it is needed and is not already included in the agreed package.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Routine screen washing Budget separately or confirm: Screen repair, replacement and a separate call-out |
| Detailed track cleaning | C$3–C$8per window track set | Detailed cleaning of one ordinary window track set during an interior-cleaning visit.repairs, construction adhesive removal and a separate visit Add this only when it is needed and is not already included in the agreed package.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Debris removal and routine track wiping/scrubbing Budget separately or confirm: Repairs, construction adhesive removal and a separate visit |
| High or difficult-access glass | Scope-based quoteper assessed scope | State height, roof access and any lift or rope-access requirements.unlisted equipment rental; unlisted traffic arrangements Send the height, glass count and access photos. Roof access, lifts, rope work and stubborn deposits need a separate scope.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified safe-access cleaning Budget separately or confirm: Unlisted equipment rental; Unlisted traffic arrangements |
Example: 20 panes, outside only
Assumptions:
- Illustrative count: 20 ordinary accessible panes
- Glass-only visit; no stain removal or specialist access
- The selected contractor applies one minimum to the visit
20 × C$4–C$10 = C$80–C$200. Apply the contractor’s minimum if it is higher: max(pane total, minimum), not pane total + minimum.
Using the displayed ranges gives an illustrative base visit budget of about C$100–C$200. Confirm applicable tax and separately chosen extras.
Not included:
- Screens, detailed tracks and stain removal
- Unusual access or a different provider’s minimum
What changes the price
- Pane count, cleaned sides and true window-unit definition
- Storeys, obstacles and safe access requirements
- Screens, tracks, mineral deposits and construction debris
Ask before accepting a quote
- How are my windows counted, and which glass sides are included?
- Are screens, tracks and difficult-access windows included in the total?
- Which stains or debris are outside standard cleaning, and how would extra work be priced?
Compare the complete visit
- Ask for the total after the minimum visit charge rather than multiplying an advertised pane rate
- A house package should identify the included window count and access assumptions
Canadian context
Confirm weather-related rescheduling and any winter service limitations before paying for an exterior-cleaning appointment.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
Water-fed pole or traditional squeegee?
Either can do a good job, and plenty of crews carry both. A water-fed pole washes upper floors from the ground with filtered water that dries without spots, and it keeps ladders off soft spring lawns. A squeegee gives a crisp finish on glass you can reach. Neither likes a hard frost. Water sets on the glass and in the hose, so many crews put the pole away until the thaw.
How often do windows actually need cleaning?
A clean each spring and another each fall suits most houses here. The spring visit takes off salt spray and grit from winter roads. The fall visit clears pollen, bugs and cottonwood fluff before the windows stay shut for months. Glass facing a busy street or a building site gets dirty faster. A sheltered back window can skip a round and nobody will notice.
Are screens, sills and tracks part of the price?
Not always, so get the list in writing. Some quotes cover the glass and nothing else. A full visit takes screens out, washes them and wipes the tracks and sills. Older houses add storm windows, and taking them down or putting them up is extra labour that a cheap quote quietly leaves out. Mention any sash that sticks or tilts in before the crew arrives.
Can windows be cleaned in the middle of winter?
Inside, any day you like. Outside, it depends on the cold. Below freezing, water and soap can ice up on the glass before the squeegee clears it, and a pole's hose can freeze solid. Some crews add an antifreeze product to the bucket and keep working on milder days. Others close for the season. Ask before you book a date in January, and expect a rain check.
Who does the glass on tall buildings?
A separate trade with its own rules. Condo towers get cleaned from boatswain's chairs, suspended platforms or rope access, not ladders. In Ontario, a window cleaning regulation makes the building owner keep sketches of the roof anchors and have them inspected. The contractor must also phone a provincial inspector before chair or platform work begins. On a house, a crew that wants to stand on a balcony rail is a crew to send home.
