There is no honest flat price for window cleaning, solar panel cleaning or holiday lighting, because no two homes need the same amount of work. A single-story house with a dozen windows and a three-story house with floor-to-ceiling glass are different jobs, even if both are called "window cleaning." What you pay depends on a handful of things you can usually see from the street or describe in a few photos.
This post covers what those things are for each service, so a quote makes sense when you get one.
Window cleaning: what drives the quote
How much glass there is. The number of windows matters, but so does their size. One large picture window can take as long as several small ones. French doors, sliding doors, skylights and glass railings all count as glass.
Stories and access. Ground-floor windows are quick. Second-story and higher glass takes more setup and more care, especially over landscaping, slopes or roofs. RadPad reaches upper floors from the ground with extension poles instead of ladders, but height still adds time.
Inside, outside or both. Exterior-only is less work than a full interior and exterior clean. Inside work also means moving around furniture, blinds and window treatments.
Screens, tracks and sills. These are included on RadPad residential visits, but how many screens there are and how dirty the tracks are still affect how long the job takes.
How much buildup is on the glass. A home on a regular schedule is faster to clean than one that hasn't been done in years. Hard water spots from sprinklers and heavy salt film near the coast take extra treatment.
Specialty glass. Mirrors, glass partitions, sidelights, transoms and chandeliers can all be added to the same visit, and each adds time.
How often you book. A home on a recurring schedule usually has less buildup at each visit than one cleaned once every few years.
Solar panel cleaning: what drives the quote
Number of panels. This is the biggest factor. A small residential array and a large one are very different amounts of work.
Roof pitch, height and access. A low, gently sloped roof with easy access is quicker and safer to work on than a steep or tall one. Arrays split across several roof faces take longer than one block of panels.
How dirty the panels are. Dust, pollen, salt film and bird droppings all build up differently. Panels that haven't been cleaned in a long time, or that sit under trees or near the coast, take more work. Our post on whether solar panel cleaning is worth it covers what the research says about soiling in San Diego.
Residential or commercial. Commercial and multi-unit arrays are usually larger and get scheduled around how the property operates.
Every RadPad solar cleaning includes a visual inspection of the mounts, wiring and panels at no extra charge, and uses deionized water and soft tooling rather than abrasives or detergents.
Holiday lighting: what drives the quote
Length of the rooflines. Holiday lighting is mostly measured in linear feet. A long, single-story ranch house and a compact two-story home can have very different amounts of roofline.
Height and roof type. Taller homes and steep or tile roofs take more time and care to install on and take down from.
What gets lit. Rooflines are only part of it. Trees, shrubs, walkways, columns and wreaths each add materials and labor.
The design. A single clean line along the roof is simpler than a layered design with multiple colors and features.
Takedown and storage. RadPad's holiday lighting service covers design, installation, scheduled takedown and storage between seasons, so the quote reflects the whole season, not just one day of hanging lights.
Timing. Holiday lighting is in high demand from November through December. Booking ahead of the rush gives you more choice of install dates.
Booking more than one service
If you need several things done, it can make sense to put them on one visit. Windows, gutters, solar panels and surface cleaning can all be handled on one visit by the same crew, so you're scheduling one appointment instead of several.
How to get an accurate number fast
The quickest way to get a real number is to send a few details about the property:
- The address or neighborhood
- How many stories the home has
- Which services you want, and inside, outside or both for windows
- A few photos of the windows, the roof or the solar array
- For holiday lighting, a photo of the front of the house and any ideas you have
RadPad serves North County San Diego and south Orange County, including Oceanside, Carlsbad, San Elijo Hills, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Sur, La Jolla, San Clemente and Dana Point. Send your details here and you'll get back a clear scope and a straight number, not a range you have to decode.
Written by
RadPad Home Service Pros
Locally owned exterior care across San Diego County and south Orange County: windows, solar, gutters, turf, surfaces and lighting, on one standard.
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