Most owners of a window cleaning round know roughly how busy they are. Far fewer know whether they are actually making money on each clean, where profit is leaking, or which part of the business is growing. Key performance indicators, or KPIs, answer those questions in a few numbers you can check every month.
This guide covers the 7 KPIs that matter most for a window cleaning round, how to calculate each one, and what to do when a number moves the wrong way.
Why KPIs matter more than turnover
Turnover tells you how much came in. It does not tell you whether prices cover costs, whether staff time is being used well, or whether cash will be there next month. A window cleaning round can grow turnover and still make less profit if costs grow faster. KPIs show you the drivers behind the result, early enough to act.
The 7 KPIs for a window cleaning round
1. Average job value
How to calculate it: Revenue ÷ cleans
Rises with add-on services.
2. Hours worked
How to calculate it: Hours spent cleaning and travelling
Your capacity.
3. Revenue per hour
How to calculate it: Revenue ÷ hours worked
The true test of a round: streets with long travel pull it down.
4. Supplies and fuel % of revenue
How to calculate it: Supplies and fuel ÷ revenue
Rises when the round spreads out.
5. Arrears
How to calculate it: Value of unpaid cleans
Small missed payments add up across a big round.
6. Customers due this week
How to calculate it: Customers with a next clean due date this week
Keeps the round full and on schedule.
7. Customer churn
How to calculate it: Customers lost ÷ customers on the round
Shows whether quality and reliability are holding.
Interpreting these measures in practice
Review revenue per round and cleans per hour alongside travel between addresses, missed access and weather-related rescheduling. A dense route can be more valuable than a larger number of scattered customers, while repeated failed visits consume time without adding revenue. Track customer retention and complaints after price changes, and distinguish one-off work from regular rounds. Use the route data to group nearby jobs and identify accounts whose price no longer covers the visit time.
Start with the profit basics
Alongside the industry KPIs above, every owner should check four headline figures each month:
- Total income for the month and year to date
- Total costs, split into direct costs and overheads
- Net profit and operating margin
- Lowest cash balance in the next 12 weeks, from a cash flow forecast
If net profit is falling while turnover rises, look at the cost KPIs first. If cash is tight while profit looks fine, look at unpaid invoices and debtor days.
An example month (illustrative figures)
Say a window cleaning round takes £4,200 in a month and spends £1,500 on the direct costs of delivering the work. Gross profit is £2,700, a gross margin of 64%. If last month the margin was several points higher on similar turnover, something has changed in prices, costs or the mix of work, and the KPIs above show where to look. These figures are illustrations only: use your own.
What to do when the numbers slip
- Keeping the round tight so more time is spent cleaning
- Add-ons such as gutters, fascias, conservatory roofs and solar panels
- Card, bank transfer or direct debit payments to stop arrears
- Raising prices on new customers first
Pick one action at a time, so you can see what made the difference. If you are asking what the business could pay you, read how much a window cleaner earns in the UK.
How to review your KPIs every month
1. Update your records for the month: cleans, sales, costs and invoices. 2. Compare each KPI with last month and the same month last year, so seasonal swings do not mislead you. 3. Pick the one number that moved most in the wrong direction and find out why. 4. Decide one action for next month, such as a price change, a rota change or chasing a debtor. 5. Check the result at the next review.
Fifteen minutes a month on this routine is enough to catch most problems while they are still small.
Common mistakes with KPIs
Tracking too many numbers. Pick the handful that drive your profit and review them consistently.
Looking at one month in isolation. Trends matter more than single results.
Not acting on what you find. A KPI that never changes a decision is just a number.
Keeping figures in your head. Write them down, or let a spreadsheet calculate them, so nothing is guessed.
Run the numbers on your own business
The **Window Cleaning Business Management System** tracks every clean, cost, invoice and VAT return, and works out your profit, margin and key figures automatically on a one-page dashboard. It costs £15 once, with no subscription. Before you open, work out your start-up costs with our free window cleaning start-up calculator. For the full start-up walkthrough, read our guide on how to start a window cleaning round.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important KPI for a window cleaning round? Gross margin, because it shows whether your prices cover the direct cost of each clean. If it is wrong, growth only makes things worse.
Which KPIs should a new window cleaning round track first? Start with average job value, hours worked and revenue per hour. They are quick to work out and show straight away whether your pricing and capacity are right.
Can KPIs help me set prices? Yes. If your margin or rate per clean is below target, your prices are too low for your costs, however busy you are.
How often should I check my KPIs? Monthly for most figures, and weekly for cash and unpaid invoices.
Do I need software to track KPIs? No. A spreadsheet that calculates the figures from your records works well for most small businesses and avoids monthly fees.
What should I do if a KPI gets worse? Find the cause, decide one action, and check the effect next month. Price, volume and cost are almost always the levers.