Cleaning services
Books and taxes for window cleaning companies.
Storefront routes billed monthly, one-off residential jobs, a water-fed pole system that cost more than a used truck, and a rained-out week that pushes half the schedule. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
April came in at $6,600. Storefront route billing came in steady even with the two rained-out days that pushed some residential jobs to May.
- Storefront route invoicesCommercial routes
- Residential job, SquareResidential jobs
- Water-fed pole system paymentEquipment
- Squeegee and pad suppliesCleaning supplies
- Truck insuranceVehicles and fuel
Why your books are different
Window cleaning books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is standing storefront routes, one-off residential jobs, weather that can wipe out a week, and equipment that ranges from a squeegee to a serious water-fed system. When the books do not know that, the return misses what it should catch.
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1
Storefront routes and one-off jobs blur together
A monthly storefront route and a one-time residential job both land as deposits, but the route is guaranteed income and the residential job is not. Mixed together, you cannot see how much of next month is already locked in.
What we doSplits commercial route revenue from one-time residential jobs so you can see how much of the month is already spoken for. -
2
A water-fed pole system is not a supply purchase
A serious water-fed pole system with a purification unit can run several thousand dollars. Filed as a supply purchase, it flattens a month and misses out on how the tax code treats real equipment.
What we doFlags the purchase the day it shows up, logs it as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how it gets written off. -
3
Weather delays make a month look inconsistent
A rained-out or high-wind week can push several jobs to the next month, making one month look thin and the next look unusually strong, when really it is just the same work shifted.
What we doNotes when a slow stretch lines up with bad weather so it does not get mistaken for a drop in business. -
4
High-rise and rope access work carries different insurance costs
A crew doing height work on a commercial building usually needs different coverage than a crew on ladders at single-family homes, and lumping those costs together hides what the higher-risk work actually costs to insure.
What we doKeeps insurance costs visible and notes when a job's scope looks like it needs coverage beyond a standard policy.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a window cleaning company.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Commercial routesStanding monthly or quarterly storefront and office accounts.
- Residential jobsOne-time or seasonal cleans for homeowners.
- Screen and track cleaningAdd-on services billed alongside a standard window job.
- High-rise and rope access jobsSpecialized height work billed at a different rate.
Money out
- EquipmentWater-fed poles, purification systems, and squeegees, logged so they get written off right.
- Cleaning suppliesSqueegee rubber, pads, and glass cleaner.
- Vehicles and fuelThe truck or van hauling ladders and poles between jobs.
- Insurance and bondingLiability coverage, with extra attention for high-rise or rope access work.
- Marketing and route salesAdvertising and the cost of door-knocking new storefront accounts.
What we watch for you
- Route share
How much of the month is guaranteed storefront route revenue versus one-off residential jobs.
- Weather-adjusted volume
Jobs completed against jobs scheduled, so a rained-out week does not get read as a drop in demand.
- Equipment cost per job
Pole and supply upkeep against jobs run. Worth watching as equipment ages.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things window cleaning owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Usually it can. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
I noted the weather delay, so it will not look like a real drop in business. Those jobs mostly landed in May instead.
It is worth checking your coverage before you start. I flagged the job so you can confirm with your insurance carrier that height work like that is covered.
The tax side
The tax side of a window cleaning business.
Most of what goes wrong here is equipment and weather-driven timing. Get those two right and the rest tends to be steady.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Equipment write-offsWater-fed pole systems and other business equipment can usually be written off in the year they are bought, up to $2,560,000 under Section 179, with 100 percent bonus depreciation for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Vehicle costsThe truck or van used between routes can deduct business mileage at 72.5 cents a mile from January through June 2026 and 76 cents a mile from July through December 2026, or actual vehicle costs instead.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions window cleaning companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Squeegee rubber and pads
- Glass cleaner and hose supplies
- Ladders and extension poles
- Water-fed pole and purification parts
- Vehicle fuel and repairs
- Liability insurance
- Uniforms and safety harnesses
- Phone for scheduling routes
- Advertising and route sales costs
- Business licenses
- Storage for ladders and equipment
- Workers compensation premiums
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A window cleaning year, kept every month.
Spring brings the demand and the weather delays both. Your taxes come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring's weather delays changed the number.
- October
Before winter slows things down
Before cold weather cuts into ladder and pole work, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and moves worth making before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for window cleaning companies. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions window cleaning owners ask first.
How does Gus tell the difference between a slow month and just bad weather?
He notes when jobs get pushed by rain or wind, so a rained-out week does not get read as a real drop in demand when the work is really just shifted to the next month.
Do I write off my water-fed pole system all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
I have some storefront accounts and some one-off residential jobs. Can the books show which is which?
Yes. Gus keeps commercial route revenue separate from one-time residential jobs so you can see how much of your month is already guaranteed.
I am thinking about taking on a high-rise job with rope access. Does that affect my books?
It mostly affects your insurance. Gus flags jobs that look like they need coverage beyond a standard policy so you can check with your carrier before taking the job.
My books are behind because I have been out cleaning every good-weather day. Can you catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
More in cleaning services
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Biohazard & crime scene cleanup
- Hoarding cleanup
- Kitchen hood & exhaust cleaning
- Trash can cleaning
- Deep cleaning & spring cleaning specialists
- Eco-friendly / green cleaning companies
- Medical office cleaning
- Post-construction cleaning
- Short-term rental turnover cleaning
- Tile & grout cleaning
- Upholstery & area rug cleaning
- Carpet cleaning
- Commercial janitorial
- Move-in / move-out cleaning
- Residential house cleaning
- Chicken coop & backyard farm structure builders
- Dock & boathouse builders
- Gazebo & pavilion builders
- Outdoor audio & TV installers
- Playground & swing set installers
- Putting green installers
- Retractable screens & motorized shades
- Seawall & bulkhead contractors
- Sport court builders (pickleball, basketball)
- Cedar shake roofing specialists
- Custom built-ins & trim carpenters
- Historic home restoration contractors
- Popcorn ceiling removal
- Skylight installation & repair
- Slate & tile roofing specialists
What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever