What Commercial Window Cleaning Costs in London
Ask five commercial window cleaning companies for a quote on the same building, and you’ll likely get five different numbers, all of them defensible. That’s not because pricing in this trade is inconsistent, it’s because the cost is driven by variables that have almost nothing to do with the glass itself. Here’s what we’re actually pricing when we quote a commercial job in London, and why access, not the windows, is what moves the number.
It starts with the window itself
Not all windows take the same amount of work, even before access comes into it.
Wooden sash windows open on a vertical slide with two panes to reach on each side, and older frames often need more careful handling to avoid damaging the timber or the sash cords.
PVC and aluminium windows are the quickest to clean; the frames are more forgiving and the glass is usually a single accessible pane.
Wooden encasements (the surrounding timber box structures common on older London buildings) add cleaning and inspection time around the frame itself, not just the glass.
Secondary glazing effectively doubles the job: an inner and outer pane, often with limited room to work between them.
None of this changes the method we use to reach the window. It changes how long we spend once we’re there.
Access is what actually sets the price
This is the real driver of commercial window cleaning cost, and it comes down to one question: how do we safely reach the glass?
Water-fed pole, for anything up to around five storeys. Purified water and an extendable pole from ground level, no need to work at height. This is the most straightforward and cost-effective method, and it’s why single-storey shopfronts and low-rise offices are usually the cheapest jobs to quote.
Rope access, for taller buildings without another way up. Once a job goes above pole reach and there’s no safe platform access, rope access means abseiling from the roof, which means a roof survey first: checking anchor points, load ratings and safe rigging before anyone goes near the edge. That survey, plus the certified labour it takes, is what pushes rope access jobs above pole-based ones.
MEWPs (mobile elevated work platforms), for sites that need them. A MEWP can be the right call for mid-rise buildings with suitable ground access, but it brings a different set of costs: the machine hire itself, and, in central London especially, road permits and council permits if the platform needs to sit on a public highway or pavement. Permit lead times and costs vary by borough, and they’re arranged before the cleaning ever starts.
As a rough guide, a low-rise office on a water-fed pole might sit in the low hundreds of pounds per visit; a rope access or MEWP job on a taller building, once permits and survey time are factored in, can run well into four figures. The range is wide because the access requirement, not the square footage of glass, is what’s being quoted.
The cleaning itself is the easy part
Take the access question out of it, and window cleaning is genuinely simple work: purified water and a pole, or a cloth and a squeegee. What takes the planning, the paperwork and the time is getting there safely and legally, whether that’s a roof survey, a permit application, or just picking the right pole for a five-storey building instead of a four.
That’s also why an accurate quote needs a site visit, or at minimum photos and a floor count, rather than a price per window.
We're not pricing the glass. We're pricing the access.
FAQ
How much does commercial window cleaning cost in London?
There’s no single day rate. A small shopfront on a water-fed pole might be a few hundred pounds a visit; a taller building needing rope access or a MEWP, once permits and survey time are included, can run well into four figures. The building’s access requirement decides the number, not its size alone.
Do you charge per window or per visit?
Per visit, based on the site. Pricing per window doesn’t account for access, which is the biggest cost driver, so we quote against the whole job instead.
Why is rope access more expensive than a water-fed pole?
Rope access needs a roof survey before anyone goes near the edge (checking anchor points, load ratings and rigging), plus certified labour. That survey and the extra certification sit on top of the cleaning itself.
Do MEWP jobs always need permits?
Only when the platform needs to sit on a public highway or pavement, which is common in central London. Road and council permits are arranged before the job starts, and lead times vary by borough.
How often should commercial windows be cleaned?
Most commercial sites are on a 4 to 8 week cycle, though hospitality and street-facing buildings often go more frequently to keep frontages presentable.
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