Hiring a window cleaner in Bozeman: what to ask

Most of what goes wrong with a window cleaner could have been caught with five questions before the first visit. These work for any company, us included.

1. Are you insured, and can I see it?

Montana’s Office of Consumer Protection tells homeowners to make sure a contractor “has liability and workers’ compensation insurance,” because otherwise “you may be liable for injuries to workers or others on your property.” Ask for a certificate of insurance. It is a summary, not the policy: ACORD, which publishes the standard forms, describes it as “a document that provides information about insurance policies” that does not change the coverage.

Workers’ compensation applies to Montana employers (MCA 39-71-401). A contractor working alone can instead hold an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate, which, in the Department of Labor & Industry’s words, lets them “waive all their rights and benefits” under a workers’ compensation policy. The department suggests asking for proof and checking that it is in good standing, and it is clear that liability insurance does not stand in for workers’ compensation.

Montana has licensed construction contractors since January 1, 2026. The rules cover building, altering and repairing structures and do not mention window cleaning, so for a cleaning, insurance is the more useful thing to ask about.

2. What exactly is included?

“Windows” can mean the outside glass only, or inside and out with screens, tracks and sills. Get it in writing: the FTC’s advice for any home job is a written estimate that describes the work and the price. What a professional window cleaning includes has the full list.

3. How do you price, and what would change it?

Some cleaners price per pane, some per window, some per property. None is wrong, but you should know which before anyone climbs a ladder, and what would change the number on the day: heavy hard water, construction residue, more windows than described. More in how much window cleaning costs in Bozeman.

4. How do you look after the glass?

A good answer names the method. Screens washed and returned to the window they came from. Hard-water spots treated as their own job, not scraped off. And a straight answer to what happens if a screen tears or a pane cracks.

Listen for the razor blade. Andersen, Marvin and Pella all tell owners not to use razor blades on their glass, and Marvin adds that glass scratched by a scraper is not covered by its warranty. A cleaner who scrapes by default is a risk to yours.

5. When do I pay?

The FTC’s advice is not to pay the full amount up front, and never to make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied with it. Montana’s consumer office says to try to avoid advance fees. For a cleaning, paying once the job is done and you have looked at the glass is reasonable to ask for.

Reviews

Read them “with a critical eye,” as the FTC puts it. Look for detail about the actual job, and for how the business answers the bad ones.

Our answers

Ask us all five. The answers are on our FAQ page.