7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Window Cleaning Company

Hiring a window cleaning company should be simple — and most of the time it is. But you're still inviting a crew onto your property to work on ladders around your home, your landscaping, and your glass. The difference between a company that does this professionally and one that bought a squeegee last month isn't always obvious from a website or a lawn sign. After cleaning more than 12,000 homes across the Twin Cities since 1988, we've heard plenty of stories from homeowners who learned the hard way. So here are the seven questions we'd tell our own family to ask before hiring any window cleaner — including us.

1. Are You Fully Insured and Licensed?

This is the question that matters most, and it should be your first. Window cleaning involves ladders, heights, and water — and if an uninsured worker gets hurt on your property, you could be the one facing the liability. A legitimate company carries both liability insurance (covering damage to your home) and workers' compensation (covering injuries to the crew), plus proper licensing. Ask for proof, and pay attention to the reaction. A professional company expects this question and will happily provide certificates. Hesitation, vagueness, or 'don't worry, we're careful' are your cue to keep looking. Starbrite is fully insured and licensed, and we'll show you the paperwork before you ever ask twice.

2. How Long Have You Been in Business — and Where?

Longevity isn't everything, but it tells you a lot. A company that has served the same community for decades has a reputation to protect and a track record you can actually check. It also means they'll still be around next year if something needs a follow-up. Ask where the company is based, too — a local business answers its own phone, knows the area, and depends on its neighbors' word of mouth. We've been family-owned, minority-owned, and locally owned in Blaine since 1988, serving the Twin Cities metro that whole time — Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington, Dakota, and Scott counties.

3. What Exactly Does the Quote Include?

Two quotes can be hundreds of dollars apart and describe completely different jobs. A rock-bottom price often means exterior glass only — no screens, no sills, no tracks — and you find out after the crew leaves. Before comparing numbers, make sure every quote covers the same work. A complete residential window cleaning should include:

• Interior and exterior glass, cleaned streak-free
• Screens removed, washed, and reinstalled
• Sills and tracks wiped clean
• Hard water spots and stubborn buildup addressed, or flagged honestly if they need extra treatment
• A firm price, in writing, before work begins

If a company is vague about what's included, ask directly. A reputable cleaner will spell it out without being pushed.

4. What Training and Certifications Does Your Crew Have?

Window cleaning looks simple from the ground. At height, it isn't. Ladder falls send thousands of homeowners and workers to the emergency room every year, and the difference between a safe job and a dangerous one is training. Ask what safety credentials the crew carries. Our technicians are OSHA, IWC, and BRC Aerial Lift certified — which means they're trained not just to clean glass well, but to work at height safely, protect your property while they do it, and handle hard-to-reach windows without improvising.

5. Can You Point Me to Reviews or References?

Any company can promise great work; past customers tell you whether they deliver. Check Google reviews, and look at how the company responds to the occasional bad one — that tells you more than the five-star ratings do. Check their Better Business Bureau profile too, which shows accreditation, rating, and complaint history. Starbrite has been BBB A+ accredited since 2012, and we're glad to point you to reviews from your own neighborhood. A company that gets cagey when you ask for references is answering your question, just not the way they intended.

6. What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?

Even careful crews occasionally break a screen latch or find a window that won't come clean. What separates professionals is what happens next. Ask two things: do you guarantee your work, and what's your process if something gets damaged? You want to hear a clear answer — a streak-free guarantee, a commitment to return and fix any misses, and insurance that covers accidental damage without an argument. If a company has no answer for this question, they haven't thought about it, and you don't want to be the customer who makes them think about it for the first time.

7. Is This Price Firm, or Could It Change?

The classic bad experience goes like this: a low quote over the phone, then a higher number on the day because the house 'turned out bigger than expected.' Avoid it by asking directly whether the price is firm. A professional company gathers the details up front — window count, stories, condition, inside-and-out or exterior only — and gives you a number that holds. The only fair reason a price changes is if the job itself changes, and that should be discussed with you before any extra work starts, not after.

A Few Red Flags Worth Trusting

Alongside the seven questions, keep an eye out for the warning signs we hear about most often:

• Door-to-door pressure to sign 'today only' for a special price
• Cash-only demands or a large deposit before any work is done
• No physical address, no reviews, and a phone that goes nowhere
• A quote dramatically lower than everyone else's — that discount is coming out of the job somewhere

Ask Us These Questions — We'd Enjoy It

Here's the thing about these seven questions: good companies love them, because the answers are where a real business gets to show its work. Starbrite Window Cleaning is family-owned, minority-owned, and locally owned in Blaine since 1988, BBB A+ accredited since 2012, fully insured and licensed, with OSHA, IWC, and BRC Aerial Lift certified technicians and more than 12,000 homes and 2,000 commercial properties cleaned across the Twin Cities metro. Call us at (952) 922-6860 or click Request a Quote — ask us anything on this list, and we'll give you straight answers and a free, firm quote for your home.