[Paul-pp]

Hi all - i started Trad W/C a couple of weeks ago & am starting to get a reasonable custy base, in "nice" areas.
My worry is that i am working myself into a low wage slave
Would you top blokes out there please help me out with pricing & times-
What would you charge for a 3bed semi 9-10 windows- good access & how long would it take you.
Please Trad values only -
Many thanks in advance.

[Lee GLS]

Trad £10-13 depending on style of windows would take 20-25mins to clean

[Bob McKillop]

One man operator you want to be aiming for £20 per hour trad and £30 per hour WFP. If you can aim as close to that when you start out you shouldnt underprice too much, as you will get faster with practice.

[deeege]

How some cleaners say aim for £30 ph wfp without knowing your location amazes me. Location is such a huge factor that makes it impossible to answer.

[Lee GLS]

One man operator you want to be aiming for £20 per hour trad and £30 per hour WFP. If you can aim as close to that when you start out you shouldnt underprice too much, as you will get faster with practice.

if you work on your own i would im for £30ph trad, i am trad at the moment and £30ph is a min for me on my own

[Sir Squeaky]

The value should be the same whatever the method. They're paying for clean windows.

For the record... £10 or so.  15-20 minutes.

[AuRavelling79]

The way to live comfortably at window cleaning is to sustain a brisk pace, have properly priced and compact work.

When I was last trad (2006) I could do an ex local authority semi with good access in 15 minutes. But over a half day with ladder moves and vehicle moves and a cuppa in the middle then in four hours I would do 12 in one street which equates to one very 20 minutes. My prices then were an average £7 and so that meant £21 ph or £84 over half a day. And I would get tired in the afternoon, slow down and finish about 4 O'clock after 7 hours.

Doing exactly the same work wfp from a van I can average 4 an hour at an average of £10 per house. (New stuff is £11)

Remember the three golden rules:-

1. Right price
2. Compact
3. WFP

[Sir Squeaky]

Like your signature on your posts Malc.
It was a classic moment!

[dazmond]

if its a small semi you should be able to to clean it in 15-20 mins no problem once your up to speed which could take months!

i was a trad window cleaner for 16 years but wfp is so much better and faster.you really want to go wfp as soon as you get some money together.

[mci services]

15 to 20 minutes tops trad but thats once you are to speed and concentrate making it compact work, council type houses with no hoppers and just plain single and double pain windows probably quicker. leave you to work out the price your self as I no doubt will be cheaper than most

[bobby p]

dont neglect the council houses- i have found these are the very quickest to do,they are never high and take less effort than other styles.  i made a mistake by taking on quite a few double bay window semis and  these are higher,take longer . i have to use a WAGTAIL squeegee to reach the very tops of these,whereas council houses there is no stretching at all

[Darranvps]

You have to look at the bigger picture.
You cant run a business just for your own wage, you have expenses to consider.
Take a look at your costs - include absolutely everything - work out how much you think they cost you, per month, week or even per day.
Add on top what you would like to earn per hour, day, week, month etc
You then have some idea as to what you need to "turn over" per hour, day, week, month etc to make your business a true business.
Don't forget to add a profit on top, and if thinking about growing the business, think about costs of marketing etc too.
To give you a good idea, many of the larger window cleaning companies aim for 33 pounds + per hour !

[Wc Solutions]

in my area i normally do £30 per hour trad - compact work tho!

with wfp i normally do £40 odd - again compact work tho!

so basically those are my rough maxish hourly rate for compact domestic work, commercial is alot different.

if not so compact then it probs drops by say a around £8 - £10

[birdymiller]

3 bed semis council estates Under 10 mins £4 private estates 10 mins £5-6 in sheffield no cons or porches or bay windows.

[Sir Squeaky]

4-6 quid?

[Sean Dyer]

i have a day every fortnight of council stuff at 4-10 mainly around 4-6 a house and clean over £200 alone in easy 8 hours and much more with help on bottoms

its extremely compact and easy peasy work, so if he means stuff like that its not underpriced really

[roundbuilder]

i have a day every fortnight of council stuff at 4-10 mainly around 4-6 a house and clean over £200 alone in easy 8 hours and much more with help on bottoms

its extremely compact and easy peasy work, so if he means stuff like that its not underpriced really

yes verey underpriced. My smallest of houses im getting 10s for and the are 2bed terraced. Your making out thats good what your doing. How the hell can you clean 200 worth that will be near 35 houses in an 8 hour day.

[Paul-pp]

Thanks - to all for the good advice

regards Paul.

[deeege]

Cleeen- I'm guessing by your post that your based south of watford?


To say somebody elses work is poo at £4 per house and they should charge £10 is pure ignorance.

 Good luck canvassing terraces at £10 per pop in this town, or any town here in the north west.

[roundbuilder]

yes i am london and can charge top money so i guess im lucky in that aspect. However what i was saying was to make 200 a day with houses priced at 4-6 sounds impossible where the poster of that  said can easily achieve in 8 hours. I was just questioning that. Hardly ignorence is it. Sorry if it came across that way.