WindowBossPro Blog — Storefronts & Commercial

Pricing Storefront Window Cleaning by the Visit Without Underselling the Route

Storefront prices look small next to residential jobs. A house might be a few hundred dollars. A storefront might be a fraction of that. That can tempt new owners into pricing storefronts too low, on the theory that small jobs deserve small prices. But storefront money is about volume and repetition, and a price that is a little too low repeats twenty-six times a year.

Think in Route Hours, Not Single Visits

A dedicated storefront van, as described in One Van on Homes, One on Storefronts: Splitting the Window Cleaning Week, makes pricing clearer. The question is not “what is this one storefront worth?” It is “what does a morning on the storefront route need to bring in, and how many stops fit in a morning?”

Start with a target for each hour on the route that covers the tech, the van, supplies, insurance and profit. Then price each storefront so the stops you can do in an hour add up to that target. Your local market and your own costs decide the numbers.

Count Panes, Then Adjust

Most storefront pricing starts with the glass. Count the panes, or estimate the square footage if the panes are huge, and apply your per-window rates. Then adjust for:

• Sides. Inside and outside takes much longer than outside only, especially when displays are in the way.
• Height. Upper panes that need a pole or ladder take longer than ground-level glass.
• Doors. Busy doors need extra attention every visit.
• Extras. Hard-water removal, signage and frames are their own line items.
• Access. Waiting for someone to open a door is time you are paying for.

Set a Minimum Charge

Every stop has fixed time: parking, getting gear out, walking to the glass, packing up and driving to the next stop. Even a tiny storefront with one door and one pane takes that time. A minimum charge per visit protects you from stops that cost more to reach than they pay.

As an example only, a company might set a minimum of $20 or $25 per visit for outside-only storefronts on the route. Some charge a higher minimum for stops off the main route. The point is to have one, not to copy any particular number.

Frequency and Price

Some owners give a small discount for every-two-weeks service over monthly, because the glass is less dirty and the stop is faster. Others charge the same per visit and let the extra visits be the reward. Either works, as long as it is a choice and not an accident.

What does not work is pricing a monthly storefront as if it were every two weeks. Monthly glass is dirtier and takes longer. Price for what you will find.

Put the Prices in Your Service List

In WindowBossPro, estimates are built from your service list: per window outside, per window inside, per screen, story add-ons, hard-water removal and whatever else you charge for. Set those prices once. When you quote a storefront, add the services with the counts from your walk-through, and the estimate builds from your own rates.

That keeps pricing consistent across the route. Two similar shops on the same street get similar quotes, and when you raise a rate, new quotes use it. When a quote is approved online, it becomes scheduled service with no retyping. For more on quoting, see Quoting Commercial Window Cleaning Work and Getting It Approved Online.

Check Your Prices Against Reality

A price that looked right on the walk-through can turn out wrong after a few visits. Once a quarter, look at your reports by account and compare what each storefront pays with how long the techs say it takes. The time clock in the tech app helps show how long a storefront morning really runs.

When a storefront is clearly underpriced, send a new quote with a short explanation. Owners who have had clean glass on time for a year usually accept a fair adjustment.

Common Pricing Mistakes

• Pricing per visit without accounting for drive time to isolated stops
• Quoting outside only, then doing the inside “just this once” every visit
• Forgetting sales tax where it applies to your services
• Never raising prices on long-time accounts

Price the Route, Not Just the Stop

Storefront pricing works when every stop pulls its weight on the route. Count the glass, set a minimum, price for frequency and keep the rates in your service list. For the rest of the commercial setup, visit the WindowBossPro commercial window cleaning software page.