Vancouver · Strata

Strata window cleaning in Vancouver

Council-ready quotes, resident notices, AGM budget figures, and complete insurance and WorkSafeBC documentation — for strata corporations across Vancouver's West End, Yaletown, Olympic Village, Kitsilano, and the Cambie and Broadway corridors.

Answer First

What a strata actually needs from a window cleaning contractor

The cleaning is the easy part. What decides the vote is whether the package is complete, the residents are informed, and the number holds for the budget year.

Strata decisions are made by volunteers reading a meeting package, often weeks before any work happens. A quote that states a lump sum without naming the access method per elevation, or that arrives without insurance and WorkSafeBC documentation, stalls at the table and pushes the work into the next quarter. We build the package around that reality: the scope, the access plan, the coverage documents, and the resident notices arrive together.

The maintenance case matters too. Vancouver's rain carries roadway grit and construction dust onto lower glass, and salt air on West End and waterfront buildings deposits minerals that etch the glass surface once they sit through enough wet-dry cycles. Etched glass is a replacement cost, not a cleaning cost, which is why a documented twice-yearly exterior schedule is the standard recommendation for exposed Vancouver strata towers.

  • Council-ready quote
    Access method stated per elevation, scope written line by line, and a fixed price that holds for the contract term — comparable against competing bids without a phone call.
  • Compliance package
    Certificate of commercial general liability insurance, current WorkSafeBC clearance letter, and site-specific safe work procedures with the rescue plan.
  • Resident notices
    Printable notices and lobby posters issued at least two weeks ahead, with dates, elevations, and the close-windows-and-clear-balconies instructions.
  • AGM budget figures
    Annual and multi-year figures formatted for the operating budget, so the line item can be presented without rework.
  • Owner-paid interior option
    Interior glazing offered as an individual owner opt-in, keeping the common-property contract clean and the strata's exposure fixed.
Process

From first enquiry to a signed strata contract

01

Walkthrough and anchor check

We confirm elevations, glazing type, balcony configuration, and anchor certification dates before any number is written.

02

Council-ready package

Scoped quote, access plan, insurance certificate, WorkSafeBC clearance, and safe work procedures issued as one document set for the meeting agenda.

03

Council decision

We'll attend a meeting or call to answer council questions on access, disruption, and frequency — at no charge, and with no pressure to decide in the room.

04

Resident notification

Notices and posters supplied two weeks ahead, distributed on the building's normal channels by council or the property manager.

05

The clean

Elevations completed in the sequence residents were told, with daily progress confirmation to the manager or council contact.

06

Post-clean report

Photo record per elevation plus any failed seals, cracked glass, or envelope issues we saw from the rope — useful evidence for the depreciation report.

Scope

A typical Vancouver strata contract

Written so council can compare it against any other bid line for line.

Exterior glazing on all elevations, twice yearly on the standard schedule
Balcony railing glass and accessible balcony frames as common property
Lobby, entrance, and amenity-room glazing
Parkade entrance and ground-level glass
Printable resident notices and lobby posters, two weeks ahead of each visit
Certificate of insurance, WorkSafeBC clearance, and site-specific safe work procedures
Photo condition report and defect log after each visit
Optional owner-paid interior cleaning, coordinated individually
Questions

Frequently asked questions

What Vancouver strata councils and property managers ask before awarding a contract.

What does a strata council need before approving a window cleaning contract?+

Most Vancouver councils want four things in the package: a scoped written quote with the access method stated per elevation, a certificate of commercial general liability insurance, a current WorkSafeBC clearance letter, and the site-specific safe work procedures including the rescue plan. We issue all four with the quote so the package can go straight into the meeting agenda rather than triggering a follow-up request.

Who is responsible for balcony glass — the strata or the owner?+

It depends on your strata plan and bylaws. Balcony railing glass and the exterior face of unit windows are almost always common property maintained by the strata, while the interior face is typically the owner's. We scope the exterior faces and railings as a single common-property line item and can quote optional interior service that owners opt into individually.

How do residents get notified before cleaning starts?+

We provide printable resident notices and elevator or lobby posters with the dates, elevations, and what residents need to do — close windows, clear balconies, and move furniture back from the glass. Notices are supplied at least two weeks ahead so council or the property manager can distribute them on the building's normal schedule.

How should a strata budget for window cleaning at the AGM?+

Budget by frequency and elevation count rather than a single annual figure. A Vancouver strata tower on a twice-yearly exterior schedule with an optional owner-paid interior clean is the most common structure. Multi-year contracts with a fixed annual rate make the operating budget predictable, and exterior cleaning that protects glass from mineral etching belongs in the operating budget, not the contingency reserve fund.

Do you work with property managers or directly with council?+

Both. On managed buildings we work through the property manager and copy council on documentation. On self-managed stratas we work directly with the council member holding the maintenance portfolio. Either way, one named account contact handles scheduling, notices, and post-clean reporting.

What if our roof anchors are out of certification?+

We check anchor certification dates before quoting and will tell you if they are expired or undocumented, because rope access and swing stage work cannot legally proceed without them. Recertification is arranged with a professional engineer through your usual building envelope consultant; in the meantime we can complete lower elevations by water-fed pole or lift.

Client Feedback

What strata clients say

Verified feedback from councils and property managers we work with.

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 council-ready strata quote

One package with the scoped price, insurance certificate, WorkSafeBC clearance, safe work procedures, and printable resident notices — ready for your next meeting.

Next step

Get a budget number today, or book twenty minutes on site.