Launch League

Full guide · Ohio

How to start a window cleaning business as a teenager

Windows are the job people look at every day and never get round to. It is also the one where the difference between amateur and professional is visible from across the room — which is good news, because the professional method takes about twenty minutes to learn.

Under $50From age 14First dollar: A weekend.

What it costs

What you actually need

A squeegee
$20–$35

A 12-inch is the most useful single size. This is the tool that makes it look professional.

A scrubber or sleeve
$15

You wash first and squeegee second. Skipping the wash is why streaks happen.

A bucket and dish soap
$10

A few drops. More soap is not better and leaves film.

Microfibre cloths
$15

For edges and sills. Keep them dry and separate.

An extension pole
$30–$50

Buy this instead of a ladder. Reach from the ground wherever you possibly can.

Borrow before you buy

Do your first three jobs with equipment you already have access to. Buy your own out of money a customer has already handed you, never out of money you are hoping to make.

What to charge

Pricing, honestly

Start at the lower end of each range. Raise it once five people have paid you without hesitating.

Ground-floor windows, inside and out
$4–$7 per window

Count them before you quote. People always underestimate how many they have.

Small house, ground floor, both sides
$60–$120

Walk it and count. Never quote a house sight unseen.

Outside only
About half

A good option for someone who wants it cheaper, and it is much faster.

Tracks and sills
+$1–$2 per window

Filthy, quick, and the thing that makes the job look finished.

These are what people commonly charge, not what you will make, and they were first written for a Canadian market. Look up what adults near you charge for the same job, then start a little under it and raise your price once you have five happy customers.

Your first five

Exactly who to ask, in order

Warmest first. Your first attempt should be with someone who will be kind about it, because you will be bad at it.

  1. Person 1

    Your own house, free, so you learn the method and have something to photograph.

  2. Person 2

    The neighbor whose windows you can see are bad from the street.

  3. Person 3

    Anyone you already mow, shovel or walk a dog for. You are already trusted and already there.

  4. Person 4

    A small shop or office on your street — storefront glass gets dirty weekly and they usually pay someone.

  5. Person 5

    Everyone who saw you working on the first house. Knock next door while your bucket is still out.

Send this

“Hi — I'm Eli, I clean windows in the neighborhood. I'd do your ground-floor windows inside and out for $80, and I can show you the house at number 6 that I did last week. I'm free Saturday morning if you want it.”

Change the names and the price. Keep the shape: who you are, how they know you, what you do, the price, and an easy way to say yes.

Not optional

Staying safe

  • No ladders. Use an extension pole from the ground, and quote only what you can reach that way.
  • If a customer asks for upstairs windows, say no. Every serious injury in this trade is a fall.
  • Wear gloves — old window edges and hardware are sharper than they look.
  • Never lean out of an open upstairs window to reach the outside of it.
  • Work with dry footing. Wet decking and a soapy bucket is how people land badly.

Tell a parent or guardian where you are working and when you expect to be finished, every time.

The actual business

Getting them to book you again

  • Twice a year is the natural rhythm: spring and autumn. Say so, and put it in their calendar.
  • Take a photo of one window half done. It sells the next job better than any words.
  • Do the front door glass for free. It takes two minutes and it is what visitors see.
  • Leave the sills dry and the edges clean. Streaks in the corner undo an otherwise perfect job.
  • Message six months later. Most people simply forget it is a thing you can pay someone to do.

Two things to know in Ohio

If someone hires you. Ohio generally requires a minor work permit (an age and schooling certificate) for ages 14 through 17 during the school year, and in summer break only for ages 14 and 15. It is not required in some common teen jobs, including snow shoveling, newspaper delivery and family farm work. See the Department of Commerce and the Legislative Service Commission.

If you work for yourself, that is a different situation, and the sources I read do not spell out how the permit rules treat a teenager running their own small business. If you are unsure, ask the Ohio Department of Commerce, Bureau of Wage and Hour.

Taxes. Money you earn counts. Net self-employment earnings of $400 or more usually mean self-employment tax, and in Ohio lawn care, landscaping and snow removal become taxable services once your sales reach $5,000 a year. The Ohio starting guide explains both.

Checked October 9, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules change.

More ideas are on the full list. Ready to make it a real business? Read how to start a business in Ohio.

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