Last updated 2026-08-19
TL;DR
Start storefront windows in Delaware with a Division of Revenue business license, not a trade-board card. Form an LLC only if you want one. The Certificate of Formation is $90 and the LLC annual tax is $300. Get a free EIN from the IRS. Confirm your city license and current GRT rate. Insurance and a simple pole kit beat a wrapped van in year one.
Do you need a license for storefront windows in Delaware?
Yes. You need a Delaware Division of Revenue business license before you invoice anyone, even though the state has no window-washer board and no trade exam.[1] Cities can add a local license on top. An LLC is optional for a solo washer and is a separate filing. Confirm the current activity code and fee with Revenue. Nobody can honestly promise you a turnaround date.
Delaware confuses new operators because the state is famous for corporations and quiet on janitorial trades. That silence is not a free pass. Paid storefront window work is still a business under Title 30 licensing and Gross Receipts Tax rules. GRT can apply once receipts start, at a rate that depends on your license category.[1] You confirm that rate on Revenue's current tables, not on a two-year-old forum thread.
I would not hire a licensing mill. I would not sit a contractor exam. Window cleaning is not a Division of Professional Regulation craft like electrical or plumbing. If a salesperson tells you that you need a statewide contractor card just to squeegee a shopfront, ask them to name the board. Then check the board list yourself.
If you use a name other than your own legal name, plan on a county trade-name filing with the Prothonotary. That is boring paper. It is also how you keep the bank and the insurer from bouncing the DBA.
Out-of-state operators washing glass in Delaware still need the Delaware business license. Crossing from Elkton or Media with a pole does not create a loophole. The place the work happens is the place that wants the license.
A license is permission to collect money. It is not a skill certificate, and it will not make a property manager hand you keys. You still walk in with a certificate of insurance and a price for the stop.
What do you file first with the state?
File the Division of Revenue business license first if you want to take money legally.[1] Then get a free EIN from the IRS if you will hire, open a business account, or form an entity.[5] Form the LLC only if you actually want the liability shell. City paper comes after you know where the route lives.
The SBA register-your-business guide is the federal map, and it still sends you back to Delaware for the real license.[11] Use it as a checklist, not as proof your file is complete.
"Applying for an EIN is a free service offered by the Internal Revenue Service." That sentence is on the IRS EIN page, and it is the whole point.[5] Do not pay a website $79 to type your name into the same form.
If you form a Delaware LLC, you file a Certificate of Formation with the Division of Corporations. A Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation costs $90, per the Division of Corporations fee schedule.[2] Every Delaware LLC also needs a registered agent with a Delaware street address. Live in the state and you can usually serve as your own agent. Live in Maryland or Pennsylvania and you hire one. Confirm agent rules on the Division of Corporations formation materials before you pay a national agent brand.[4]
I would do Revenue and the EIN in the same sitting. The LLC can wait a week if you are still deciding. Taking a paid job with no Revenue license is the mistake that is hard to unwind later.
How much does it cost to start storefront windows in Delaware?
Plan on a few hundred dollars of state paper if you form an LLC, plus insurance, plus the tools you actually need on day one. A Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation costs $90, per the Division of Corporations fee schedule.[2] Delaware LLC annual tax is $300, per the Division of Corporations.[3] The IRS charges $0 to apply for an EIN online.[5] The Revenue license fee is not a number I will guess. Confirm it on the current Division of Revenue schedule for your activity code.[1]
| Item | Published figure | Who confirms it |
|---|---|---|
| LLC Certificate of Formation | $90 | Division of Corporations fee schedule |
| LLC annual tax | $300 | Division of Corporations pay-taxes page |
| Federal EIN | $0 | IRS EIN application page |
| State business license | Varies by activity code | Division of Revenue |
| City or town license | Varies | Local licenses desk |
| General liability | Quote only | Your agent |
Equipment is where people light money on fire. A full van, a giant tank, and a vinyl wrap are optional. A water-fed pole, a way to make or buy pure water, and a squeegee kit will wash most one-story Delaware storefronts. If you want a simple water-fed kit instead of a custom build, StorefrontWash publishes a $149 one-time Pure-Water Pole Route Kit. Buy the license and the insurance before you buy more carbon fiber.
Insurance is the line item I will not fake. General liability for glass work is real money, and the premium depends on height, chemicals, employees, and claims history. Get quotes. I would not start a commercial route without a policy in force and certificates ready for property managers.
Do not budget a warehouse. Do not budget a downtown Wilmington office. Work out of a driveway in New Castle County or a shed in Sussex and put the rest into fuel and resin. A cheap folding table and a phone beat a leased shop in year one.
If you want another state's cost framing while you build the spreadsheet, storefront windows cost in Tennessee is a straight budget read. Delaware's published entity numbers above are the ones you can take to Corps without guessing.
How much does storefront windows cost in Delaware for customers?
Commercial storefront windows in Delaware usually sell as a recurring route price, not as a one-off per-pane ticket. Small retail fronts often land as a monthly or twice-monthly stop. Delaware sets no price control on window cleaning, so your number is a bid, not a statute.
National consumer guides put ordinary window cleaning in a wide band that moves year to year. Those figures are national, not Dover-specific. Treat them as a sanity check, not a menu you photocopy.
What I would actually charge on a first Delaware route is the stop, not the pane. A single-story shopfront with a door and two bays is a short visit once you are set up. Monthly contracts beat Saturday one-offs because you stop selling every week. Ask the manager what they paid the last washer. Then decide if you want the account at a price that covers drive time.
Do not copy a California or Texas menu blindly. Labor, winter film, and parking are different. If you want a side-by-side of another state's paper path after you finish this one, read how to start storefront windows in Texas and how to start storefront windows in California.
Interior glass, high work, and post-construction scrapes are extras. Say so in the quote. People who bid a whole building with no notes eat the second trip. Tracks, spider droppings, and sticker glue are not "included" unless you wrote that down.
Beach-town accounts in Sussex can pay more in July and vanish in January. Price the season or you will work August for free in February.
How long does storefront windows take in Delaware?
The paper is often days to a few weeks if your filings are clean, and the wash itself is usually under an hour on a small retail front. I will not quote a Division of Revenue processing time. Confirm current intake with the Division. Corps timelines for a basic LLC are whatever the Division of Corporations is publishing that week, and even that is not a guarantee I will restate as a promise.[4]
A normal one-story storefront stop takes 15 to 45 minutes once you know the building. Add time for interiors, stubborn film, and parking. Add more if you are on a ladder instead of a pole. Multi-story or atrium work is a different job. Do not sell it like a door and two sidelights.
First-year operations drag because of sales, not squeegees. Building a dense route in New Castle County can take months of walking in with a certificate of insurance. Sussex beach towns compress into a seasonal spike. Plan the calendar harder than the scrape.
Winter on Route 1 will slow you. Salt film is real. So is wind off the river. Build slack into January and February instead of promising weekly sparkle you cannot hit.
Same-day "we launch Monday" talk is marketing. Your first paid stop happens after the license, the policy, and a manager who says yes. That last piece is the slow one.
Should you form an LLC or stay a sole proprietor?
Stay a sole proprietor if you want the least paper and you can live with personal liability. Form the LLC if you want a separate entity, a cleaner bank story, and a $90 filing plus $300 a year.[2][3] Either path still needs the Revenue license.[1] The LLC does not replace insurance.
| Choice | State paper you actually file | Annual Corps tax | Liability story |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietor | Revenue license, county DBA if you use a trade name | None at Corps | You and the business are the same person |
| Delaware LLC | Certificate of Formation plus Revenue license | $300, confirm due date with Corps | Separate entity, still buy insurance |
Delaware is cheap to form in and loud about annual tax. People form Delaware LLCs from everywhere. If you actually live and wash in Delaware, the LLC is just a local entity, not a magic shield. You still need to keep personal cash out of the business account.
Registered agent rules are real. Live here and you can usually be your own. Live across the line and you pay someone with a Delaware street address. Confirm that on the Division of Corporations LLC materials, not on an Instagram ad.[4]
I would not form a corporation on day one. Extra tax elections and extra minutes do not wash more glass on Market Street.
If you are still choosing a state rather than an entity, how to start storefront windows in Alabama and how to start storefront windows in Colorado show how different the local license pile can look.
What insurance and OSHA rules actually apply?
Carry general liability before you touch a customer's glass. Delaware does not hand you a state GL policy. Property managers will ask for a certificate, and many contracts talk about $1 million per occurrence. That limit is a market habit, not a statute I can point to, so read the contract you are signing.
Hire anyone and workers' compensation becomes a Delaware Department of Labor matter, not a suggestion.[9] Solo owner-operators should still ask an agent whether they need a policy for themselves. Do not take this page as coverage advice.
OSHA still applies when you have employees. The general duty clause says each employer shall furnish employment "free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees."[7] Ladders have their own rule at 29 CFR 1910.23.[8] I would keep year-one storefront work on a water-fed pole from the sidewalk. Roofs and tall extension ladders are how people get hurt and how policies get expensive.
Falling off a 24-foot ladder to save eight minutes is a bad trade. Always.
Wash water is the quiet compliance issue. Soapy discharge into a storm drain can become a DNREC and municipal problem, not a messy sidewalk you sweep off.[13] Pure water systems leave you with fewer chemical stories to tell a public-works desk. Ask the town before you rinse a whole block into a grate.
Do Wilmington, Dover, and the counties add their own paper?
Often, yes. Wilmington, Dover, Newark, and some towns run their own business licenses. The state license does not always satisfy the city. Call the local licenses office for the address you work from and for any city where you keep a shop. Confirm current local fees there. I will not invent a Wilmington number.
New Castle, Kent, and Sussex do not replace the Division of Revenue. County trade-name filings sit with the Prothonotary if you use a DBA. Parking rules and downtown pedestrian zones will shape how you stage a pole more than any county "window" permit.
Chase accounts inside a mall or a downtown district and the property manager's vendor packet is the real gate. Expect a certificate of insurance and a W-9. That packet is private contract, not a state board.
Beach towns in summer get precious about water in the street. Ask public works before you start. A ticket for blocking a crosswalk costs more than the stop paid you.
For how another state writes the license question, storefront windows license in Texas is a useful contrast, and storefront windows license in Tennessee shows a different board culture. Delaware's version is Revenue plus city hall, not a window-cleaner board.
What taxes will a Delaware storefront windows route actually pay?
Delaware has no general state or local sales tax, which is why people drag shopping bags home from the outlets. Your window route still meets tax. Gross Receipts Tax is the state-level bite on business receipts, administered with the business license.[1] Confirm the current rate for your category on Revenue's published rate list. Do not copy a rate from an old blog post.
Federal income tax still exists. A sole proprietor files Schedule C. An LLC with one owner is usually taxed the same unless you elect otherwise. Self-employment tax is 15.3 percent on net earnings from self-employment, per the IRS (12.4 percent Social Security plus 2.9 percent Medicare).[6] That number surprises people who only budgeted for squeegees.
Quarterly estimated taxes keep you out of April shock. IRS Publication 334 is the small-business tax guide if you want the long version.[12]
City wage taxes are not a Delaware habit the way they are in Philadelphia. Still confirm if you live across the line and wash in Wilmington. Reciprocity and resident rules change, and I will not fake a commuting tax rate.
Keep receipts for poles, resin, fuel, and insurance. Mix personal groceries into the business account and you will hate tax season. A free spreadsheet is enough until you actually need a bookkeeper.
What does a realistic first-year operations path look like?
Week 1: decide sole prop or LLC. Order the EIN if you need it.[5] Start insurance quotes the same day, because the COI is what managers ask for.
Week 2: file the Revenue license.[1] File the Certificate of Formation only if you chose the LLC.[2] Open a separate bank account. Put the formation receipt in a folder you can find.
Week 3: walk a short list of storefronts with a one-page price and a COI. Do not build a 12-page brand book. Do not wait for a website. A readable text thread books more glass than a logo debate.
Month 2 to 6: stack recurring stops along one corridor so you are not crossing the state between jobs. Distance kills a pole route. A tight New Castle County loop beats a "we serve all three counties" fantasy.
Month 6 to 12: renew whatever Revenue tells you to renew. Pay the $300 LLC tax if you formed one, on the Division of Corporations calendar, not on your birthday.[3] Confirm due dates with Corps. Read the SBA startup guide again and see what you skipped.[11]
Hire slowly. One helper turns on workers' comp, unemployment insurance, and a much louder OSHA file.[9] A helper also means you need a real system for who holds the pole near traffic.
If you are comparing startup friction across states, how to start storefront windows in Arizona is another dry-climate contrast to Delaware winters and salt film.
What is a waste of money in year one?
Skip the wrapped van until you have standing accounts. Skip franchise fees. There is no Delaware window-washing franchise you must buy to wash a pizza-shop door. Skip SEO retainers that want four figures a month before you have 15 stops.
Skip "certified window artist" courses. Skip paying a national registered-agent brand a premium every year if you live on Delaware soil and can be your own agent.
A second pressure washer is usually a waste on storefront glass. So is a chemical locker that looks like a lab. Pure water and a sharp blade handle most retail film. Save the restoration chemicals for the rare post-construction mess, and price that visit separately.
Do buy good shoes and a way to haul water. Do buy the policy. Do file the license. Those three are not the place to get cute.
A huge prepaid resin supply is a maybe. Resin becomes a working inventory problem if you guessed your gallon count wrong. Buy enough for a month, then reorder.
I would rather have 20 monthly stops and a boring Civic than 4 stops and a custom rack no one sees.
How do you keep the paper path board-confirmable?
Every fee in this guide is either a published figure or a confirm-with-the-board item. That is on purpose. Revenue changes activity codes. Corps can adjust fees by schedule. Cities rewrite license ordinances. A page that invents a "current" city fee goes stale the week council votes.
Before you spend a dollar on ads, open these tabs: Division of Revenue business license, Division of Corporations fees, IRS EIN.[1][2][5] Then call one insurance agent and one city licenses desk. Write down the name of the person who quoted you a local fee.
Print the license when it arrives. Keep a PDF of the COI in your phone. That pair opens more doors on Philadelphia Pike than a slogan.
StorefrontWash is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. This page is a reference, not an approval, and not a timing guarantee. If you later want the kit, it lives at /start. The paper path above works if you never click that link.
Re-check Corps and Revenue once a year even if nothing "feels" different. Boards do not text you when a fee schedule moves.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for storefront windows in Delaware?
Yes. File a Division of Revenue business license before you take paid work. Delaware has no window-washer trade board, but Revenue still treats the route as a business and Gross Receipts Tax can apply. Cities may add a local license. Confirm the current activity code and fee with Revenue. An LLC is optional and is a separate Corps filing.
How much does storefront windows cost in Delaware?
Startup paper is modest if you form an LLC: $90 to file the Certificate of Formation and $300 a year in LLC tax, plus a Revenue license fee you confirm with the Division. Customer prices are bids, not a state tariff. Most commercial work sells as a recurring stop. Insurance is the variable that needs real quotes, not a blog number.
How long does storefront windows take in Delaware?
A small one-story storefront stop is often 15 to 45 minutes once you know the building. State filings can be days to a few weeks, but you must confirm current processing with Revenue and Corps. Nobody should promise you a license date. Building a dense monthly route takes months of sales, which is the real clock.
Is window cleaning a licensed trade under Delaware DPR?
No. The Division of Professional Regulation licenses crafts such as electrical and plumbing, not ordinary storefront window washing. Your state paper is the Division of Revenue business license, plus any city license. If someone sells you a "contractor card" class just to squeegee glass, ask them to name the statute. Then walk.
Do I need a contractor license to wash storefront glass?
Usually no, if you are cleaning glass and not installing it or altering the building. Installation and construction can flip you into contractor rules. Cleaning a shopfront from the sidewalk with a pole is a service business. Confirm edge cases with Revenue, and if a bid includes caulk or pane replacement, stop and get a real contractor answer.
Does Delaware charge sales tax on window cleaning?
Delaware has no general state or local sales tax. You can still owe Gross Receipts Tax on business receipts, administered with the business license. Confirm the current GRT rate for your category on the Division of Revenue rate list. Federal income tax and self-employment tax still apply on net profit.
Do I need workers' compensation if I work alone?
Hiring anyone generally puts you into Delaware workers' compensation rules through the Department of Labor. A true solo owner-operator should still ask an insurance agent whether a policy is required or wise. This page is not coverage advice. If you add a helper, treat WC as part of the hire, not a later surprise.
Can I start as a sole proprietor?
Yes. Plenty of first-year routes start that way. You still need the Revenue license, and a county trade name if you use a DBA. You and the business are the same legal person, so a claim can reach personal assets. Many people form the $90 LLC later, once accounts exist and the $300 annual tax feels worth it.
What insurance limits do property managers ask for?
Many commercial accounts ask for a certificate of general liability, and contracts often mention $1 million per occurrence. That figure is a market habit, not a Delaware statute I can cite. Read each vendor packet. Height work, employees, and chemicals change the quote. Get the COI before you promise a start date.
Do I need a registered agent in Delaware?
A Delaware LLC must have a registered agent with a Delaware street address. Live in Delaware and you can usually serve as your own agent. Live out of state and you hire one. Sole proprietors do not file a Corps agent. Confirm the current agent rules on Division of Corporations LLC materials.
Can I dump wash water into a storm drain?
Do not assume yes. Soapy discharge can violate municipal rules and state water programs administered with DNREC's NPDES work. Ask the town and keep chemicals off the default method. A pure-water setup reduces the chemical story. Rinsing a whole block into a grate is how you meet a public-works officer.
How do I charge monthly storefront accounts?
Price the stop, not each pane. Put the visit frequency, the glass included, and the extras in one short page. Bill monthly and keep a card or ACH on file if the manager allows it. Seasonal Sussex accounts need a winter plan in writing. Managers stay when you show up the same week every month.
What if I live in Pennsylvania or Maryland and wash glass in Delaware?
You still need the Delaware business license for work done in Delaware. An LLC formed at home does not replace Revenue. You will also need a Delaware registered agent if you form a Delaware LLC from out of state. Confirm city licenses where you actually wash. Crossing a bridge is not a licensing strategy.
When do I need a city license in Wilmington or Dover?
When the city says so, which is often if you are based there or keep a shop there. The state Revenue license does not automatically cover Wilmington, Dover, or Newark. Call the local licenses desk, give them your address and activity, and write down the current fee. I will not invent that number here.
Sources
- Delaware Division of Revenue, Business License: Delaware businesses need a Division of Revenue business license and may owe Gross Receipts Tax on business receipts.
- Delaware Division of Corporations, fee schedule: The published filing fee for a Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation is $90.
- Delaware Division of Corporations, pay taxes: Delaware limited liability companies pay $300 annual tax.
- Delaware Division of Corporations, How to Form a New Business Entity: Delaware LLCs are formed by filing with the Division of Corporations and must follow published formation and agent procedures.
- IRS, Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online: Applying for an EIN is a free service offered by the Internal Revenue Service.
- IRS, Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes): Self-employment tax is 15.3 percent (12.4 percent Social Security plus 2.9 percent Medicare) on net earnings from self-employment.
- Occupational Safety and Health Act, Section 5 Duties: Each employer shall furnish employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.23 Ladders: Federal ladder rules in general industry apply to employers using ladders, including window-cleaning work.
- Delaware Department of Labor, Workers' Compensation: Delaware employers use the Department of Labor workers' compensation program when coverage obligations apply.
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Register your business: Federal SBA guidance sends new firms to state registration and licensing steps.
- IRS Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business: Publication 334 is the IRS tax guide for small businesses including Schedule C filers.
- Delaware DNREC, NPDES (surface water): Delaware DNREC administers NPDES and related surface-water discharge programs that can affect wash-water disposal.