There is no single square-foot rate for commercial window cleaning in Metro Vancouver — the price is set by glazing area, access method, frequency, and site logistics. This page explains each factor so you can read any quote you receive, including ours.
Every legitimate commercial quote in this market is built from these variables. If a bid arrives without them documented, it is a guess.
The single most common budgeting mistake we see in Vancouver strata and office portfolios is comparing a per-visit price against an annual program price. A quote for one exterior clean and a quote for three cleans per year with a documented access plan are not the same product, and the cheaper number on the page is often the more expensive number over five years — because glass left unwashed through two coastal winters accumulates mineral deposits that eventually require restoration rather than cleaning.
Ask every bidder for the same four things: the measured or estimated glazing area they priced against, the access method they assumed, the frequency, and the written exclusions. When those four line up, the prices become directly comparable. Our RFP guide includes an evaluation matrix built around exactly those fields.
Cost also compounds with deferral. A building on a quarterly program is priced as maintenance; the same building after four years of neglect is priced as restoration, which involves acid-free mineral removal, cerium oxide polishing, or in the worst cases glass replacement. Our glass restoration vs. replacement guide sets out where that line sits.
Two paths depending on where you are in the process.
Answer four short steps about your building and get an instant per-visit and annual range, with a branded PDF for council or budget approval.
Read more →We measure glass, confirm anchors and access, and return a fixed scoped proposal — no obligation.
Read more →How to present exterior maintenance costs to a strata council and depreciation report without the number getting cut.
Read more →Most commercial work is priced per visit against the measured glazing area, then adjusted for building height, access method, and site complexity. Recurring contracts are priced lower per visit than one-off cleans because access setup, notice, and mobilisation are amortised across the year. Very small buildings are usually subject to a minimum per-visit charge that covers crew mobilisation regardless of glass area.
Almost always access. A tower with certified roof anchors can be dropped with rope access in a day; the same glass area on a building with no anchors may need a swing stage rigged and tied back, or a boom lift with a traffic plan, which adds crew hours and equipment cost before a single pane is cleaned.
Not proportionally. Quarterly and tri-annual programs carry a lower per-visit rate than annual one-offs, and glass that is cleaned on a schedule needs less labour per visit because mineral deposits and organic film never get a chance to bond. Buildings left for years often need a glass restoration pass first, which is priced separately and costs more than several routine cleans.
Roof anchor recertification, glass restoration or stain removal, screen repair, and interior cleaning on secured floors are quoted separately. Our estimates state these exclusions in writing so nothing appears as a surprise change order.
Yes. Our online estimator produces a defensible budget range from building type, storeys, access method, services, and frequency, with a downloadable PDF you can take to a council meeting or budget review. A site walkthrough then converts that range into a fixed scoped price.
Downtown work carries higher costs where street occupancy permits, lane closures, or restricted loading windows are required, and lower costs where a building has a permanent BMU or certified davits already installed. Travel zone matters more in Surrey, Richmond, and the North Shore than it does in the core.
The pages most closely connected to this one, plus the areas we service nearby.
Rope access, swing stage, BMU, and water-fed pole glazing programs with documented anchor and rescue plans.
Read more →Square-foot ranges for plazas, parkades, and cladding, plus what changes the number.
Read more →Commercial gutter, scupper, and drain clearing scheduled around Metro Vancouver's rain cycle.
Read more →High-rise and commercial window cleaning, pressure washing, and gutter clearing across the City of Vancouver — curtain-wall towers, heritage masonry, retail podiums, and strata highrises.
Read more →Commercial and strata window cleaning, pressure washing, and gutter clearing across the City and District of North Vancouver — Lower Lonsdale, Shipyards, Lynn Valley, and business parks.
Read more →Commercial and strata window cleaning, soft washing, and gutter clearing in West Vancouver — Ambleside, Dundarave, Park Royal, and British Properties commercial buildings.
Read more →Use the estimator for an instant range with a downloadable PDF, or book a walkthrough for a fixed scoped price.