How to choose a window cleaner in Port St. Lucie

Who actually shows up

Ask directly: who will be at my house? Franchises and larger companies send crews that change from visit to visit. Owner-operated companies send the owner. Neither is wrong, but you should know which you're getting, because the person on the ladder is the one deciding whether to razor your tempered glass or rest a ladder on your gutter.

On the Treasure Coast, most of the highest-rated window cleaners are one- or two-person operations where the owner does the work. That's also who answers when something goes wrong.

Method, not marketing

A professional can describe their method in one sentence: scrub with a strip washer, squeegee, detail the edges, wipe the sill. Ask whether they use purified water on exterior glass (it dries spot-free), whether they use razor blades on tempered glass (they shouldn't without testing), and how they handle second-story glass (water-fed poles from the ground, not a ladder against your stucco).

If the answer is 'we spray it and wipe it,' keep looking. Spray-and-wipe leaves residue that streaks the moment the afternoon sun hits.

What's included, in writing

Tracks and sills should be included on a full home clean, not an add-on. Sliders and lanai glass should be included. Ask specifically, because 'window cleaning' means different things to different companies. Also ask what's not included, so there are no surprises at the door.

Pricing that doesn't move

You should get one number for the whole job before anyone starts, and that should be the number you pay. Be cautious of per-pane pricing counted at the door, of quotes that come with a list of add-ons, and of a price that's dramatically lower than everyone else's; something is being left out.

A company that won't give you a firm number after seeing the house, or a photo of it, doesn't want to commit. A company that gives you one the same day does.

Reviews: read them, don't count them

Review count matters less than what the reviews say. Look for reviews that mention the specific service (sliders, hard water, inside and out), the city, and the person's name. Look for how the company replies. A hundred reviews that say 'great job' tell you less than twenty that describe the work.

Guarantee

The good ones say it plainly: if a window doesn't look right, call within a few days and it gets redone at no charge. Ask what happens if you're not happy. If the answer is vague, that's the answer.

Red flags

Pressure washing is the main business and window cleaning is a side line. A quote without seeing the house or a photo. Razors on every window as a default. No mention of tracks, sills or sliders. A price that's half of everyone else's. No name attached to the company.