Both formats are valid. What is not valid is pushing everyone towards the contract on principle. Here are the real criteria, including those that argue against a contract.
What regularity really changes
Soiling never starts from zero. A window cleaned two months ago is quicker to treat than one left for three years. The working time per visit drops, and so does the cost per visit.
Deposits have no time to bake on. This is the strongest and least highlighted argument. Limescale, organic residue and pollution marks become hard or impossible to remove over time. A regular rhythm is the best prevention against permanently dulled glazing. See the guide on limescale.
Travel is spread. A single visit carries the journey and set-up on its own.
Organisation becomes predictable. A known time slot, access arranged once, no hunt for a provider each time.
When a one-off visit is the right choice
Let us be clear: in several cases the contract makes no sense.
- You are trying out the provider. Do a trial visit before committing. It is common sense, and a serious provider takes no offence.
- After building work. This is a one-off service by nature, with a different scope and price.
- Before a specific event: putting a property up for sale or rent, an inventory of fixtures, a handover, an opening, an inauguration.
- Your windows soil little. A set-back home, low traffic, a façade sheltered from run-off.
- Your situation is unstable. A move ahead, work planned, seasonal activity.
- Your budget must stay free. A recurring commitment is a fixed cost. No one should convince you otherwise.
When recurring becomes rational
- A storefront or commercial façade. Appearance is part of the commercial image, and exposure to the street is continuous.
- An office receiving the public or clients.
- Large glazed surfaces whose soiling is visible from afar.
- Hard-to-reach glazing. Each set-up is costly; spacing it too much makes every visit heavier.
- Strong exposure: a busy street, trees, a nearby building site, a roadside, proximity to the sea.
- A shared or managed building, where planning beats case-by-case decisions.
- You do not want to think about it. That is a perfectly valid reason.
The questions to ask before signing a contract
- What is the commitment period, and what is the notice?
- Is there automatic renewal? If so, with what reminder before the deadline?
- Is the frequency adjustable between winter and summer, or according to activity?
- Is the scope the same at every visit? Frames each time or once or twice a year?
- What happens if a visit cannot take place — weather, closure, impossible access? Postponed, shifted, or lost?
- Is the price fixed over the period, and if indexation is planned, on what basis?
- Do you receive a record of each visit?
- Who is your point of contact?
A contract that does not answer those eight questions clearly is not a contract, it is a vague subscription.
An in-between format that often fits better
Many situations are well handled with a two-stage approach:
- A first full visit, with frames and sills, to bring everything up to standard and observe the real condition.
- A frequency decision taken afterwards, based on what was observed and the re-soiling speed actually seen.
This avoids choosing a rhythm at random on day one, and lets you judge the work before committing.
Our position
We do not use silently renewing contracts and we do not tie a good price to a long commitment. A client who stays because the work suits them is more valuable than one held by a clause.
FAQ
Is a contract cheaper than a one-off visit? The price per visit usually is, because travel is spread and the glass is less soiled. The annual budget depends on the frequency you choose.
Can I try before committing? Yes, and it is even what we recommend. A first visit lets you judge the work and measure the re-soiling speed.
Can I change the frequency during the contract? It is provided for. A tighter rhythm in winter and a wider one in summer is common and logical.
What happens if a visit is cancelled due to weather? It is postponed, not lost. A technical postponement is not charged.