WindowBossPro Blog — Quotes & Estimates

Quoting Storefront Window Cleaning: Pricing a Monthly or Every-Two-Weeks Route

Storefronts are the backbone of many window cleaning businesses. Each one is a small ticket, but they come back every two weeks or every month, they cluster on the same streets, and they keep a van busy on days when homeowners are not booking. Quoting them well is less about the glass and more about building a route.

Small Tickets, Steady Work

In Turning a One-Time Window Cleaning Quote Into a Recurring Plan we turned homeowners into recurring customers. Storefronts start recurring. Almost nobody wants their shop windows cleaned once. They want them clean all the time, which means a plan from day one.

Flat Price Per Visit

Storefronts are almost always quoted as a flat price per visit. A business owner does not want a per-window breakdown. They want to know what it costs each time you come. “Front glass and door, outside, every two weeks: $45 a visit.”

Build the flat price from the work, even if you do not show the math:

• How many panels of glass, and how big?
• Outside only, or inside & outside?
• Doors, including the push plates and handle area that gets fingerprints.
• Any upper windows or transoms above the storefront.
• Window lettering or vinyl that needs care.
• Parking and access: can you park out front, or is it a block walk with your gear?

Most storefronts in a strip look similar, so you will quickly develop a feel for the price. Keep a record of the window count on each one anyway. When rates change or a new tech takes the route, the count is there.

Walk-By Quotes

Storefronts are one of the few jobs you can often quote from the sidewalk. Walk the strip, count the glass, and talk to the manager while you are there. Many window cleaners build storefront routes by walking one street at a time, quoting on the spot and leaving a card.

If the person you talk to is not the decision-maker, ask who is and how they prefer to receive a quote. A chain store manager may need to send it to a regional office.

Choosing the Frequency

In WindowBossPro, recurring cleanings are set by minimum days between visits. For storefronts:

• Every two weeks (14 days) — restaurants, coffee shops and busy retail with lots of fingerprints.
• Monthly (30 days) — offices, salons, quieter shops.

Inside glass is often less frequent. A shop might want the outside every two weeks and the inside monthly. Set them up as two recurring services.

Building a Storefront Route

The real value of storefronts is density. Ten shops on one street, cleaned the same morning, beat ten shops spread across town. When quoting, think about where the shop sits relative to your existing route. A shop next door to three customers is worth more to you than an identical one across town, even at the same price.

A typical setup is one van on residential jobs and one on a storefront route. Storefronts come due on the Waiting List on their own, and the office assigns them to the storefront van on the right day. Auto-route Closest First or Furthest First from the shop, or set the order by hand, often early morning before stores open.

Access notes matter on storefronts: “Clean before 9am opening,” “Use side door for water,” “Do not touch the vinyl lettering.” They show on the tech's phone under the address.

Billing Storefronts

Storefront customers can have a card on file charged when the tech taps Complete, just like homes. Many businesses prefer one bill a month. A client set to Monthly account billing gets one statement each month covering every visit and every location, with each line labeled by address. That is useful for a business owner with two or three shops, and essential for a property manager, which we cover in Bidding Window Cleaning for a Property Manager With Many Locations.

Sign-Up Form for Storefronts

Because storefront prices are simple, they fit a website sign-up form well. A shop owner who finds you online can pick a storefront plan, see the price per visit and leave a card. The sign-up lands in Form Responses, and one click makes them a client.

Quote the Route, Not Just the Shop

Storefront quotes are flat, quick and recurring. Build the price from the glass, the doors and the access, pick the right frequency, and think about how each shop fits your route. For more on quoting in WindowBossPro, see the window cleaning estimate software page.