5 storey block with 300 windows

[OGradys]

Looking at pricing 1st big job, it's 5 storeys in places and there are approximately 300 windows

Any ideas on pricing? 

 

[HWCS]

Nowhere enough details in the post to be able to answer.

Access, frequency, whose it for, have you got a pole long enough, locationish

 

[Pjj]

As above , some pictures would also help , 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Looking at pricing 1st big job, it's 5 storeys in places and there are approximately 300 windows

Any ideas on pricing? 

Access 

Water volume requirements 

Equipment 

Location 

Manpower 

Just some information that goes towards a pricing structure in my opinion.

What figures have you came up with as this is your business and learning the price for jobs respectively is how you run a business.

Asking is easy but learning by trial and error appears to have disappeared within this trade 

 

[Part Timer]

Looking at pricing 1st big job, it's 5 storeys in places and there are approximately 300 windows

Any ideas on pricing? 

What condition are the windows, how often are they getting done, how long before you're paid, what H&S and insurance do you need. When we know this you can then tell us about access etc.

 

[steve garwood]

Got someone who wants their windows cleaned, price? ?

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Looking at pricing 1st big job, it's 5 storeys in places and there are approximately 300 windows

Any ideas on pricing? 

Just to add to my previous comment.

I mean this with the upmost respect and do not wish to offend or upset.

With the large influx of new starters to this industry after 18 months of pandemic, career changes, redundancy and new starts I have personally seen many ask question after question with regards to what to buy, how to use it and how to price jobs etc.

This industry isn't cheap or easy to step into.

My best advice for anyone wanting to start is to think hard and research every aspect of the trade and possibly find a company recruiting and work as a window cleaner for 12 months with someone before taking it on yourself as you'll learn so much on the job and gain an insight of prices, structure and techniques 

I started out on my own after 5 years of working for a large commercial cleaning company doing so much more than windows. A massive insight and reality check for sure. 

The forum holds all the answers it's just a case of reading through and taking notes. 

Youtube can help however there are many yes men money makers who say kit is good as it's free.

Take all you see and hear with a pinch of salt 

 

[tench0771]

I priced a job with 292 windows 3 story and local firm was charging £125 ?‍?‍ they wernt happy with them i said well you get what pay i never got the job ?  there are some crazy mad prices out there i later found out they were charging £2 for insides per apartment ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I priced a job with 292 windows 3 story and local firm was charging £125 ?‍?‍ they wernt happy with them i said well you get what pay i never got the job ?  there are some crazy mad prices out there i later found out they were charging £2 for insides per apartment ?

Even criminals on a work placement wouldn't work for that money. Some business folk will take on anyone if the price is low enough until the complaints flood in and they blame the company. I have found its better to put in above average prices and the customers are more genuine. 

 

[Iron Giant]

You are all wasting your time replying he has started 4 posts since February and not given a single reply.

 

[Pjj]

You are all wasting your time replying he has started 4 posts since February and not given a single reply.

I don’t understand why ones  would ask questions and not even have the decency to acknowledge any reply’s waist of our and their time !!!!

 

[Deleted member 7446]

You are all wasting your time replying he has started 4 posts since February and not given a single reply.

Info thief ?

 

[spruce]

I don’t understand why ones  would ask questions and not even have the decency to acknowledge any reply’s waist of our and their time !!!!

When people can't say please and thank you, it's just simply bad manners and a lack of common courtesy. We see it often on the forums. It reflects on their upbringing, their home environment and the type of people they are. It's a sign of the times we live in.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

I don’t understand why ones  would ask questions and not even have the decency to acknowledge any reply’s waist of our and their time !!!!

No understanding of communication or engagement just want the answers we've spent years testing for them 

 

[Iron Giant]

When people can't say please and thank you, it's just simply bad manners and a lack of common courtesy. We see it often on the forums. It reflects on their upbringing, their home environment and the type of people they are. It's a sign of the times we live in.

I agree with this, but also think some younger ones think that been arrogant is them been clever in some way, same as the smart arses walking around shops without a mask on, 

I was at an Italian customers yesterday and she always very chatty and pleasant and always says thank you every time at least twice, she came out the house yesterday after I had finished shouting after me and apologised for not giving me anything for xmas and had just be told off by her mam for doing so, she gave me a panettone she said it's a thing that Italians gift to each other 

 

[Cghwindowcleaning]

In my opinion if you have to ask someone to price your work then you don't know what you're doing.

Every one has different prices and overheads etc.

When I started window cleaning in around 1996 I worked for a commercial window cleaning firm in London and then after that one in Hertfordshire.

This is where I learned what to do, how to do it and prices work. Back then there where no forums you couldn't ask people to price your work or get get advise or reassurance from others.

When you underpriced a big job back then you knew it and it became a step learning curve and this taught you how to price.

It amazes me how much free information people want and how easy those that know give it away.

In the past I would help others out with advise on pricing and getting work.I would even pass jobs on to others and occasionally lend them equipment and you very rarely get a thanks.

These days I tell people very little and only a very select few would I help out.

 

[spruce]

I agree with this, but also think some younger ones think that been arrogant is them been clever in some way, same as the smart arses walking around shops without a mask on, 

I was at an Italian customers yesterday and she always very chatty and pleasant and always says thank you every time at least twice, she came out the house yesterday after I had finished shouting after me and apologised for not giving me anything for xmas and had just be told off by her mam for doing so, she gave me a panettone she said it's a thing that Italians gift to each other 

Somehow, showing respect for someone else or authority in any form is seen as a sign of weakness.

As children every teacher at school was either Sir or Ma'am. Our school system in Africa seemed to be influenced by American culture to some degree. (It's probably a lot different now though.) If someone was superior to us, then they were called Sir. Still to this day I call most of my customers by either Sir or Ma'am, even although I know their first and second names. They are my superiors as far as I'm concerned because they employ me.

As kids, our next door neighbours were Mr and Mrs Owen. If we knew someone very well then it was Uncle and Aunty even although, we weren't related. There was one single man we were very friendly with in Zambia. He insisted we call him by his first name. My mother tore into him. He eventually relented, and he made an exception in our case ?- Uncle Steve, he was always known to us as.

This is something we taught our children from an early age. Treat every person as superior to yourself, and you can't go wrong. I believe our business reputation is built on doing a good job, being presentable and above all, being polite.

 

[spruce]

In my opinion if you have to ask someone to price your work then you don't know what you're doing.

Every one has different prices and overheads etc.

When I started window cleaning in around 1996 I worked for a commercial window cleaning firm in London and then after that one in Hertfordshire.

This is where I learned what to do, how to do it and prices work. Back then there where no forums you couldn't ask people to price your work or get get advise or reassurance from others.

When you underpriced a big job back then you knew it and it became a step learning curve and this taught you how to price.

It amazes me how much free information people want and how easy those that know give it away.

In the past I would help others out with advise on pricing and getting work.I would even pass jobs on to others and occasionally lend them equipment and you very rarely get a thanks.

These days I tell people very little and only a very select few would I help out.

?

I sometimes might ask another window cleaner in our area what he charges for a 3 bed semi without a conservatory. It does help me to see what other customers are prepared to pay for a basic window cleaning service. I'm sometimes surprised at how low some cleaner's pricing is compared to mine, and I don't believe I'm expensive.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Somehow, showing respect for someone else or authority in any form is seen as a sign of weakness.

As children every teacher at school was either Sir or Ma'am. Our school system in Africa seemed to be influenced by American culture to some degree. (It's probably a lot different now though.) If someone was superior to us, then they were called Sir. Still to this day I call most of my customers by either Sir or Ma'am, even although I know their first and second names. They are my superiors as far as I'm concerned because they employ me.

As kids, our next door neighbours were Mr and Mrs Owen. If we knew someone very well then it was Uncle and Aunty even although, we weren't related. There was one single man we were very friendly with in Zambia. He insisted we call him by his first name. My mother tore into him. He eventually relented, and he made an exception in our case ?- Uncle Steve, he was always known to us as.

This is something we taught our children from an early age. Treat every person as superior to yourself, and you can't go wrong. I believe our business reputation is built on doing a good job, being presentable and above all, being polite.

Yes growing up being respectful, grateful, and well mannered or get slapped or beaten with a slipper because discipline was a way of life then. I believe it's now named child abuse 

 

[Pjj]

In my opinion if you have to ask someone to price your work then you don't know what you're doing.

Every one has different prices and overheads etc.

When I started window cleaning in around 1996 I worked for a commercial window cleaning firm in London and then after that one in Hertfordshire.

This is where I learned what to do, how to do it and prices work. Back then there where no forums you couldn't ask people to price your work or get get advise or reassurance from others.

When you underpriced a big job back then you knew it and it became a step learning curve and this taught you how to price.

It amazes me how much free information people want and how easy those that know give it away.

In the past I would help others out with advise on pricing and getting work.I would even pass jobs on to others and occasionally lend them equipment and you very rarely get a thanks.

These days I tell people very little and only a very select few would I help out.

Very wise words I totally agree , I do however think it’s interesting to see how others price work as this gives you a feel for ware you are in the grand scheme of things , am I to cheap am I to expensive, some say prices vary around the country but the stuff we do I price exactly the same all over the areas we cover . I have in the past failed to increase prices frequently enough meaning that it has then needed a large increase , but over all our earnings were still going up due to volume of work done now I increase prices every couple of years regardless of inflation etc .  

 

[OGradys]

Access 

Water volume requirements 

Equipment 

Location 

Manpower 

Just some information that goes towards a pricing structure in my opinion.

What figures have you came up with as this is your business and learning the price for jobs respectively is how you run a business.

Asking is easy but learning by trial and error appears to have disappeared within this trade 

Sorry for delay in response we have been flat out, pardon the pun. 

We just completed the wash down on 9 Town houses on the same development which included pressure washing from 1st storey down and windows for which we have invoiced for 1.5k.

We are using a 1000 litre ionic wfp system with lightweight carbon Pole s, the job for the 1st phase starts in January with 3 phases in total which will be just over 1000 windows. 

We will also be cleaning interior windows in all communal areas. 

In response also I have been cleaning domestic for 3 years and worked for a company on domestic for a further 12 months, the development company who built the apartments is a close friend of over 25 years and has invested in equipment totaling over 30k. I could take advice on what he is prepared to pay on invoice but want to have an idea of what we should invoice.