How Vancouver rain shapes window cleaning schedules and contract terms

What to take away

How coastal rain changes exterior frequency

Vancouver's wet season runs from October into March, and rain falls on more days than in most Canadian cities. That alone does not set a cleaning cycle. Near the water the air carries salt, which etches mineral spotting into glass over years rather than weeks.

South and west faces grow algae faster than inland glass. Shade, tree cover and prevailing moisture keep sills and frames damp long after the rain stops, so a Vancouver building can need exterior work more often than a comparable one in Kelowna or Calgary.

Wind matters as much as rain on exposed waterfront towers. Salt spray reaches upper panes that rain barely touches, and it dries into a film that holds dust. Seawall-side buildings usually sit at the tight end of any cycle you set.

Interior glass behaves differently. Indoor dust and fingerprints accumulate at a steady rate year round, so interior frequency rarely changes with the season. Put the interior and exterior cycles in separate contract lines.

Federal data and research on energy efficiency shows how building envelopes and glazing affect moisture and heat. It gives you a written case for more frequent exterior work.

Scheduling is its own discipline. Build the year in blocks, adjust inside each block, and scheduling window cleaning work stops slipping when rain arrives.

Set frequency from three inputs: exposure to rain and salt, shade and organic growth, and the client's tolerance for spotting. Then add a clause letting either side revisit the cycle at a set point in the year, so the agreement survives as the building ages.

Mould and algae clauses that hold up

Mould and algae wording is the part of a coastal agreement most often left vague, and vague wording creates repeat visits you cannot bill.

A working clause names the surfaces covered: exterior glass, frames, sills, tracks, and any adjacent hard surface the client wants included. It names the treatment and how often it is applied.

The clause should name the product rather than saying only the treatment. A soft-wash mix of sodium hypochlorite at roughly 1 to 2 percent with a surfactant, left to dwell for 10 to 15 minutes before a rinse, is the common method on glass, frames and sills. Quaternary ammonium products work more slowly and last longer.

It states who pays when growth returns inside the warranty period. Most operators offer a short return window for workmanship, then move the client to a paid treatment cycle. Say which applies and when the switch happens.

Because glass usually sits near landscaping, the clause should note that irrigation overspray and plant debris are outside your control. If sprinklers stay aimed at the glass, growth returns and those visits are chargeable.

Document pre-existing damage before the first treatment. Photographs of etched glass, failed seals and old frame paint protect you when a client later blames your work for a defect that was already there.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety covers workplace hazards including weather and site conditions, which is a fair basis for requiring safe access before treatment work starts. Anything at height goes to CSA Z91 and Z271 and a certified trainer, not to a contract clause.

Window cleaning service quality is easiest to defend when you check the same surfaces the mould clause names. Photograph frames and sills at every treatment visit.

Keep the whole clause to three short paragraphs: covered surfaces, treatment, return window. Anything longer goes unread and gets disputed.

Building the year around rain and dry spells

Scheduling on the coast means planning around rain, not against it. A workable pattern:

Dry spells matter more than operators expect. Weeks without rain let dust and pollen bake onto glass. A visit timed just before or just after that first rain prevents most complaints.

Autumn leaf fall adds a layer. Wet leaves sit on sills and flat ledges, and the tannins they leave stain frames. A visit after the leaves drop is worth more than one before.

Natural Resources Canada's guidance on energy efficiency for buildings explains how envelope and ventilation choices affect how much moisture sits on glass through a coastal winter.

Build slack into the week instead of promising exact days. That one habit keeps crews productive rather than idle when a wet front parks over the city.

Commercial towers and low-rise residential are different markets for window cleaning, and each wants its own cycle. Lobby glass, entrance doors and street-level glazing sit on the shortest one.

Weather delay and rescheduling wording

A weather delay clause protects both sides. Without one, a rained-out visit becomes an argument about the invoice.

Define the trigger. The usual list is rain, high wind, freezing temperatures, lightning and unsafe access. Keep it to conditions that genuinely prevent safe work, or the clause becomes an escape hatch.

Set the notice period and the channel. A common term is notice by a set time on the scheduled day, or the evening before, by phone, text or email. Name the channel in the agreement so the record is unambiguous.

Set the rescheduling window. The visit moves to the next available slot within a stated number of days and the client is not charged. If the client cancels instead, the cancellation terms apply.

Copy-ready wording: If rain, high wind, freezing temperatures or unsafe access prevent work on the scheduled day, the contractor will notify the client by text or email by 8 a.m. The visit moves to the next available slot within 10 business days at no charge.

Cover access failures separately. Locked gates, blocked loading zones and missing keys are not weather delays. Treat them as chargeable, or as a rescheduled visit at the client's cost.

Tell the client the same day a delay happens. A short text with the new date beats the awkward call a week later, and it puts the notice terms on record.

British Columbia's small business resources cover registration and compliance basics, including workers' compensation registration through WorkSafeBC. Confirm coverage before a delay pushes work into a busier week.

Pricing a coastal contract

Coastal work costs more to deliver, so the price should show it. Rain delays, treatment products and access all add labour, and a flat monthly fee hides every one of them.

Start with a window cleaning quote template that separates base frequency, treatment and access. The client then sees what the extra moisture costs instead of guessing.

A worked example. A three-storey commercial building near False Creek with western exposure runs a base exterior cycle every six weeks in the wet season and every five weeks in spring.

Add one algae treatment per quarter on the shaded north face, and a water-fed pole setup for the upper panes.

The agreement states the base price, the treatment price, and a rate for extra visits caused by irrigation overspray.

Typical coastal ranges, per visit: residential exterior glass $120 to $260, storefront and lobby glass $90 to $200, and a three-storey commercial exterior on a six-week cycle $180 to $450. Upper-floor work quoted per pane often runs $6 to $12.

Add algae treatment as a separate line at $150 to $400 per application, set by surface area. These are typical Lower Mainland ranges, not fixed rates.

Keep the treatment line separate from the glass cleaning line on every coastal quote. One line is workmanship, the other is growth control, and they renew on different logic.

Price must also carry payroll and tax. British Columbia's tax and tax credit information covers the 5 percent GST and the 7 percent PST. Which one applies to a given line changes what you claim and what you remit, so settle that before you set the rate. For anything specific to your corporation or payroll, ask an accountant.

The numbers come down to cost per visit. A window cleaning pricing and profit review makes that plain, and a contract with a treatment line item is easier to defend than a flat fee.

Review coastal pricing once a year. Treatment products, insurance and fuel move, and a contract signed two winters ago is usually underpriced by spring.

Common questions

How often should exterior windows be cleaned in Vancouver?

Every four to eight weeks, depending on exposure, shade and proximity to water. Buildings with western exposure near the water sit at the tight end of that range.

Does rain make windows cleaner or dirtier?

Dirtier. Rain carries dust and pollen onto the glass, then dries and leaves streaks and mineral spotting. The first rain after a dry spell is the worst of it.

What should a mould and algae clause include?

The covered surfaces, the treatment method, the treatment frequency, and who pays when growth returns inside the return window. Three short paragraphs cover it.

Can I charge for a visit cancelled because of rain?

Usually not, if the weather delay clause applies. Charge only when the client cancels or access fails, and state that distinction in the agreement.