Clean Windows on Your Own

What you do

You clean windows for people who hire you directly. No app or company stands between you and the customer.

Self-employed means working for yourself, with nobody else setting your price.

This page covers homes with one or two stories. You reach the glass from the ground, with an extension pole, or with a ladder.

A window washer wets the glass and loosens dirt. A squeegee then wipes the water off without streaks.

Outside glass takes more time and effort than inside glass. Some customers pay for outside cleaning only, to keep the bill down.

Companies that price this work do not count panes one by one. A sliding glass door, for example, counts as two windows under one company’s own rule.

What it pays

Nobody publishes what a self-employed window cleaner takes home. This page carries no price range for that reason.

We checked federal wage data, three window-cleaning companies’ own price pages, and an insurer. None of them print that number.

The government tracks pay for a janitor and cleaner job. That job’s own task list includes washing windows and glass. An employee at a cleaning company earns a mean $18.64 an hour, or $38,760 a year, in 2025 data. That is not what a self-employed window cleaner who sets their own price takes home.

Real pricing works differently. One franchise’s own page says its prices generally start low. The price then rises based on three things. How long since the last cleaning. How many windows the home has. What type they are.

That same company counts windows by its own rule. Two windows side by side count as two. A window with a transom above it counts as two. A sliding glass door counts as two windows.

Two other companies describe how the trade sets a price. One says cleaners charge per pane of glass, or per whole window. It says the two methods can total very differently for the same house. The other names three pricing models. Price per pane. Price per square foot, for large glass walls. Or a flat rate set by home size or story count.

Height changes the price on its own. A taller home needs a ladder, a pole, or a water-fed pole system, and each extra story raises the cost.

Charging a price is not the same as keeping it. What you bill is gross pay. What is left after costs is take-home pay. Self-employment tax adds 15.3% on top of income tax, figured on net earnings, the income left after costs. No employer withholds this for you. Time spent driving between jobs, quoting, or doing paperwork earns nothing. Squeegees, washers, and buckets wear out and need replacing.

How you get paid is between you and the customer. You might use cash, a check, or a payment app. No source we found sets one payment rule for this trade.

Once net self-employment earnings reach $400 in a year, the IRS requires a tax return. Two forms apply: Schedule C and Schedule SE, both built for the self-employed. Income counts no matter how it arrives, cash included, the IRS says. Ask a tax preparer which forms match your situation.

Core tools add up to about $29. A squeegee costs $11.83. A window washer costs $11.39. A 5-gallon bucket costs $5.89. That total is our own math, not a published figure.

An extension pole for second-story glass costs $22.09. A ladder costs far more, from $252.99 to $557.99. This page treats a ladder as an optional fallback for spots a pole cannot reach cleanly.

General liability insurance is optional. It covers accidental damage or an accidental fall. NEXT Insurance says most of its customers pay $19 to $52 a month for general liability.

Who this fits

This fits you if you like careful, hands-on work.

It fits people who want to set prices by pane, by window, or by home size and story count.

It fits people who have a car or other vehicle to carry a pole and a bucket. A ladder, if you buy one later, needs a bigger vehicle.

We found no state license for window cleaning in California, Texas, or Florida. Washington’s own rule is unclear. Ask Washington’s L&I office before you start work there.

You also have to find your own customers. No platform does that for you.

If you are still comparing gigs, read How to Pick a Side Gig That Fits You first.

See more local, hands-on gigs like this one, including cleaning gutters, power washing driveways, and cleaning houses.

Who should skip this

Skip this if you do not want to work on a ladder, even sometimes. A pole reaches most second-story glass, but some spots still need a ladder.

Skip this if you plan to work in Washington and are not willing to call its L&I office first. Its own rule for this trade is unclear.

Skip this if you need a steady paycheck. Your income depends on how many jobs you book.

Skip this if carrying water, a pole, or a ladder does not work for your body.

Skip this if you do not want to set aside money for taxes yourself. Nobody withholds it for you.

Your first week

Day 1. Check your state’s rules for this trade. If you will work in Washington, call L&I about contractor registration.

Day 2. Buy your squeegee, washer, and bucket. Together these cost about $29.

Day 3. Buy an extension pole for upper windows. It costs $22.09.

Day 4. Set your prices. Use panes, whole windows, or home size and stories as your guide.

Day 5. Tell five people you know that you clean windows. Ask them to spread the word.

Day 6. Book your first job. Agree on price and how you will get paid.

Day 7. Do the job and get paid. Save part of it for taxes.

Questions people ask

Do I need a license to clean windows? We checked license lists in California, Texas, and Florida. None names window cleaning. Washington makes many contractors register, bond, and insure. Its own page does not list all 63 specialties it covers. Its own statute does not name window cleaning either. Ask Washington’s L&I office before you start work there.

How much should I charge? There is no set number. Companies price a job by pane, by whole window, by square foot, or by home size and stories. Height and heavy exterior grime raise the price too.

Do I need insurance? It is optional. NEXT Insurance says most of its customers pay $19 to $52 a month for general liability. Whether to buy it is your call.

Does the federal ladder rule apply to me? Ladder standards exist at the federal level for job sites. They apply to employers with employees, not to someone working solo. Falling remains a genuine hazard. NIOSH ranks building cleaning and maintenance among the highest-risk fields for falls.

Do I have to report what I get paid? A return is required once net earnings reach $400 in a year, filed on Schedule C and Schedule SE. Cash income still counts, the IRS says. A tax preparer can help with your forms.

Other gigs to compare

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  You clean houses for pay you set yourself, with no company or app in between. Price depends on home size, how often you clean, and who brings supplies. No company publishes what a self-employed cleaner earns, not even a national cleaning chain's own pricing page. Basic supplies cost about $38 to start. Neither Florida nor Texas licenses house cleaning, and Texas does not tax a cleaner working straight for a family.

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• Be a Mystery Shopper

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  ACE's own per-shop fee is $10 to $50.

  You visit stores or restaurants and report on what you saw, acting like a normal customer. ACE pays $10 to $50 a shop, and Secret Shopper starts near $15 for basic shops. Some shops ask you to buy something first and wait to be paid back. You need a phone, computer, or tablet to send in your report.

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  First money: 2 to 6 weeks, depending on when you finish your first shop, since pay runs in monthly batches.

How to pick a side gig that fits you