Service

High-rise window cleaning

Exterior glass, frames, and sills cleaned from rope, swing stage, or water-fed pole depending on building height and anchor availability. Crews and equipment are matched to the building, not the other way around.

What's Included

Scope of work

Exterior glass cleaning, all elevations
Frame and mullion wipe-down
Sill and ledge cleaning
Spot removal of overspray, adhesive residue, and mineral staining
Interior glass cleaning on request (accessible floors)
Entrance and storefront glass detailing
Signage and canopy glass where accessible
Skylight and atrium glass cleaning where rigged
Pre- and post-clean photo documentation on request
Anchor and rigging point visual inspection before use
Debris and drip management at grade during descent work
Written condition report noting any pre-existing glass or seal damage
Method

How the work is performed

01

Site and anchor review

Confirm access method against building height, roof davit or anchor condition, and any tenant or bylaw restrictions.

02

Rigging or pole setup

Rope lines are anchored and inspected, a swing stage is hoisted and tied back, or a water-fed pole system is filled with purified water — matched to the drop.

03

Pre-wash and agitation

Glass is pre-wet and loosened with a soft applicator to lift dust, salt spray, and organic film before contact cleaning.

04

Detailing

Squeegee or purified-water rinse finishes the pane; frames, sills, and corners are hand-detailed separately.

05

Descent and re-anchor

Technicians work each drop line systematically across the elevation, re-anchoring at set intervals per the access plan.

06

Ground-level check and sign-off

A final walk confirms coverage, drip marks are cleared at grade, and any glass defects are logged for the property manager.

Access Approach

Access method by building profile

  • Water-fed pole
    Used up to roughly four to six storeys where ground or roof staging is feasible; fastest and least disruptive option for low-rise commercial.
  • Boom or scissor lift
    Chosen for mid-rise buildings with clear ground access and stable surfaces — parkade entries, loading areas, and podiums.
  • Rope access
    Used on towers where roof anchors are certified and street closures need to be avoided; technicians work independent primary and backup lines.
  • Swing stage / suspended platform
    Selected for buildings with roof davit systems (RDS) or track systems designed for a hung platform, typically on larger commercial towers.
  • Ground crew
    Handles entrances, podium glass, and any elevation reachable without elevated access, working alongside the primary access method.
Pricing

What drives the price

  • Building height
    Determines access method and rigging time, which is the largest single cost factor.
  • Total glass area
    Curtain wall and atrium glazing take longer per elevation than punched-window facades.
  • Frequency
    Quarterly or bi-monthly contracts cost less per visit than one-off annual cleans.
  • Access complexity
    Setbacks, mansards, and obstructed rooflines add rigging and repositioning time.
  • Staging and permits
    Sidewalk closures or crane-assisted staging require permits and traffic control.
  • Glass condition
    Mineral deposits, construction overspray, or long-neglected buildings need extra passes.
Frequency

Recommended frequency

Coastal salt air, construction dust, and rain streaking mean most Metro Vancouver towers need more than an annual clean to look presentable year-round. Frequency is usually set by exposure and lobby visibility, not a fixed rule.

Class A office tower — quarterly or bi-monthly
Strata high-rise — semi-annual to quarterly
Retail podium / storefront — monthly interior and exterior
Industrial or warehouse office — annual to semi-annual
Hospitality / hotel — quarterly, timed around peak seasons
Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is rope access safe for occupied buildings?+

Yes. Rope access is one of the most tightly regulated access methods in construction — every technician is IRATA or SPRAT trained, works on independent primary and backup lines, and anchors are inspected before each use. It's chosen specifically because it avoids street closures and swing stage rigging time on buildings where that matters.

How do you clean tempered and coated glass without scratching it?+

We never use razor blades on tempered, tinted, or coated glass — only soft applicators, purified water, and, where needed, a plastic scraper rated for the coating. Razor use is restricted to uncoated annealed glass at ground level where scratch risk is negligible.

What is purified or deionised water and why does it matter?+

Water run through a resin and reverse-osmosis system has the dissolved minerals stripped out, so it dries spot-free without squeegeeing. It's what makes pole-fed cleaning viable up to roughly the fourth to sixth floor — beyond that, wind and reach limits push us to rope access or a lift.

How often do roof anchors need to be recertified?+

WorkSafeBC and CSA Z259 guidance call for annual inspection of permanent fall-protection anchors and roof davit systems by a qualified person, with load testing on a longer cycle set by the manufacturer or engineer of record. We flag anchor condition on every visit and will tell you in writing if a recertification is overdue before we use it.

Can you clean during business hours without disrupting tenants?+

Most high-rise cleaning happens during business hours from outside the glass line, so tenants see the crew but aren't displaced. For sensitive floors — boardrooms, medical suites — we schedule around bookings the property manager flags in advance.

Next Steps

Related pages

Get a budget estimate, review our insurance and safety credentials, or see recent work in our case studies.

Client Feedback

What tower owners and managers say

Verified feedback on our rope access, swing stage, and water-fed pole window cleaning programs.

Read our reviews on Google →
The Spiffy Window Cleaning crew arrived on schedule, were courteous, worked diligently and did a great job. The windows look fantastic. An added bonus - the management and employees are customer oriented and responsive.
James Kellett
Google review
Class act! Super easy to book and showed up on time and did a stellar job! I had all of the glass windows cleaned and let me tell you winter was unkind to all of our sliding glass doors and now they are perfection. Will be booking them again soon!
Jenny Beth Meischl
Google review
David and all of the team at Spiffy are good guys who aim to please. They did a wonderful job on my windows, gutters inside and out, and my deck glass which was covered in years of green algae. I didn't think I needed cleaning, but after it was done, I must say, I do enjoy my clear views.
Karen L
Google review

Get a scoped estimate for your tower

Send building height, glass area, and photos and we'll recommend an access method with the quote.

Next step

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