Per window, per pane or per side
Most residential window cleaners charge per window, with one price for the outside and another for the inside. Others count panes, which suits French and divided light windows. Pick one unit, use it on every line and match the quote. A homeowner can count 24 windows from the driveway, but cannot check an hourly figure.
Define a window in your terms, for example one opening with up to two sashes, so a large picture window or a glass patio door can be priced as its own item.
Example lines on a window cleaning invoice template
Each line should say which side, which floor and how many. The figures below are example prices in US dollars to show the unit, not rates to copy. Window type, height, how dirty the glass is and your local market will all change them.
| Line item | Charged by | Example price |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior glass, first floor | Per window | $7 |
| Exterior glass, second story, ladder or pole | Per window | $9 |
| Interior glass | Per window | $5 |
| Screen wash and refit | Per screen | $3 |
| Track and sill detail | Per window | $2.50 |
| Hard water stain removal | Per pane | $15 |
| Gutter clean and downspout flush | Per linear foot | $1.25 |
Storefront routes and repeat visits
Shops, offices and clinics often book outside glass every two or four weeks. One invoice per customer at month end, with each visit on a dated line, is easier for both sides than a bill after every wash. If a chain pays from head office, add the store number or PO so the payment finds the right account.
Our monthly invoice layout is built for routes like this. The free generator creates each invoice by hand; if you want them sent on a schedule, WhizInvoice can do that part.
Gutters, height and access
Gutter cleaning is usually billed by the linear foot or as a flat price per story, with downspout flushing included or listed on its own. Measure the run once and keep the number in your customer notes, so next fall’s invoice matches this one. Height adds time and risk, so third story glass is often priced separately.
- Downspout unclogging, when a flush is not enough.
- Debris bagged and hauled away, if you do not leave it for yard waste pickup.
- Roof access on steep pitches, as a flat line.
Sales tax on window cleaning in the US
Sales tax in the United States is set by states and local governments, not by a single national rate. USA.gov notes that states charge different percentages on different goods, and some items are not taxed at all. Whether window cleaning is taxable where you work is a question for your state tax agency.
If it is taxable, add the combined state and local rate in the generator; lines that are not taxable can be marked exempt. Our guide to sales tax on invoices explains how to show it, and the US invoice template covers the other fields American customers expect.
Window cleaning invoice mistakes
Most disputes over window cleaning bills come down to counting. If your invoice says 30 windows and the homeowner counts 24, the conversation is about trust, not glass. These are the errors to check for before you send.
- Counting differently from the quote. If you quoted per window, do not switch to panes on the invoice.
- Charging for screens the customer took down. Only bill screens you handled.
- No note on fogged double panes. Fog between the glass is a failed seal, not dirt. Note it so no one expects cleaning to fix it.
- A monthly route bill without dates. Each wash needs its own line.
Load the sample house job
Download the template as Word, Excel or PDF, or open the window cleaning example in the invoice generator. It loads a two story house with 24 windows inside and out, screens, tracks and 160 feet of gutters, ready to edit and download as a PDF.
Indoor house work fits our house cleaning invoice, and driveways and siding are covered by the power washing invoice. Browse every layout in the free invoice template collection, or price a new route first with the cleaning quote template on WhizQuote.
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