What you are paying for
Window cleaning in Denver is really two jobs
One is glass. The other is water management, and it is the one that protects the five-figure asset in your walls. A good cleaner does both. A cheap one does the first and quietly costs you the second.
- Glass, inside and out. Squeegee and detail, not a spray bottle.
- Screens. Removed, washed, dried and refitted. Screens hold more grit than the glass does, and that grit ends up back on wet glass.
- Tracks and sills. Vacuumed and wiped. Grit in a track destroys rollers and balances.
- Weep holes. The small slots at the bottom of the exterior frame that let water escape. Blocked, they hold standing water against the edge seal of the insulated glass unit. This is a genuine cause of early seal failure, and clearing them costs nothing.
What a Denver home costs to clean
| Home | Per pane, in and out | Typical whole house |
|---|---|---|
| Single storey, ground-level access | $4 to $8 | $150 to $300 |
| Two storey | $7 to $12 | $275 to $500 |
| Three storey or difficult access | $10 to $14 | $450 to $850 |
| Screens, per screen | $3 to $6 | Usually an add-on |
| Track and sill detail | $2 to $5 per window | Usually an add-on |
| Hard water spot removal | $8 to $25 per pane | Priced after inspection |
A pane is one piece of glass. A single double-hung window has two panes, so a 20-window house is often a 40-pane quote. Confirm how the company counts before you compare two prices.
Hard water spots: the Denver-specific problem
This is the complaint that brings most Denver homeowners to a window cleaner, and most of it is self-inflicted by a sprinkler head. Front Range tap water carries dissolved calcium and magnesium. A droplet lands on hot glass, the water flashes off in the dry air, and the minerals stay. Repeat that a few hundred times over a summer and the deposit bonds to the silica in the glass.
There are three stages, and they cost very differently.
- Fresh deposit. Comes off with an acidic mineral remover. Normal cleaning price.
- Bonded deposit. Needs mechanical polishing with cerium oxide. Priced per pane and it is slow work.
- Etched glass. The mineral has eaten into the surface. Polishing will not return clarity. The only real fix is new glass.
Do this before you book anything. Walk the yard with the sprinklers running and watch which heads hit glass. Turning two heads five degrees is free, and it prevents the stage-three damage that no cleaner can undo.
Timing it for Colorado
Two visits a year fits most homes. Late spring, after the hail season and the cottonwood and juniper pollen have finished, and early autumn before the first hard freeze. Avoid cleaning in full afternoon sun on a hot day: the solution dries before the squeegee reaches it and you get streaks the cleaner cannot help. Good crews work the shaded elevations first for exactly that reason.
Three things to confirm before you book
- Insurance. General liability, plus workers compensation for anyone working above the first storey. Ask for the certificate.
- What is included. Screens, tracks, sills and weep holes, or glass only. This is where two quotes that look identical are not.
- Method above ground level. Water-fed pole from the ground is safer for your landscaping and your liability than a ladder leaned against soft soil.
Common questions
How much does window cleaning cost in Denver?
Most Denver homes are quoted per pane. Expect roughly $4 to $8 per pane inside and out on a single-storey home, and $7 to $14 per pane on a two or three-storey. A typical 25-pane single-storey house therefore lands around $150 to $300 for interior and exterior. Screens, tracks and sills are often priced as add-ons, so ask.
How often should Denver windows be cleaned?
Twice a year suits most homes here: once after the spring hail and pollen season, once in autumn before the weather closes in. Homes near unpaved roads, construction, or heavy tree cover need more. South and west elevations get dirtier faster because of the sun and the prevailing wind.
What causes the white spots that will not wipe off?
Hard water. Denver Water is moderately hard, and sprinkler overspray plus dry air leaves calcium and magnesium behind as the droplet evaporates. Repeated cycles etch the deposits into the glass surface. Early on it polishes off with an acidic mineral remover. Once it has etched, it needs abrasive glass polishing, and eventually nothing but new glass fixes it. Adjusting the sprinkler heads is the cheapest window maintenance you will ever do.
Do cleaners handle screens and tracks?
The good ones do, and it matters more than the glass. Grit in the track wears the rollers and eventually the balance. Blocked weep holes at the bottom of the frame trap water against the seal, which is exactly how a good insulated glass unit dies early. Ask specifically whether weep holes are cleared.
Is the cleaner insured if a window breaks?
Ask for the certificate, do not take the word. You want general liability and, for anyone working above the first storey, workers compensation coverage. A cleaner who cannot produce both on request should not be on a ladder against your house.
Where we work
Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster. If cleaning reveals fog between the panes, that is a seal failure, not dirt. See window repair.
Book cleaning before the spring rush
Denver cleaners fill up from April onward. One request gets you quotes from several insured local companies.