Commercial Window Cleaning and Exterior Maintenance Company
This opportunity centers on a niche commercial exterior maintenance company that specializes in window cleaning, pressure washing, facade cleaning, awning care, and gutter maintenance for Class A and Class B commercial properties. The company operates in a dense urban core and surrounding suburban corporate parks, maintaining long-standing contracts with real estate investment trusts (REITs), commercial property managers, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and municipal buildings.
Over the trailing twelve months, the company generated $3.95 million in revenue and $780,000 in adjusted EBITDA. Approximately 76% of revenue is tied to annual service agreements typically set on quarterly or biannual service frequencies with another 12% generated from on-demand jobs and 12% from subcontracted specialty work such as building signage cleaning, atrium interiors, or solar panel washing.
What makes this business particularly appealing for SBA acquisition is the tight specialization, high route density in a walkable city core, low customer churn, and safety-certified crews that create a meaningful competitive moat. However, the business is dependent on its OSHA 1910 and ANSI/IWCA safety certifications, which must be carefully transitioned or retained, along with key crew leads and site-specific access credentials, to maintain contract eligibility.
Sample SBA 7(a) Deal Structure
Given the clean financials and defensible client base, an SBA-eligible structure could look like this:
Purchase Price: $2.9 million (3.72x EBITDA)
SBA Loan: $2,175,000 (75%)
Buyer Equity Injection: $290,000 (10%)
Seller Financing (Subordinated): $435,000 (15%), amortized over 5 years with a 12-month interest-only period, tied to customer renewal performance
Seller note protections should include:
20% clawback if more than 15% of contracted revenue is canceled or non-renewed within 120 days post-close
Additional clawback if more than 2 lead foremen depart within 90 days
Right of first refusal for seller to re-enter operations as consultant in case of safety compliance breach or retraining need
These provisions keep the seller incentivized and the buyer protected during a highly operational transition phase.
Safety Certifications and Regulatory Continuity
The company holds the following active safety and operational credentials:
OSHA 1910 General Industry compliance
ANSI/IWCA I-14 and I-14.1 certifications for rope descent and ladder work
Confined space and fall arrest certifications for all crew leads
City-specific building access clearances (e.g., City Facility ID passes)
These credentials are central to retaining existing municipal and institutional contracts.
Buyers must:
Retain at least two lead foremen certified under IWCA and city building codes
Engage a third-party safety consultant to audit compliance and re-certify any expiring licenses pre-close
Include seller in a 6–12 month consulting agreement to serve as Safety Officer on paper, if buyer is not qualified
Maintain all SOPs, training logs, and incident reporting systems as-is for the first year
Failing to transition these credentials seamlessly can void existing access to rooftop anchors, interior ladders, or city permit zones, risking major revenue disruption.
Recurring Contract Breakdown
Roughly 76% of revenue is locked into annual maintenance contracts with the following split:
Quarterly cleaning: 42%
Biannual cleaning: 18%
Monthly or weekly large sites: 9%
As-needed add-on services (gutters, awnings): 7%
The company services over 300 commercial buildings annually, with an average contract length of 3.8 years and a renewal rate over 89%. Contracts are typically awarded via RFP or recurring bidding relationships and include:
Scope of work (number of windows, interior/exterior, ladder access)
Service dates and blackout periods
Equipment access rules and parking procedures
Insurance and safety verification riders
The top 40 clients account for 52% of revenue, with no single client above 6.5%.
Buyers should audit all master service agreements to ensure:
Assignment or novation is allowed under the current terms
There are no auto-termination clauses on change of ownership
Pricing escalation or CPI adjustment terms are enforceable
Force majeure and rescheduling terms are vendor-favorable
Labor Model and Crew Retention
The company employs 19 W-2 window cleaning technicians, including 4 lead foremen and 2 rope-access specialists. Teams operate in three-person crews, with each foreman managing their own rotation and weekly service log. Additional support staff includes:
Scheduling coordinator
Estimator/BDR
Office manager/bookkeeper
Technicians are paid hourly with bonuses for safety records, job completions, and positive customer reviews. Retention has been strong (average tenure of 4.2 years), due to:
Year-round employment (rain schedule management)
Safety bonuses and paid recertifications
Advancement pathway to foreman role
Company events and holiday bonuses
Post-close, buyers should implement:
A formal retention pool ($40K–$60K) tied to six- and twelve-month milestones
Promotion timeline from tech to lead, with certification reimbursement
Use of tracking software (e.g., CrewControl) to monitor punctuality and productivity
Cross-training in pressure washing or sign cleaning for top performers
Financial Summary
Trailing twelve-month financials:
Revenue: $3.95M
COGS (labor + subs): $1.82M
Gross Profit: $2.13M
SG&A: $1.35M
Adj. EBITDA: $780K (19.7%)
Revenue segments:
High-rise and mid-rise window cleaning: 68%
Pressure washing: 14%
Gutter/awning: 9%
Atrium/interior/retail glass: 5%
Subcontracted specialty cleans: 4%
Cash conversion is strong—80% of clients prepay quarterly or on net-10 cycles. AR is minimal and under 4% of annual revenue.
Route Density and Logistics
Crews operate with assigned “zones” across the city and suburban districts. Daily average of 2.6 job sites per crew, with a 93% on-time start rate. Company uses:
GPS-tracked vans (8)
Digital work order system (custom API integration)
iPads for before/after photos and client signoffs
Buyers should explore:
Addition of service day batching to reduce windshield time
Partnering with REITs for multi-building portfolio pricing
Geographic densification by acquiring smaller local operators
Marketing and Business Development
Marketing spend is minimal under $2,000/month. New business is generated via:
RFP invitations
Property manager relationships
Online form submissions from SEO-optimized site
Referral bonuses for tenants and building engineers
Growth opportunities:
Hire an outbound BDR to respond to bid sites and government contracts
Launch LinkedIn-targeted ads at property managers and facility directors
Create an “anchor client” expansion model offering discounted pricing for additional properties in the same REIT or HOA
Promote safety and ESG credentials for compliance-driven procurement departments
Asset and Facility Details
5,000 sq ft leased facility with storage for lifts, ladders, and wash-down bay
Monthly rent: $4,900 NNN
No known zoning, environmental, or fire compliance issues
Assets included: all vans, tools, harnesses, safety kits, rope-access equipment
CapEx reserve needed in first 12 months: ~$45,000–$60,000 for:
Van maintenance
Harness replacement (lifespan: 3–5 years)
Training and certification updates
CRM upgrades
Compliance, Risk, and Legal Review
Key diligence items include:
Insurance certificates: $5M umbrella, $2M GL, $1M workers comp, $1M auto
Waivers and hold-harmless agreements signed with every building
MSAs for high-risk jobs involving high-rise, rope access, or atrium work
Safety incident logs zero OSHA reportables in past 36 months
Subcontractor agreements for overflow work with indemnity clauses
No open litigation, wage claims, or environmental complaints reported.
Working Capital and Ramp Capital
Payroll float: $80,000 (biweekly pay)
Equipment reserve: $40,000
Safety certification and compliance support: $15,000
CRM/onboarding system improvement: $10,000
Sales rep hiring and launch: $25,000
Ideal Buyer Profiles
Commercial facilities services operator (e.g., HVAC, janitorial, landscaping)
Safety-certified entrepreneur with prior trades experience
Roll-up firm in building maintenance seeking low-CapEx, recurring revenue
B2B service investor seeking sticky contracts with limited seasonality
Post-Close Execution Plan
Conduct safety and compliance audit with third-party consultant
Meet top 25 clients and reaffirm contract terms and service cadence
Lock in foreman bonuses and cross-training schedules
Launch outbound RFP tracking and sales outreach
Evaluate bolt-on acquisition of small local window washers to increase territory share
Conclusion
This commercial window cleaning and exterior maintenance company provides a cash-flowing platform with regulatory compliance, route density, and multi-year contracts. With a properly structured SBA 7(a) transaction, proactive risk planning, and growth through REIT and property manager penetration, the buyer can scale revenue 25–40% in the first 18 months while preserving core profitability. Its safety credentials, institutional client base, and B2B service infrastructure position it well as a long-term hold or future roll-up anchor.
