Specialized Commercial Window Cleaning Company
This case study details the acquisition blueprint for a commercial window cleaning company serving mid- and high-rise office buildings, medical facilities, retail centers, universities, airports, and hospitality venues. The company’s core offerings include exterior and interior window cleaning, pressure washing, facade detailing, glass restoration, and post-construction cleanup. The majority of revenue stems from multi-year contracts with national property managers and institutional clients requiring monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual service cycles.
The business generates $4.35 million in annual revenue and $890,000 in adjusted EBITDA. Approximately 75% of revenue is recurring, driven by contractual service agreements that require predictable, regulated cleanings. Customers select the firm for its certified rope access technicians, low turnover crews, OSHA-compliant documentation, and fleet of specialty lifts and equipment enabling high-elevation servicing in dense urban environments.
This business is a strong SBA 7(a) acquisition target, given its consistent profitability, recurring revenue, regulatory barrier to entry, and scalable field operations. The buyer can unlock growth by expanding geographically, bundling pressure washing and facade restoration services, entering the education and stadium sectors, and acquiring competitors with smaller route density.
Proposed SBA 7(a) Deal Structure
Because of consistent earnings, asset base, and client contract portfolio, the transaction supports a typical SBA 7(a) leveraged structure:
Purchase Price: $3.56 million (4.0x EBITDA)
SBA Loan: $2.67 million (75%)
Buyer Equity Injection: $356,000 (10%)
Seller Financing (Subordinated): $534,000 (15%) amortized over 6 years, with a 12-month interest-only period
Additional incentives and risk mitigation:
20% clawback on seller note if more than 15% of top-tier contracts are canceled within the first 180 days
Seller retention bonus if buyer secures 3 new national commercial property contracts within 12 months
Seller to remain as technical advisor and client retention strategist for 9 months
Customer Segmentation and Service Composition
Client base:
Mid- and high-rise office buildings (Class A/B): 32%
Medical campuses and hospitals: 20%
Retail and shopping centers: 14%
Universities and K-12 campuses: 12%
Hospitality and resorts: 10%
Airports, stadiums, and civic buildings: 7%
Construction and development firms: 5%
Revenue streams:
Routine window cleaning (monthly, quarterly, biannual): $2.8M
Pressure washing and facade cleaning: $620K
Post-construction cleanup and debris removal: $470K
Glass restoration and mineral removal: $280K
Emergency and one-off high access cleaning: $180K
Recurring contracts include set pricing, pre-scheduled visit windows, annual rate escalators, and safety documentation requirements. Contracts span 1–3 years and include optional add-ons for seasonal cleanings and interior service bundles.
The company’s top 30 clients account for ~60% of total revenue. No individual customer exceeds 5.9% of overall billing. Most clients have renewed service contracts at least twice, with 10+ year relationships among the top quartile.
Technician Team and High-Access Field Operations
Field team structure:
4 rope access teams (2–3 techs each) for high-rise exterior work
3 pole/facade wash teams for mid-rise and single-story clients
2 pressure washing crews
1 glass restoration specialist
2 supervisors (field audits and client walk-throughs)
1 safety and compliance coordinator
2 dispatchers + route scheduler
Crews are trained in:
Rope descent systems (RDS) and anchor point rigging
Water-fed pole systems (up to 6 stories)
OSHA 1910 and 1926 safety protocols
Facade and glass type-specific chemical usage
All technicians are W-2 employees. Lead technicians receive bonus incentives for on-time job completion, zero-incident reports, and upsell conversion on-site. Turnover is under 10%, and the company runs a quarterly certification and safety drill program.
Post-acquisition labor strategy:
Launch internal technician advancement track with level-based pay raises
Begin recruiting ex-roofer and arborist labor pools for cross-training
Implement smart scheduling system tied to weather forecasts to optimize technician dispatch and overtime cost
Facilities and Equipment
HQ:
9,000 sq ft warehouse and dispatch center
Equipment storage racks
Training mezzanine for descent system simulation
Chemical mixing bay and PPE lockers
Offices and client meeting rooms
Fleet and equipment:
7 branded service vans
2 aerial boom lifts (60–80 ft)
1 trailer-mounted pressure washing system
40+ rope descent systems and anchor kits
200+ water-fed pole system components
FMV of physical assets: ~$670,000
CapEx forecast:
Replace 2 aging service vans over 18 months: $75K
Upgrade pressure washing platform with CRM tie-in: $9K
Invest in inspection drone for facade quoting and roof inspection: $12K
Sales, Referrals, and Marketing Infrastructure
Client acquisition model:
Referrals from building managers, HOAs, GC firms, and facility engineers
Cold email outreach to regional REITs and FM firms
Website SEO for “high-rise window cleaning + [city name]”
Paid Google Ads for compliance-based terms (e.g., “OSHA window cleaning”)
Marketing budget: ~$3,900/month
Expansion opportunities:
Pursue facility management platforms for national property access
Bundle pressure washing and facade sealing into annual service tiers
Launch roof debris removal and solar panel cleaning as add-ons
Partner with stadiums, school districts, and universities for year-round work
Build a white-labeled subcontracting program for GCs on post-construction cleanup
Financial Summary
Revenue: $4.35M
COGS (labor, safety gear, fuel, chemicals): $2.33M
Gross Profit: $2.02M
SG&A: $1.13M
Adjusted EBITDA: $890K (20.4%)
Margins:
Exterior cleaning: 48–55%
Interior glass cleaning: 60%
Facade restoration: 35–42%
Pressure washing and one-off: 50%+
Post-construction: 30–35%
Seasonality: Strongest in Q2 and Q3, with scheduled catch-ups in Q1 (weather permitting). Q4 includes final compliance visits for commercial contracts.
Legal and Compliance
All rope access techs certified with documentation on file
OSHA logs, fall protection training, and PPE logs updated quarterly
City and state licenses for exterior cleaning, wastewater disposal, and mobile equipment
Fully insured: $2M GL, $1M auto, $1M umbrella, $1M workers comp
No open violations, lawsuits, or environmental infractions. Most clients require COIs, work logs, and documentation of anchor point inspections before project start.
Working Capital and Transition Needs
Payroll float: $100K–$115K
New equipment and fleet improvements: $75K–$100K
CRM and proposal engine upgrades: $10K
Seller consulting and transition fee: $35K
Safety bonus and retention pool for lead techs: $25K
Ideal Buyer Profiles
Blue-collar service operators seeking route density
Janitorial or commercial maintenance firms expanding vertically
Facility compliance entrepreneurs with safety or OSHA backgrounds
PE-backed platforms looking to integrate exterior services into FM bundles
Post-Close Execution Plan
Retain lead clients and reaffirm compliance guarantees through face-to-face meetings
Conduct 90-day margin review and reprice non-core one-offs
Recruit 3 new technicians from adjacent industries (roofing, HVAC, arborists)
Launch pressure washing and glass coating division for annual contract upgrades
Expand FAA-licensed drone inspection program to accelerate job quoting and site proposals
Conclusion
This specialized commercial window cleaning business offers an attractive platform in a regulated, contract-driven industry with long-term clients and above-average margins. With SBA 7(a) financing, the right buyer can acquire a steady cash-flowing asset with embedded technical expertise, recurring revenue, and expansion potential into both adjacent verticals and geographies. Given its emphasis on compliance, documentation, and safety, this business serves as a strong foundation for a scaled exterior building services firm particularly for operators who understand route logistics, labor efficiency, and seasonal scheduling.
