WindowBossPro Blog — Quotes & Estimates

Quoting One-Time Window Cleaning: Spring Cleans and Move-Outs

Spring cleans and move-outs are the busiest one-time work a window cleaning company gets. The phone rings in March and April, and again at the end of every month when leases turn over. These jobs have their own quirks: windows that have not been touched in years, hard deadlines, and customers who will not be around to see the result.

One Visit, Different Rules

In Access Notes on a Window Cleaning Estimate: Gates, Dogs, Ladders and Skylights we covered the details that make every visit smoother. One-time jobs need those details too, plus a few more. There is no next visit to fix what went wrong, so the quote has to be right the first time.

Spring Cleans

A spring clean is usually a homeowner who wants the windows done once, often inside and outside, after a long winter. The glass may have a year or more of buildup. Screens are often filthy, and tracks are full of whatever blew in.

What to ask:

• When were the windows last cleaned?
• Inside, outside or both?
• Screens and tracks?
• Any hard-water spots from sprinklers?
• Any date they need it done by, like a graduation party?

Windows that have not been cleaned in a long time take longer. Some window cleaners use a slightly higher first-time rate for neglected glass, and then a lower rate if the customer joins a plan. Whatever you do, put it on the estimate clearly.

Move-Outs and Move-Ins

Move-out jobs come from tenants trying to get a deposit back, sellers getting a house ready to list, and landlords or property managers turning a unit. Move-in jobs come from new owners who want a fresh start.

These jobs are different in a few ways:

• Deadlines. The lease ends Friday. The listing photos are Tuesday. Ask for the date up front and quote only if you can meet it.
• Empty houses. Inside work is faster with no furniture. Make sure you can get in: lockbox code, realtor contact, key under the mat.
• Someone else pays. A landlord, a seller or a realtor may be paying. Find out who approves the estimate and who receives the invoice.
• No one to check the work. Before-and-after photos from the tech app are your proof the job was done.

Put the access details in the access notes on the job: “Vacant. Lockbox on back door, code 1958. Lock up and return key to box.”

Pricing One-Time Jobs

Build the estimate from your service list as usual: windows per side, story add-ons, screens, tracks and hard water. Then check it against your minimum job charge. One-time jobs are rarely routed as tightly as recurring work, so the minimum matters more.

If you charge a first-time or one-time premium, make it a separate line or a clearly named item, so the customer sees why the price is what it is. That also makes it easy to show the lower recurring price next to it.

Scheduling One-Time Work

In WindowBossPro, an approved one-time estimate becomes a scheduled service. The office puts it on a specific day on the Scheduled List and assigns it to a van. In busy spring weeks, try to place one-time jobs near your recurring routes so the van is not crossing town between them.

Enter the window details on the job: number of windows, stories, sides and extras. The tech sees them on the phone, along with the access notes, and the customer gets automatic “on the way” and “arrived” texts. When the tech taps Complete, the invoice is created and a card on file can be charged.

Turning One-Time Into Recurring

A spring-clean customer who loves the result is the easiest recurring plan you will ever sell. Ask at the door, or text the next day. A new homeowner who booked a move-in clean is another good candidate. Offer a twice-a-year or quarterly plan at a per-visit price. See Turning a One-Time Window Cleaning Quote Into a Recurring Plan.

Landlords and property managers who order move-out cleans are worth a different conversation: ask about all their units. That can turn into a multi-location account with one monthly statement.

Get It Right the First Time

One-time jobs pay well and fill the spring rush, but they leave no room for a second try. Ask about the last cleaning, respect the deadline, capture access for empty houses and price first-time dirt honestly. For the rest of quoting in WindowBossPro, see the window cleaning estimate software page.