Setting up a window cleaning business
The process of setting up a successful window cleaning business in Canada is straightforward; just follow these steps.
Setting up a window cleaning business in Canada isn’t as complicated as you may think, and it’s one of the most affordable service businesses to launch. With low startup costs, no formal qualifications required and plenty of demand across residential and commercial markets, all you need to know is how to get your business up and running.
This guide goes through the steps to follow and what to consider in order to start a window cleaning business in Canada.
What permits or licences do you need to start a window cleaning business?
There are no federal permits or licences necessary to start a window cleaning business in Canada, but your municipality may have its own requirements. For example, you need a business licence to clean windows in both Calgary and Toronto, and your business must be registered to apply for one.
You may also need to obtain a criminal record check if you’re working in venues hosting children or members of a vulnerable group, such as schools or special care homes.
What educational qualifications do you need to start a window cleaning business?
You don’t need any formal educational qualifications to clean windows or to start a window cleaning business. However, there are training courses you can take on basic safety and specialized window cleaning to improve your skills and impress prospective clients.
And, if you’re working at heights, a safety training course may be required. For example, if you’re working at heights above 3 metres (10 feet) in Ontario, you must complete a Ministry of Labour-approved Working at Heights training program.
Registration: Choosing the right business structure for your window cleaning business
Your business type determines how much tax you’ll pay on the money you make and how personally liable you’ll be for business debts.
Here are your main options.
- Sole proprietorship.
You’ll continue to pay income tax and other remittances to the government as an individual. You personally will be held liable for business debts or lawsuits against your business. - Partnership.
This is essentially the same as a sole proprietorship, except profits are shared with your business partner(s). Under a general partnership, each partner is held personally liable. Under Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships, only general partners (those who manage the business) are liable, while limited partners (investors) are not. - Corporation.
Here, your business becomes an entity in its own right and your personal finances are separate from your business finances. In addition to filing your own personal tax return, you’ll also file a separate business tax return. Plus, you’ll have to pay yourself a wage from company profits. You can’t be held personally responsible for business debts and will have reporting and management responsibilities. - Cooperative.
Cooperatives are best for groups of people who share similar social or economic needs and want to operate a business democratically. In Canada, all cooperatives must be incorporated, either at the federal or provincial level. Cooperatives can be set up as for-profit, not-for-profit or charitable organizations.
Incorporating is more expensive and complicated to set up. If you’re launching a small window cleaning business, you may not see it as worth the hassle. You could launch as a sole proprietor or partnership, then incorporate later.
Set up business banking for your window cleaning business
If you’re wondering whether you need to open a business bank account, the answer is, maybe. You’re only legally required to have a separate business bank account if you registered your business as a partnership or corporation.
But, separating your business and personal expenses, even as a sole proprietor, makes bookkeeping much easier, helps you track deductible expenses and avoids messy audits. It also makes your window cleaning business look more professional when your clients can pay into a dedicated business account.
When choosing between traditional banks (like RBC or Scotiabank) and fintechs (such as Wise or Wave), consider your needs.
- Traditional banks typically offer stability, in-person service and access to credit products
- Fintech companies often provide lower fees, online invoicing, currency conversion and fast integration with accounting tools
How business bank accounts work
Once you choose a financial institution, you can either apply online, in person or over the phone. A business bank account works similar to a personal account—the main difference is that it’s dedicated to your business’s finances.
Knowing businesses will need to process frequent deposits in higher amounts than individuals typically deposit, banks often charge a fee per deposit based on the size or type of deposit (cheque, cash etc.).
You should expect similar features to what you’d get with a personal bank account — such as a debit card, the ability to send and receive payments, optional overdraft option, online and mobile banking and more. You may even want to look into accounts that let you earn interest on your balance to help your earnings grow even faster.
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How do taxes work on a window cleaning business?
The way you file your tax return and pay your taxes depends on your business structure. If you operate as a sole proprietor or in a partnership, you’ll report your window cleaning income on your personal tax return. If you incorporate your window cleaning business, you’ll need to file both a corporate tax return and a personal tax return.
You must submit your personal and/or corporate tax returns between April and June, but make tax payments in monthly or quarterly installments throughout the year.
Since you’re self-employed, you’re also responsible for both the employer and employee portions of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions. For 2025, the total contribution rate is 11.9% of your net income, up to a maximum of $8,068.20.
So, to estimate how much you need to set aside, let’s look at the relevant tax rates for 2025.
Federal income tax rates:
- 15% on the portion of taxable income that’s $57,375 or less, plus
- 20.5% on the portion of the taxable income over $57,375 up to $114,750, plus
- 26% on the portion of taxable income over $114,750 up to $177,882, plus
- 29% on the portion of taxable income over $177,882 up to $253,414, plus
- 33% on the portion of taxable income over $253,414
Federal corporation income tax rates:
The federal tax rate is 15% (after the general tax reduction and federal tax abatement).
If you’re eligible for the small business deduction, your federal tax rate would be further lowered to 9%
Provincial income tax rates for Ontario, as an example:
- 5.05% on the portion of taxable income that’s $52,886 or less, plus
- 9.15% on the portion of taxable income over $52,886 up to $105,775, plus
- 11.16% on the portion of taxable income over $105,775 up to $150,000, plus
- 12.16% on the portion of taxable income over $150,000 up to $220,000, plus
- 13.16% on the portion of taxable income over $220,000
Provincial corporation income tax rates
- If you’re eligible for the small business deduction, your provincial corporate tax rate would be 3.2% for eligible income up to $500,000
- 11.5% for all other provincial corporation income
Also, if you make $30,000 gross income or more in four consecutive calendar quarters (a period of three months beginning on the first day of January, April, July or October in each calendar year), you’ll have to charge your clients GST/HST. Then, you’ll be assigned a monthly, quarterly or annual reporting period to file your GST/HST return.
Here are the GST/HST rates you’d charge based on your location:
- 5% (GST) in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon
- 13% (HST) in Ontario
- 14% (HST) in Nova Scotia
- 15% (HST) in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island
This means, if your net income is $75,000, you live in Ontario and your cleaning business is a sole proprietorship, you’ll need to pay the following:
- $23,981.25 in federal taxes
- $3,787.49 in provincial taxes
- $8,068.20 in CPP contributions
- $9,750 in HST
- Total = $45,586.94
Creating a business plan for your window cleaning business
Unless you plan to apply for financing, you don’t need to create a business plan for your window cleaning business. But doing so could still be helpful. Laying out your plan clearly will allow you to spot potential obstacles to your success or reasons why you might want to reconsider starting a business or explore other options.
A great window cleaning business plan should include:
- Company overview. The name of the business and its owners, the business type and its address. Perhaps a short mission statement explaining your goals for the company.
- Your target market. Who will you market your services to and why? It pays to be as specific as possible. The better you know your audience, the easier it is to market to them.
- Products and services. A full list of what products and services are offered by your business, plus how much you’ll charge.
- Competitors. Who are your competitors? How does your business differ from theirs? Why is yours better?
- Marketing plan. Are you planning to distribute brochures? Where will you market your business? What is your monthly marketing budget for each marketing platform?
- Financial plan. How much will it cost to launch your business? What are the estimated monthly running costs? What are your monthly sales forecasts? (You should list a minimum viable target amount, an average target amount and stretch targets for long-term growth.)
Things change quickly in the world of business, so it’s recommended to review and amend your business plan at least once every quarter.
Setting up your window cleaning business
Here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow when you’re ready to launch your window cleaning business.
1. Research your market
Assess local demand, understand your competitors’ offerings and determine what services are most needed in your area. Then, identify your target clientele, whether it’s residential, commercial or both.
2. Define your services
Once you know what window cleaning services are lacking in your local market, you can define your own offerings. Here are some examples of window cleaning services you can offer:
- Exterior window cleaning
- Interior window cleaning
- Screen cleaning
- Window track and sill cleaning
- French pane/divided light window cleaning
- Skylight cleaning
- Glass door cleaning
- Post-construction window cleaning
- Seasonal window cleaning
3. Register your business.
If you’ve chosen a business structure already and decided you want to register your business, you can do so online. You just need a unique business name.
4. Obtain necessary licences and permits
As discussed, you may need a business licence to clean windows, depending on your municipality. If you’re not sure, contact your local city hall to determine specific requirements
5. Purchase equipment and supplies
Now that your business is set up, you can buy the equipment and supplies you’ll need to start cleaning windows. This may include:
- Squeegees
- Extension poles
- Ladders
- Buckets
- Cloths
- Cleaning solutions
- Harnesses
- Helmets
- Non-slip shoes
6. Market your business
Finally, you’re ready to start cleaning windows, you just need to find clients. We’ll dive deeper into marketing strategies later, but for now, you can set up a Google Business Profile so prospective clients can find you online, leave reviews and share your contact details.
How much should you charge?
On average, window cleaners in Canada charge between $5 and $15 per window pane. For larger jobs, you may want to charge a flat rate. Entire residential homes are often quoted at $200–$300, although large houses could cost as much as $400.
Many window cleaners charge extra fees for add-ons like cleaning screens, sliding glass doors, window sills and tracks. Screens and window sills and tracks could cost less than $1 up to $5, depending on the size (perhaps more if you have to remove deep stains or paint).
Sliding glass doors can similarly range from $2-$8, depending on the size and extent of the job. Due to the extra risk involved, the cost of cleaning may increase for higher levels of a house (above a second floor).
Prices don’t have to be completely fixed. You may choose to charge different rates to different customers. After all, the quote you give a customer will depend on a number of factors, including:
- How many windows they have. You could charge a set price per window, but you’ll probably have to lower this for commercial premises that have lots of windows.
- Window size and type. The longer it takes to clean the windows, the more you should consider charging. Many window cleaning companies leverage extra fees for higher (or obstructed) windows too.
- How often they want their windows cleaned. Perhaps you’ll offer a bulk discount for regular work, or if a customer commits to having their windows cleaned for a longer period.
- How busy your business is. It’s a fact of life that non-thriving businesses will often be forced to lower their prices in order to stay alive. Perhaps you’ll charge below-average prices to get your window cleaning business off the ground, then raise them as you start to build momentum.
How to market your window cleaning business
Here are three of the most common methods of marketing a window cleaning business:
Direct face-to-face marketing
It’s not uncommon for window cleaners to approach homeowners or business managers and market their services face-to-face. This can be a grind that involves a lot of rejection, but it can pay off.
If you (or your employees) have a likeable personality and can develop some basic face-to-face sales skills, you could secure customers by knocking on doors and pitching your services with less effort than it takes to attract them online.
Better yet, there’s no upfront cost to this marketing method (other than the cost of travelling from prospect to prospect).
Indirect offline marketing
As you’re likely to launch only targeting specific neighbourhoods, this form of marketing may involve creating flyers, leaflets or ads in local newspapers.
You could post these flyers through letterboxes or pin them where customers are likely to see them.
This is a low-effort marketing method, but it’ll cost more and is easier to ignore than directly pitching your services in person.
Online marketing
Nowadays, it’s essential to have an online presence. This means creating a website that illustrates your services and is well-optimized for the search terms that potential customers could be inputting. You’ll also want to ensure your business ranks well in tradesmen listings websites. These websites often include customer reviews, so you’ll need to do your bit to encourage customers to leave a favourable rating.
A strong social media presence should also be desirable. Window cleaning isn’t the most exciting business to show off on the likes of Facebook and Instagram, so get creative! This is perhaps another opportunity to use your personality to gain sales.
Getting insurance for your window cleaning business
Not all insurers offer the same options, but you may find the following types of coverage helpful for your window cleaning business:
- Commercial property. Provides coverage for lost, stolen or damaged equipment.
Personal injury. Helps cover costs associated with recovering from a work-related injury. - General liability. This protects you and your employees if legal action is brought against your business for damages done to a client’s person or property.
- Lost key coverage. Covers key replacement costs for you and your employees.
- Commercial auto coverage. Get car insurance for vehicles you use for business, including supply vans, trucks and regular passenger vehicles.
- Janitorial bonds. Covers damages related to employee theft and bad work performance. While getting a janitorial bond isn’t a legal requirement, some clients may prefer you have one.
Some insurance providers offer insurance coverage tailored to your business’s specific needs, so it’s possible to get multiple types of coverage in one policy.
Bottom line
Starting a window cleaning business in Canada requires little upfront investment or formal qualifications, making it an accessible career for anyone ready to work hard to build a client base.
Now that you know how to set up your business, charge competitive rates, handle taxes properly and market to your target audience, you’re ready to build a solid reputation and start earning profits. However, if you’re not sure whether window cleaning is right for you, you can consider starting a general cleaning business instead.
Frequently asked questions about setting up a window cleaning business
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