exterior
Window cleaning
Window cleaning costs £10 to £18 a visit for a terraced house, £14 to £25 for a semi and £20 to £45 for a detached, on a round that usually runs every four to six weeks. A one-off clean costs more than a visit on a round, often half again, because the round is what makes the price work.
What this covers
What it costs. Window cleaning costs £10 to £18 a visit for a terraced house, £14 to £25 for a semi-detached and £20 to £45 for a detached house, on a four to six weekly round. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- Regular exterior window cleaning on a four or six weekly round
- Water fed pole work on upper floors, with no ladder needed
- Frames, sills and doors cleaned with the glass
- Conservatory roofs and uPVC, usually priced separately
- Interior glass, on request rather than as part of the round
What is involved
Nearly all exterior work above the ground floor is now done with a water fed pole rather than a ladder. Purified water is fed up a carbon fibre pole to a brush, the glass is scrubbed and rinsed, and it is left to dry without being squeegeed. Because the water has had its minerals removed it dries without spotting, which is the whole reason the method works.
That also explains something customers regularly query: the windows look wet and streaky when the cleaner leaves, and clear an hour later. A traditional squeegee finish looks better immediately and is still normal for interior work and for ground floor glass.
The round is the business. A cleaner doing forty houses in a street can price each one at fifteen pounds; the same cleaner making a special trip for one house has to charge for the journey. That is why one-off cleans carry a premium and why most cleaners would rather add you to a round than sell you a single visit.
What the evidence says
Standards and published measurements, cited so they can be checked.
Why the pole replaced the ladder
The law on working at height asks first whether the work can be done without going up at all, and only then how to do it safely. That is the whole reason a window round now arrives with a water-fed pole rather than a ladder: it does a second floor from the pavement, which removes the risk instead of managing it. A ladder is still allowed for short, low-risk tasks and is not the default answer. Above pole height the options are a platform, a cradle or rope access, and a contractor should say which before it says a price.
Work at Height Regulations 2005. The duty to avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable, and to use equipment that prevents a fall where it is not; the Health and Safety Executive publishes the guidance on applying it.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask what the interval is and whether you are charged if the weather stops a visit. Most rounds run every four or six weeks and skip rather than charge, but it should be said.
Ask whether frames and sills are included. On most rounds they are, and it is the most frequent difference between two quotes that look the same.
If anything needs ladder access, ask about insurance before the work rather than after. Ladder work is where insurance matters most, and a public liability certificate takes a minute to produce.
Worth reading first:
Common questions
Why are my windows left wet?
Because water fed pole work rinses with purified water and leaves it to dry. The minerals that would leave spots have been removed, so it dries clear. It is not an unfinished job.
Do I need to be home?
Not for exterior work, as long as gates are unlocked and there is access to the back. Most rounds leave a note or a text rather than knocking.