Most window cleaning quotes look the same on paper. A price, an address, a date. The difference between them is usually in what the price actually covers, and that only becomes clear after the job is done.
There are five things worth asking before you book anyone: what is included, whether it covers inside as well as out, how two-storey work is priced, whether travel is in the figure, and what happens if the weather turns. Here is why each one matters.
1. Ask exactly what is included
This is the one that catches people out. Window cleaning is not a fixed product, and two quotes for the same house can cover quite different work.
Glass is always included. Everything around the glass varies. Tracks, sills, frames and flyscreens are separate items, and with us they are paid add-ons rather than part of a standard clean, unless a particular package includes them. That is worth knowing before you compare two prices, because a quote that covers them will sit higher than one that does not, for good reason.
If you want the full result, ask for it to be quoted that way. We have written about what cleaning tracks, sills and frames actually involves and why it takes longer than the glass itself.
2. Ask whether it is exterior only, or inside as well
There are two ways to have windows cleaned, and the gap between them is significant.
- Exterior only. The outside faces, which is where the weather, dust and salt do their work. Most regular cleans are this.
- Interior and exterior. Both sides. It takes longer, it needs access to each room, and it is the one to choose if the glass has not been done properly in a while.
Neither is better. They are different jobs at different prices, so make sure the quote you are comparing is for the same one.
3. Ask how two-storey work is priced
A two-storey property takes longer, needs more equipment and more care getting to the upper windows safely. It is priced higher than a single-storey home for that reason.
If a quote treats both the same, ask how. It usually means either the upper level has not been allowed for, or the single-storey price is carrying it. Clear pricing on access is a reasonable thing to expect.
4. Ask whether travel is in the figure
Across Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast there is a lot of ground between jobs, and travel is a real cost for any cleaner working the region.
The question is not whether a travel charge exists, it is whether it is already in the number you have been given. Any travel charge that applies to your address is included in the quote we give you, so the figure you see is the figure you pay. Ask the same of anyone else, because a quote that excludes it is not finished.
5. Ask what method and water they use
This sounds technical but it shows up in the result. Ordinary tap water carries minerals, and when it dries on glass it leaves the spotting that makes a freshly cleaned window look no better than it did before.
We use purified water systems, which rinse off without leaving those deposits behind. It is the difference between glass that looks clean on the day and glass that still looks clean a fortnight later.
Two more worth asking
Who actually turns up, and are they insured?
Ask whether the business is insured and qualified for the work, particularly anything above ground level. Ask who is coming, too. Knowing it is the same small team each time rather than whoever was available is worth something, especially for a property you want looked after rather than just cleaned.
What happens if it rains?
Exterior cleaning is weather dependent and sometimes a day has to move. Ask how that is handled before it happens, rather than finding out on the morning. We work Monday to Saturday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, which gives a reasonable amount of room to reschedule.
How often should it be done?
Once you have booked, the next question is usually how often to repeat it. For most homes around Geelong, twice a year keeps on top of it. Coastal properties through Torquay, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads and Point Lonsdale generally need it more often, because salt carries in on the wind and builds up faster than ordinary dust. There is more detail in our post on how often windows should be cleaned.
What a finished quote looks like
A quote you can act on tells you four things without having to ask: what is being cleaned, whether that is one side of the glass or both, what the access situation means for the price, and that travel is already accounted for.
If you are weighing up doing it yourself instead, that is a fair question and we have set out the honest comparison between a professional clean and doing it yourself.
Getting a quote from us
Excel Window Cleaning has been cleaning windows around Geelong since 2002, for homes and for businesses. Most of our work comes from repeat customers and referrals, which says more than any claim could. You can see our residential window cleaning and commercial window cleaning services, or the areas we cover across Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast.
Tell us the property, whether you want inside and out or just the outside, and anything about access we should know. Get a quote or call us on 1300 962 791, and ask for a combined quote if you want other exterior work looked at while we are there.
