[giftedk]

Hi, Ive been window cleaning for 13 years now and have just got the oportunity to tender for some builders cleans. Ive always wanted  to get in to the builders cleans, but i have no idea about how to go about pricing them. could anyone please give me some advice ?.

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

have a look through previous posts 

[Nameless Drudge]

Never touch them would be my advice,its a rarity to hear anyone being paid enough for doing them. They are the hard labour of window cleaning and carry massive risk in disputed scratches,getting paid etc.I`ve got to quote one on thursday(daughter of a regular customer). I`ll price it on £35/hr inc a 10 min tea break every hour and if i think i can do it in 6hrs i`ll price 7.Every window you are going to clean should be looked at by you and the customer/builder/new owner and ideally a scratch disclaimer signed though in practice this rarely happens.Giving them nice clean windows is fine but they just don`t like the scratches you will reveal,find it impossible to believe you didn`t contribute to them and there is no feel good factor even if you get paid.And if you charge enough for your time they will think you robbed them.  I`m glad i just reminded myself of all this before i get suckered in (again) on thursday.

[windiewasher]

charge 5x more than you would normally and double it m8!

[Nameless Drudge]

Forgot to mention "fabrication debris",that means a window that can never be scraped with a blade no matter how sharp.Replacement wiindows full stop if they have muck on them that can only be got off with a scraper.Been there.Run to the hills.

[Londoner]

I wouldn't touch it, a minefield

[giftedk]

lol cheers for that lads, it doesnt quite fill me with enthusiasm . Fom the replies i might give this one a swerve then .

[g newton]

a lot of builders cleaning companies are now subbing out the window cleaning inc the risk-being clobbered for scratched glass cills etc

[AJ]

Don't rush, work methodically and precisely. Take care and pay attention. Sharp, clean blades on wet glass. Move the blade in 1 direction as the reverse move can trap grit beneath the blade and scratch the window.
Point out scratches before you clean the glass and document it.
Charge 3 - 5 times what you would normally charge depending on the amount of muck on the glass.
A limescale remover or white vinegar will soften mortar before scrapage.
Don't be scared of it, use your common sense,  if you don't try it you'll never find out.

[Avo]

I agree with some of the above comments don't do them there not worth the hassle in my opinion. If you already have plenty of work pass it on but if you do go for it make sure you price it well.

[Llaaww]

Run a mile.

dont bother

hassle waiting to happen

Maybe do us all a favour and put in a fantasticly huge price.

I know that the next time I do a builders/ first clean I will be putting in the biggest price I can find the balls to pitch.

I know I won't be bothering.

[Londoner]

On top of the problems associated with the potential risk of you getting clobbered for scratches that were already there before you started there is also the problem of getting onto the site with all the H&S these days. Hard Hats Hi vz, ladder regs etc. Not a big problem but you should be aware.

They are building a new estate near me and I was cleaning (WFP) one of the windows of a house already occupied. Further down they are still building.

I was just finishing off and a site man came up and said , not stroppy or anything, that by rights I should be wearing hat and hi vz. And I should have reported to the site office before I started because it is officially still a building site. If I had been using ladders I think he may have been a bit more serious .

[Helen]

On top of the problems associated with the potential risk of you getting clobbered for scratches that were already there before you started there is also the problem of getting onto the site with all the H&S these days. Hard Hats Hi vz, ladder regs etc. Not a big problem but you should be aware.

They are building a new estate near me and I was cleaning (WFP) one of the windows of a house already occupied. Further down they are still building.

I was just finishing off and a site man came up and said , not stroppy or anything, that by rights I should be wearing hat and hi vz. And I should have reported to the site office before I started because it is officially still a building site. If I had been using ladders I think he may have been a bit more serious .

Strange how different sites have different rules. When we used to do a new estate, the already purchased houses were classed as Non site as now owned privately and nothing to do with the builders. We were doing a semi det one day that was privately owned (already occupied) the other "half" of the semi detached had not yet sold. The site office was across the road and we had a laugh with the site manager about the H & S rulings. If we had been asked to do the non sold one we would have to have vizzed up, hard hats and toe tectors etc etc to comply with site regs, as it was the one we were cleaning was occupied so it was ok to carry on as normal :