When someone searches for “window cleaning price”, they usually want one neat number. Window work rarely behaves that neatly. The glass is what the client notices first, but the hours often disappear into frames, tracks, sills, fly screens, dusty blinds and awkward access. In a Prague flat with balcony doors, old double windows or a narrow exterior sill, a “quick window clean” can turn into half a day if the quote was too vague.
June is when this shows up most clearly. Pollen, street dust, construction grit and the first hot weeks push people to ask for “just the windows”. A provider is not selling shiny glass only. You are selling time, reach, tools, care around the client’s home and the risk that comes with working at height. Good window cleaning pricing should explain what is included before anyone pulls a squeegee out of the bucket.
Why window cleaning is often underpriced
The client sees streaks on the pane. You see the whole unit: inside glass, outside glass, frame, handle, sill, bottom track, screen, blind, access and sometimes the charming surprise of old Prague joinery. A new-build apartment in Karlín with balcony access is one thing. A Vinohrady flat with casement or double windows is another.
The mistake usually starts with a gut quote. “Small flat, I’ll be done quickly.” Then you arrive and every window has two leaves, the outer sill is dirty from birds, the screens need careful removal and the client assumes the blinds are part of the same number. The argument is not really about money. It is about scope that was never named.
There is a big difference between a quick polish and a full window clean. A polish can be a light seasonal touch-up. A full clean means both sides of the glass, frames, handles, sills, lower tracks and normal dust removal. After renovation work, you may need a scraper, slower technique and more care around the glass. That extra time must live somewhere in the price.
I would rather state the scope early, even in a short message: “The price includes glass on both sides, frames and interior sills. Screens and blinds are quoted separately based on the number and condition.” That one sentence prevents more awkward doorstep bargaining than any small discount.
What to include in the price
First decide what you are actually selling: glass only, or the whole window area. Czech price lists are not consistent. Some Prague providers charge by square metre including the frame. Others list glass separately and add frames, sills or blinds as extra work. A small independent cleaner does not need to copy a large company, but the offer has to be clear.
At minimum, separate these items in your own estimate:
- glass on one side
- glass on both sides
- frames, handles and the area around the sash
- interior and exterior sills
- tracks and lower grooves
- insect screens
- interior or exterior blinds
- double, roof or hard-to-reach windows
For an ordinary flat, the cleanest basic package is often glass on both sides plus frames and interior sills. I would not leave frame and sill work as a vague “I’ll wipe it quickly” promise. Either include it and price the time properly, or list it as an add-on. The unclear middle option is where providers lose thirty minutes and then feel annoyed.
Screens deserve their own line. They have to be removed carefully, cleaned, dried or wiped, and fitted back. Older plastic clips can break. Some custom screens take time just to figure out. A screen cleaning price of 30 to 80 CZK per piece, depending on size and dirt, is not cheeky. It is a label for real work.
Blinds are even easier to underquote. Interior horizontal blinds collect dust on every slat, and wiping them well is slow. A quick dust-off is not the same service as careful cleaning. So the blind cleaning price should sit outside the base glass price, either per blind, per metre or as a timed add-on. Exterior blinds and high-access windows are a different category again, because the issue is not only dirt. It is safety and equipment.
Hourly rate, square metre or per window
There is no single correct pricing model. An hourly rate works when you have not seen the job, the condition is uncertain or the client wants a mix of windows, blinds, screens and small extras. In Prague in 2026, I would not price skilled window work below a normal cleaning hour. Often it should sit higher. It is more physical, more seasonal and more exposed to complaints than routine floor cleaning.
Square-metre pricing works for larger glass areas, shopfronts, offices and flats with many similar windows. Just be precise about what you measure. Glass only? Both sides? The full opening including the frame? If a client sends “about 120 by 150 cm”, reply that the final price depends on the number of window leaves, access and add-ons. Not as a trick. The measurement alone does not tell the whole story.
Per-window pricing is often easiest for homes. Clients understand it faster than square metres. You can keep three simple categories:
- small window or ventilation panel
- standard two-leaf window
- balcony door or large French-window set
Then add clear extras. Screen cleaning. Blind cleaning. Heavy dirt. Difficult access. With that structure, the quote stops feeling like a trap and starts feeling like a map.
Travel and the minimum job size matter too. If you cross half of Prague for two small windows, the labour itself will not cover the visit. A minimum charge around 800 to 1,500 CZK can make sense for small residential jobs, depending on the district, parking and equipment. A larger company may need a higher minimum. For an independent provider, it is still better to say the minimum openly than to hope the travel time somehow disappears.
How to explain surcharges without conflict
A surcharge feels bad when the client hears about it only after you arrive. If it is explained beforehand, it becomes a normal part of the quote. The tone matters. Not “unfortunately I have to charge extra”, but “for heavily soiled windows I add a surcharge because the clean takes longer and may require careful scraping.”
After pollen season, the glass often has a sticky film and yellow dust in the corners. After renovation, there may be plaster, paint dots or adhesive on the pane. That is not standard window cleaning. For post-renovation dirt, I would avoid a fixed final number without photos. One scratched pane can turn a cheap job into a serious problem.
Higher floors and poor access deserve the same plain language. If a window can only be reached from outside, over a railing or from a ladder, that is not a small detail. Safety has a price. Some jobs should simply be refused if you do not have the right equipment or insurance. Losing one booking is better than damaging your back, the client’s property or your reputation.
Screens and blinds are easiest to explain by naming the level of work. “I will dust the screen in place” is not the same service as “I will remove, wash, dry and reinstall the screen.” “I will wipe both sides of the blind slats” is not a quick pass with a duster. Once clients see that written down, they stop expecting everything to be folded into one glass-cleaning number.
A sample quote message for clients
Here is a message you can adapt:
“Hello, thank you for the photos. The estimated window cleaning price is 1,900 CZK. This includes glass on both sides, frames, handles and interior sills. Insect screens are 50 CZK per piece. Blinds are quoted by number and condition, from 120 CZK per window. If the windows are post-renovation or heavily soiled, I will confirm the final price after checking them on site. The minimum visit charge in Prague is 1,200 CZK including normal travel access.”
It contains the important pieces: scope, add-ons, uncertainty and minimum charge. The client knows what they are getting. You know what you promised.
Before giving a final quote, ask for:
- the number and type of windows, with photos from inside and outside
- whether there are screens or blinds
- floor level and balcony access
- normal dirt, pollen dirt or post-renovation dirt
- location, mainly because of travel and parking
Good cleaning service pricing is not only maths. It is communication. When you explain early that the window cleaning price depends on glass, frames, screens, blinds and access, you do not sound expensive. You sound like someone who knows the job.
If you are looking for help with cleaning in Prague and want window work quoted without awkward surprises on site, Čistýkout can connect you with local cleaning providers who explain the scope before the visit. Send a no-obligation request through the contact form and describe the windows as concretely as you can.
