How our calculators work

Every calculator follows the same method, so you can trust the numbers and adjust them to your market.

1. Market ranges from published sources

Each rate (per window, per square foot, per visit and so on) comes from a published 2026 US cost guide or industry breakdown. The sources are listed at the bottom of every calculator and in full below.

2. Three price levels, plus a slider

Budget uses the low end of every range.
Typical uses the midpoint.
Premium uses the high end.

The slider moves every line item together, anywhere between the low and high end.

3. Minimums and surcharges

Where a source reports a typical minimum job charge, the calculator raises small jobs to that minimum. Surcharges for access, height or condition are entered by you, because they depend on your own costs.

4. Your hourly rate

Business calculators divide the quote by the time you enter. That hourly check uses only your numbers, not market data.

Assumptions we had to make

Outside-only window cleaning is priced at 60% of the inside-and-outside rate.
Window count from home size is estimated at about 1 window per 100 sq ft, matching the published examples (1,500 sq ft ≈ 15 windows; 4,200 sq ft ≈ 42).
Gutter length from home size is estimated from the perimeter of a square footprint. Measure before sending a final quote.
Commercial cleaning is published at about three visits a week. Other frequencies are scaled in proportion.
Pet waste extra-dog charges come from the weekly rates and are applied to every frequency.
Trash can cleaning ranges come mainly from one operator's published 2026 pricing, cross-checked against a second provider.

How often we update

We review the data at least once a year and when major sources publish new figures. Last reviewed: September 2026.