# Pilotiko for window cleaning companies

> Quebec window cleaning company? Plan the residential and commercial seasons, book lifts and scaffolding safely, and keep crews on track. Free 30-day trial.

Updated on October 15, 2026 · https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/window-cleaning

Pilotiko helps a Quebec window cleaning company fill its spring and fall residential seasons, keep its commercial contracts on track, book lifts, scaffolding and water-fed poles without double-booking, and assign only cleaners whose work-at-height skills are on record, with human approval before anything is sent.

## In short
- Lifts and scaffolding are booked as resources: never promised twice.
- Assignment can require a work-at-height skill depending on the service.
- The CNESST limits ladders as workstations to short tasks.
- Rain days are rescheduled into genuinely free slots.

## What is the window cleaning season in Quebec?

The residential season starts when pollen and winter grime show up on the glass, and comes back in fall before the days get short. Both peaks often sell with screen and gutter cleaning. Summer keeps commercial contracts and storefronts going; in winter, exterior work slows sharply.

The daily headache is weather and equipment. One rainy morning moves a whole day, and a lift rented for Tuesday really has to be used on Tuesday. If the lift isn't free, the temptation is to make do with a ladder: exactly what good scheduling should prevent.

| Period | Main work | Typical equipment |
|---|---|---|
| April to June | Residential washes, screens, gutters | Water-fed pole, ladder for access |
| June to August | Storefronts, offices, monthly contracts | Pole, elevating platform |
| September and October | Second residential wash, gutters after leaf fall | Pole, ladder, lift |
| November to March | Commercial interiors, storefronts | Indoor equipment |

## Which safety rules apply to window cleaning at height?

The CNESST's rules on ladders and fall protection: a ladder is an access route or a short-duration workstation, and working from the ground or a platform comes first.

The CNESST specifically lists window washing among common uses of ladders and stepladders. It states that ladders are used either as a means of access or as a workstation for short-term tasks of less than an hour, and that the best way to prevent falls is to work from the ground whenever possible, otherwise from an elevating platform or scaffolding [1]. Used for access, a ladder must extend 900 mm beyond the top support [1].

On a roof or platform, the guardrail is the reference means of protection; it goes within 300 mm of the edge and is required above 3 m in general cases (CNESST, in French) [2]. As for licensing, the RBQ states that a business whose work is mainly about keeping a building clean doesn't need a contractor's licence [3].

| Topic | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ladder as workstation | Short-term tasks, less than an hour | CNESST  |
| Ladder as access | Extend 900 mm beyond the top support | CNESST  |
| Choice of means | Ground first, otherwise elevating platform or scaffolding | CNESST  |
| Guardrail | Within 300 mm of the edge; required above 3 m (general cases) | CNESST  |
| Contractor's licence | Not required for work aimed at keeping a building clean | RBQ  |

## How does Pilotiko schedule crews and equipment?

Each wash is a job: customer, address, duration, cleaners and resources. The lift, scaffolding, trailer and pure-water system are booked with the job; a resource already booked is never offered elsewhere at the same time. If the lift isn't free Thursday, Pilotiko tells you before you promise it.

You record skills: lift, scaffolding, work at height, commercial storefronts. On a service that needs the lift, assignment only suggests cleaners with that skill, unless a manager overrides, and shows their free hours and workload after the job.

Residential customers book through the booking link: a bungalow wash or gutter cleaning has its duration, and only free slots appear.

## Example: how many houses can a crew of 4 wash in May?

**Example: 2 crews of 2 cleaners, 4 weeks of May**

Assumptions: 5 days a week, 8-hour days, 20% of days lost to rain, 30 minutes of driving between customers, and an inside-and-out wash of a detached house in 2.5 hours for a crew of 2.

- Working days (4 weeks × 5) : 20 days
- − rain days (20%) : − 4 days
- = wash days per crew : 16 days
- Houses per day (8 h ÷ 3 h with driving) : 2.5 houses
- × 16 days × 2 crews : 80 houses
- **= About 80 houses in May, before commercial contracts**

## What do the AI agents prepare for a window cleaner?

The quotes agent drafts by number of windows, storeys and options (screens, gutters) from your prices; you review it. The dispatch agent prepares the list of customers to reschedule after a rain day; your team calls them. Everything goes through the agent approval rule.

## Which objections do you hear?

- "Why a lift? A ladder is fine." The CNESST's ladder benchmarks are your answer [1].
- "It rained, when are you coming back?" A new date in a genuinely free slot, offered the same day.
- "The price varies from house to house." A quote by window and storey makes the price easy to read.

## What's still to come?

> Coming soon: route optimisation, automatic rain-delay texts (being commissioned: nothing is sent yet), and prospecting commercial contracts. Pilotiko doesn't check the weather and doesn't replace your prevention program.

## Which services go with window cleaning?

Window cleaning often complements [commercial cleaning](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/commercial-cleaning) and [residential cleaning](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/residential-cleaning). Gutter cleaning takes you onto roofs: see [roofing](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/roofing).

To sell the season: the [Quebec local SEO](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/guides/local-seo-quebec) guide and a [complete Google Business Profile](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/guides/complete-google-business-profile). Each visit can follow a [work order](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/glossary/work-order).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a window cleaner work from a ladder all day?

The CNESST says a ladder is a workstation for short-term tasks of less than an hour. Otherwise it recommends working from the ground or using an elevating platform or scaffolding.

### Do you need an RBQ licence to clean windows?

The RBQ states that a business whose work is mainly about keeping a building clean doesn't need a contractor's licence. CNESST health and safety rules still apply.

### Can Pilotiko book a lift along with a wash?

Yes. The lift is a resource attached to the job; booked for a time slot, it isn't offered anywhere else during that time.

### How do I avoid sending an untrained cleaner up a lift?

Require the lift skill on the service. Assignment then only suggests cleaners who hold it, unless a manager explicitly overrides.

### Does Pilotiko reschedule automatically after rain?

No. You pick the new dates; Pilotiko only offers slots where the crew and equipment are free. The agent can prepare the list of customers to call.

## Sources

1. CNESST, « Ladder falls », https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/en/prevention-securite/identifier-corriger-risques/liste-informations-prevention/chute-partir-dune-echelle (accessed on 2026-10-15)
2. CNESST, « Garde-corps », https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/fr/prevention-securite/identifier-corriger-risques/liste-informations-prevention/garde-corps (accessed on 2026-10-15)
3. Régie du bâtiment du Québec, « Foire aux questions : licence », https://www.rbq.gouv.qc.ca/foire-aux-questions-faq/constructeur-proprietaire/licence/ (accessed on 2026-10-15)