Window cleaners - How much is reasonable?
Posted by: Richard in Glasgow, Southside, ThoughtsGoogle Search Results
Since moving in to our house over two years ago, we’ve had our windows cleaned by the same window cleaners who used to do it for Frances’ parents, who lived here before us. I just got back from a nice long run in the snow, and as Frances is away this weekend on her Hen do, the house was empty. I returned to find a note through the door from them saying they’d visited.
They do appear to have closed our gates for a change, so the usual feelings of frustration I have about them dispersed. But the note said that from next month it’ll be £7. It was £5 when we moved in, moved to £6 quite soon after (perhaps two years ago), so from next month it will be 40% more over the course of two years. That’s some rate of inflation.
We do have an end-terrace house, so a few more windows to do than the terraced houses along our street, but given we’ve stained glass on the top-half of many of the windows they don’t have to do as much glass per window. They also get a convenient way to the front of the street through our garden.
I’m curious what is considered reasonable for this service elsewhere? It’s always paid in cash, after they visit: This frustrates me as my work gets interrupted, even before the puffed cigarette smoke that’s invariably being smoked by the cleaner wafts into the house when I open the door. They do seem to have more considerate folk on at the moment, compared to much of last year when gates were left open and you felt positively under siege when being cleaned. Perhaps the time of year means it’s harder to find labourers. I’m also wary it’s heavily cash-in-hand, so probably a bit of a tax-dodge (Something I despise). I’d much rather pay by cheque, invoice or something else that doesn’t require somebody to knock on my door when I’m working.
I challenged the guy to ask about the price rise, given it feels like it was quite recent the price went up. He talked about insurance and other costs rising, but I’m a tad sceptical.
So, I’m curious what the situation is elsewhere. How much is reasonable? Do you bother? If not, is it because you don’t care, or do you keep the outsides clean some other way? Please vote in the poll too!
How much is reasonable for monthly window cleaning?
- £5 (41%, 11 Votes)
- £10 or more (22%, 6 Votes)
- £7 (15%, 4 Votes)
- £4 or less (11%, 3 Votes)
- £6 (7%, 2 Votes)
- £8-£10 (4%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 27
Loading …Oh, and if you’re in the Shawlands area, or even elsewhere in Glasgow, feel free to recommend somebody that you feel would do a better job than I feel we’re getting.
Entries (RSS)
February 2nd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Shortly after moving into our house (10 years or so ago) we got a card for a window cleaner through the door. I called the number, and we were “signed up”. Once a month he’d clean the two windows at the front and the ones at the back (small 2 bed terraced house). He’d call me the day before to let me know he was coming - this was so I could unlock the back gate and stick a fiver by the back door.
We had him for a couple of years. I thought monthly was too frequent but he was a scary looking guy (maybe it was the big spiders web tattoo on his neck) and didn’t want to cause trouble, especially as he knew where we lived!
Anyway, after about 3 years he just stopped coming. No explanation. It just stopped. Phew!
A few months later as the windows got dirtier and dirtier I headed to the local DIY superstore and picked up a bucket, spongy thing on a big long mop/stick (which is barely long enough, even with a ladder), and a squeegee (those rubber things to wipe the water off the glass). I now clean the windows maybe 3 times a year (I know its pretty slack) but am happy with the current arrangement.
February 2nd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
LOL! Yes, the ‘They’re a bit scary to ask to stop” argument has been mentioned up here too! Quite relieved it’s not just a Glasgow thing! That said, it makes me all the more determined to get rid of them somehow. But Frances likes clean windows, and has said if I want to get rid of them I’ve got to do it myself, and that ways lies trouble!
Once a month is definitely too frequent too. Glad I’m not alone there!
Our current “plan” is to get new windows we can clean from the inside when we get around to replacing our current single-glazed windows (we just need to work out about the stained glass feature we really like). After we’ve done the roof… And, of course, the wedding… I also quite like the idea of some technical solution so the water can’t form droplets. However I fear that may be “bloody expensive” (technical term)
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
You can get self-cleaning glass - but it is expensive - work out how long you are going to stay in the house, then multiply etc etc.
I cannot believe people clean there windows 3 times a year. Mine are done every two weeks, and they clean the gutters out when rubbish and leaves block them up. They also keep the wisteria in check so it does not climb onto the roof.
I would be lost without my guys.
Bye the way, when I lived in Middlesex it was £40 per month payable by cheque only and they never cleaned them properly. Did not realise they had corners, thought they were portholes.
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:01 pm
OOOPs
mean to say ’spirit of salts’ cleans stained class beautifully, bet it has colours in you have not seen.
February 3rd, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Some of our windows are lucky to be cleaned once a year! We have 3 floors and no window cleaners we asked were prepared to go that high. This means that those bedroom windows have to be done by me sitting on the window ledge and leaning out and the opening half can be reached only by removing the window. Add to that the front windows have leaded lights with ornamental iron bars in front, so it’s not surprising that we don’t get pestered by window cleaners, it’s just too much like hard work!
My mother-in-law lived in an ordinary house and she used to pay £7 per visit ( 2 years ago) which included french windows, but specifically arranged for the cleaners to call alternate months only.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:50 am
The Vote is impossible to answer as you have to know the exact amount of windows and amount of ladder pitches that are required. However i dont see it viable to clean any house for less than £6 you have to consider travel and petrol expenses.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Given the people who do our windows turn up en-masse and do much of the street to much whistling and cigarette smoking, I’m not sure that petrol/travel is something that factors in to their calculations much.
It’s an average sized end-terrace house.
No matter how many windows, is the 40% price inflation in just over two years “reasonable”?
March 10th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
A 40% increase to anyone is drastic whether your dealing in pounds or pence…take fuel for instance. The window cleaning job needs to be worth it in the first place, but have you ever thought about it from the window cleaners side? The £5 you were maybe paying to start with may have been totally under priced so instead of speaking to you and explaing that and saying to make it worth our while we are putting them up £2- doing it the way they have, has lead you to comment. I have been in both situations, what your window cleaners have done and what I have explained they could have done and explaining to the customers is certainly the way forward. There are 2 types of people and I can say this from experince…ones who realise your trying to run a business, feed a family, have a life like anyone who is or has worked hard all there life and ones who think that “its only window cleaning”. Just last week one of my customers came out and said to me “thats 2 years you’ve been cleaning my windows, when are you going to put your prices up?” “I said they are fine just now, but if only every customer was like you” and she replied “anyone that appreciates the job you do and understands the costs would be more than happy to pay.” Quite a contrast to your situation indeed. Please bare in mind the costs genuine window cleaners have…. equipment which is not cheap, licences and public liability, van payments, road tax, diesel, and the same if you have a car which you go collecting in which all needs to be paid every month and when we get rained off we are not earning which all needs to be accounted for when pricing house windows. Imagine yourself as a window cleaner and ask yourself, “what would I charge?” and if you think its only worth £4 or £5 imagine how long it would be before you thought this house isnt worth it. How long would you last doing jobs at that price? making sure you were covering your bills providing for your family and having a life?? As the customer you deserve the best for your money, which includes trust, a satisfactory end product, respectably dressed workers and workers who treat you and your house/garden in a manner acceptable to you which means not standing on your plants, shouting and swearing but rather being discreet and respectful. Nothing less is acceptable. Look forward too reading your reply. BWC
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
100% agree with J Bond.
Too many people nowadays want their windows cleaned at prices that are 10 yrs old. The ones who are charging £3.50 you will find 80% of the time the are illegal and claiming benefits.
Richard,
As you are aware in Glasgow and in Scotland window cleaners are required by law to be licensed and insured. This covers the householder from those who would be unfit to hold a licence, especially at this time of the year when bedroom windows are let wide open.
Our overheads with paying insurance and licenses can cost a window cleaner around £300 a year before he even starts window cleaning. Then there are the costs of petrol, equipment etc.. so this all adds up so there is no way a bonifide window cleaner can charge £3.50 a house.
Look at from another angle you are proping up those who do it on the side as you are paying them not to do it for a living through your taxes.
Min price for a house should be around £6.50 no matter what size it is. Which would you prefer a licensed window cleaner who is legit and does it for a living, or a non legit window cleaner if anything goes wrong you would not even know where they live.
A list of licensed window cleaners can be found on a new site, http://www.slwcn.org
In summary £7.00 is a correct price if they a legal.
May 15th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
My window cleaner has just informed me that he’s putting up his prices (again) to (wait for it) £24.00!!! He can get to Falkirk!
August 14th, 2008 at 9:29 am
We feel that a price hike of 40% per annum is not realistic even in affluent shawlands, and in this economic climate its a tad unreasonable, however we window cleaners do have to make a living and if we are to do a job that no-one wants to do themselves then a fair price has to be charged, agreed?
Also regarding window cleaners not willing or even able to reach top floors of tenements?….nonsense, we have being doing high level work for some time now, and we can reach heights that are probably double than that of a traditional 4 story tenement.
just have a wee look at what we do on our website ga contracts uk, and we wont ask you to remortgage your house to pay for it, promise.