The numbers side by side
Window cleaning is one of the cheapest trades to start on your own, which is why the franchise question here is mostly about the brand, the commercial accounts and the system.
| Up-front fee | Total start-up | Share of sales (royalty) | Marketing or ad fee | Software or tech fee | Card processing | Term | Cash asked for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window Genie | $40,000 to $47,500 | $136,064 to $305,683 | 7% | 2% | $515 a month | Not in the summary; your processor's rate | 10 years | $50,000 |
| Fish Window Cleaning | $49,900 to $74,900 | $111,900 to $179,900 | 5% to 8% | 1% | $100 a week | Not in the summary; your processor's rate | 10 years | $100,000 |
| Going solo on Koira's Office plan | $0, no franchise fee | Your own kit; the 6 priced starter items on our tools list come to $662 | 0%, you keep every sale | None required; you set your own budget | $0 on the Office plan | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) plus 2% (Koira) on card payments only | None; month to month | None asked |
Franchise figures are from each brand's listing in Entrepreneur's franchise directory, which summarizes the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document, and match the franchisor's own franchise page where it states them. Where a fee is a range, the disclosure document sets which end applies to you. Koira's figures are from koira.ai/pricing.
What the ongoing fees take
The up-front fee is paid once. The share of sales is paid on every job for the length of the agreement, before you pay yourself. Here is the arithmetic on an example year of $200,000 in sales, using the low end of each published rate:
| Brand | Royalty | Marketing or ad fee | Software or tech fee | Fees for the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window Genie | $14,000 | $4,000 | $6,180 | $24,180 |
| Fish Window Cleaning | $10,000 | $2,000 | $5,196 | $17,196 |
| Going solo on Koira's Office plan | $0 | Your choice | $0 | $0, plus $4,000 if every sale were paid by card |
Window Genie's tech fee is $515 a month; Fish Window Cleaning's tech fee is $100 a week, about $433 a month. Card processing is left out of the franchise rows because the summaries do not set it; you would pay a processor either way. On Koira's Office plan, Koira keeps 2% of card payments on top of Stripe's processing, and nothing on cash or check.
The example sales figure is an example, not a promise of what either path earns. Use the calculator above with your own numbers.
What the fees buy
Window Genie has been franchising since 1998 and asks for $50,000 in cash. Fish Window Cleaning has franchised since 1998 and asks for $100,000 in cash and a $150,000 net worth. For that, a franchise sells a known name, a written system, training and a territory.
A window cleaning franchise fits someone who wants commercial accounts and a sales system from day one. It fits less well for a solo cleaner, because the tools cost far less than the franchise fee.
Going solo in window cleaning
A solo window cleaner can start with a squeegee, a washer, a scraper, a pole and a ladder. A water-fed pole system is the big purchase later. The work is building a recurring route of homes and storefronts.
See the window cleaning tools list and the window cleaning price list.
Koira's free Office plan covers the office side a franchise system would: a website that books jobs, estimates with signing and deposits, invoices and card payments and your day plan. Paid plans add the phone and crew tools.
Before you sign anything
Federal rules require the franchisor to give you its disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay. Read the fee items and any sales claims with their footnotes, and call former window cleaning owners. Our handyman franchise guide walks through the document item by item.
Sources
- Entrepreneur franchise directory: Window Genie, checked October 9, 2026
- Neighborly: Window Genie franchise investment, checked October 9, 2026
- Entrepreneur franchise directory: Fish Window Cleaning, checked October 9, 2026
- eCFR: 16 CFR 436.2, when the disclosure document must be given, checked October 9, 2026
- Koira: Pricing (Office plan, card payments), checked October 9, 2026
- eCFR: 49 CFR 375.101, who must follow the household goods rules, checked October 8, 2026
Last checked October 9, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.