How to Start a Window Cleaning Business: A Checklist

To start a window cleaning business, you need a short list of what you'll clean, the official licence and tax pointers for where you work, and a plan for turning single cleans into regular rounds. The first move is choosing the streets or towns you'll cover, because a round works best when your customers are close together.

Keep this list on your phone and tick as you go. Each group of boxes builds on the one before, and the last group ends with a working round.

Your kit and your limits

• ☐ Decide what you'll clean. Ground floor only, upstairs too, frames and sills, conservatories, shop fronts. Write it down; it becomes your service list.
• ☐ Decide how you'll reach height. If upstairs windows are on your list, look up the official safety guidance on ladders and working at height for where you work before you take that work on.
• ☐ Check who else works your streets. The SBA says market research helps you find customers and competitive analysis helps you make your business different. Read the profiles and reviews of other window cleaners nearby and note what customers praise and what they complain about.

Paperwork, as official pointers

• ☐ Licences and permits. sba.gov says requirements and fees vary by business activity, location and government rules. Assuming no licence is needed anywhere is a mistake.
• ☐ Tax ID. sba.gov explains that an Employer Identification Number is a business's federal tax ID, used to pay federal taxes, hire employees and open a business bank account.
• ☐ Structure. sba.gov says your structure affects taxes, raising money, paperwork and personal liability.
• ☐ Taxes. sba.gov says structure and location decide which taxes apply, and irs.gov's self-employed tax centre is the official US starting point.

Getting found street by street

• ☐ Claim a Business Profile. Google says adding or claiming a Business Profile lets customers find your business on Search and Maps, at no charge, and that you choose a verification option.
• ☐ Name your streets or towns. Set your service area to exactly where you'll work. Google's local ranking tips say to keep information complete and accurate, and that complete profiles are more likely to appear in local results.
• ☐ Add your own photos. Google's tips include adding photos. Use clear shots of your own work and your van or kit, never stock images.
• ☐ Get listed consistently. Use the same name, phone number and area everywhere you're listed. My explainer on local SEO citations covers why that matters.
• ☐ Keep the profile active. My guide to Google Business Profile posts shows simple updates, such as the days you'll be in each area.

A quote page homeowners can use

• ☐ One page, three answers. What you clean, the area you cover, and how to request a quote.
• ☐ Price explained, not quoted. Say what changes a quote: how many windows, how many floors, access, and whether frames or conservatories are included. Then say how a regular clean differs from a one-off.
• ☐ A reply time. Tell people when they'll hear back, then keep to it.
• ☐ A self-check. Google's guidance on helpful, people-first content includes a self-assessment questionnaire. Would a homeowner know what to do next?
• ☐ Link it. Point your profile at this page so every search ends somewhere useful.

Turning single cleans into a round

• ☐ Offer a regular slot at every job. A one-off customer is the easiest person to turn into a regular, and the time to ask is when they're looking at clean windows.
• ☐ Ask for a review. Google says you can ask through a Google link or QR code, and that you should reply to reviews.
• ☐ Never trade cleans for reviews. Google prohibits offering free or discounted services in exchange for reviews as fake and misleading content, and the FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials covers fake or false reviews in the US.
• ☐ Ask the neighbours. On a street you already work, ask each happy customer whether anyone nearby might want the same. My referral request swipe file has wording to adapt.
• ☐ Group by street. Every new customer next door to an existing one adds work without adding driving.

Keeping regular customers once they've said yes

• ☐ Tell them their day. Let each regular customer know which day you're usually on their street, so a visit never comes as a surprise.
• ☐ Give notice before each visit. A short message the day before, sent by your booking tool, means side access is open and nothing is in your way.
• ☐ Make paying easy when they're out. Some regulars won't be home when you call, so agree how they'll pay before the first visit, such as an emailed invoice they can pay online.
• ☐ Say what happens when a visit moves. Explain on your quote page how you'll rearrange if a visit can't go ahead, and tell customers as soon as it changes.
• ☐ Write down what each home needs. Keep short notes on each customer, such as which windows are included and anything to watch for, so every visit matches the last.

Scheduling software for window rounds

A round lives or dies on its schedule, so choose one tool for bookings and invoices early. Listed alphabetically:

• BookingKoala: a service business platform whose page lists window cleaning among the services it supports, built to take bookings from first client to a full team.
• Housecall Pro: home services business management software; its page lists window cleaning among the trades it serves.
• Square Appointments: booking and scheduling software that, per Square, manages appointments, staff availability and services in one place and offers an online booking site.
• Workiz: field service software that its maker says schedules jobs, dispatches, invoices and collects payments in one place.

If you'd rather spend less time on messages to customers, these prompts for window cleaners help with reminders and replies.

Window cleaning business questions

What's the first step to start a window cleaning business?

Choose the streets or towns you'll cover. A round works best when customers are close together, and your profile and quote page grow from that choice.

Do I need a licence to clean windows?

It depends on where you work. The SBA says requirements and fees vary by business activity, location and government rules, so check its licences and permits page and your local rules.

How do I find my first window cleaning customers?

A verified Google Business Profile naming your streets, a simple quote page, and a review and referral ask after every clean.

Should I put window cleaning prices on my website?

You can be clear without a number: explain what changes a quote, such as window count, floors and access, and how regular cleans differ from one-offs.

Can I give a free clean for a review?

No. Google prohibits offering free or discounted services in exchange for reviews.

Tick these three before anything else

Your streets, your profile and your regular-slot question. Choose where you'll work, get found there, and ask every one-off customer if they'd like you back. Those three boxes are the difference between a diary of single jobs and a round.