Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
Florida has no state window-washing license for cleaning existing storefront glass from the sidewalk. You need a Sunbiz filing (LLC or fictitious name), an EIN if you form an entity, a local business tax receipt where you work, and insurance property managers accept. File Sunbiz first. Confirm current fees on each board page. No state clock approves this trade.
How do you start storefront windows in Florida?
You start a Florida storefront route four ways at once: form a business on Sunbiz, get an EIN from the IRS if you form an entity, buy liability insurance, and pull the local business tax receipt where you work. Then you sell early-morning glass. Florida runs no state window-washing license board for cleaning existing glass.
That surprises people who just left a contractor-license state. The California start path is heavier paper. Texas is its own stack. Florida is lighter if you stay on existing storefront glass and stay on the sidewalk.
Pick a structure before you print invoices. A sole proprietorship in your legal name can work. I would not stay there once you have plaza accounts. An LLC costs $125 to file with the Florida Division of Corporations and keeps your personal name off the check. [1] If you trade under a brand that is not your legal name, register a fictitious name too. That Sunbiz filing is $50. [3]
Get the EIN online after the LLC exists. The IRS does not charge for it. [13] Open a separate bank account the same week. Skip that and you mix grocery charges with resin and towels. Tax time gets ugly.
Insurance comes next, not last. Plaza managers ask for a certificate before they let you touch their glass. A pretty Sunbiz printout does not replace that. Then walk a commercial strip at 6:30 a.m. Banks, salons, and empty retail bays are the easy first accounts.
Do not wait for a state permission letter. It will not arrive, because no Florida board issues one for washing storefront glass. Confirm every posted fee on the page you actually file. Boards change amounts. This guide is a map, not a receipt.
Do you need a license for storefront windows in Florida?
No. No statewide Florida DBPR contractor license exists for washing existing storefront glass from the ground. You still need a legal business filing, and most cities or counties want a local business tax receipt before you work there. Install, replace, or structurally alter a storefront system and the answer changes: that is construction.
Florida's Construction Industry Licensing Board lives in chapter 489. Section 489.105 defines a contractor around people who, for compensation, "construct, repair, alter, remodel, add to, demolish, subtract from, or improve any building or structure." [5] Washing film, dust, and storm grit off glass that already sits in the opening is maintenance. It is not a listed CILB trade.
I would still read that statute once. Glass replacement, new aluminum storefront, hurricane film that needs a permit, or any work a building official calls an improvement can pull you into licensed contractor territory. Stay on wash work until you know the difference.
What you do need is ordinary business paper. Use a name that is not your personal legal name, and Florida's fictitious name statute is blunt. Section 865.09 says, "A person may not engage in business under a fictitious name unless the person first registers the name with the division by filing a sworn statement." [4] That is the Sunbiz DBA, not a skill license.
Local governments add their own privilege tax under chapter 205. That is the old "occupational license," now usually called a local business tax receipt. It is not a window exam. It is a city or county cash register.
Compare this with storefront windows license rules in Texas or Tennessee's license path if you work multiple states. Do not import another state's contractor story onto Florida sidewalk work. Confirm the current DBPR license list before you bid anything that is not a wash.
What do you file with Sunbiz before you take a job?
File the entity or the fictitious name with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) before you invoice anyone under that name. For most new operators I would file a Florida LLC first, then the EIN, then the local tax receipt. Same-day e-file is common on Sunbiz. Confirm live processing on the form page. Nobody can honestly promise you a clock.
The LLC path is the clean one. Articles of Organization for a Florida LLC carry a posted $125 amount on the Division of Corporations e-file page. [1] You name a registered agent with a Florida street address. You can be your own agent. Use a real address you check.
After the LLC exists, file the annual report every year. Sunbiz posts $138.75 for a Florida LLC annual report and states it is due by May 1. [2] Miss it and the late fees start. I put May 1 on a recurring calendar the day I file the articles. That is the one state deadline that actually bites solo operators.
Skip the LLC only if you are testing one weekend and invoicing in your own legal name. The moment you print a trade name on a door hanger, you are in fictitious name territory. The Division of Corporations posts $50 for that registration. [3]
I would not buy packaged "Florida startup" services that resell these filings for triple the posted amount. The Sunbiz forms are readable. Pay the state, not a middleman, unless you truly hate websites.
Keep PDFs of the acknowledgment email, the certificate, and the annual report receipt in one folder. Property managers and payment portals will ask. A blurry phone photo of a screen is how invoices sit unpaid.
How much does storefront windows cost in Florida?
State paper for a simple Florida setup is small money. The Florida Division of Corporations posts $125 to file LLC articles and $50 for a fictitious name. [1] [3] The LLC annual report is posted at $138.75. [2] Local business tax receipts, insurance, and gear sit on top, and Sunbiz does not set those amounts. Confirm each one where you file.
Here is the only cost table I will stand behind, because the numbers live on state pages.
| Filing | Who takes the money | Posted amount | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LLC articles of organization | Florida DOS / Sunbiz | $125 | Form the company [1] |
| LLC annual report | Florida DOS / Sunbiz | $138.75 | Keep the LLC active, due May 1 [2] |
| Fictitious name | Florida DOS / Sunbiz | $50 | Use a trade name [3] |
| EIN | IRS | $0 | Tax ID for the entity [13] |
| Local business tax receipt | City or county | Confirm locally | Privilege of working there [6] |
| State sales tax (when tax applies) | Florida DOR | 6% state rate, plus local surtax | Taxable sales, not a license [7] |
I will not invent an "average Florida storefront wash price." There is no state tariff and no honest statewide survey I trust. Owners pay by visit, by side of glass, or by monthly route. Coastal salt and summer storms change the work. A one-bay salon is not a grocery vestibule.
Startup cash beyond paper is mostly insurance and a way to put pure water on glass. I would not buy a new van, a trailer, or a pressure washer for storefront glass. Pressure washers drive water into seals and can mark glass. Waste of money for this job.
If you hire, Florida's minimum wage is a real number. Under s. 448.110, the statewide minimum wage is $14.00 an hour as of September 30, 2025, and it steps to $15.00 on September 30, 2026. [10] Budget labor off that floor, not off a national blog.
Customer pricing is a separate question from startup cost. Price the route so fuel, resin, towels, insurance, and the May 1 annual report still leave you a wage. If a plaza wants a $25 monthly clean on 40 linear feet of filthy glass, walk away.
How long does storefront windows take in Florida?
Days, if everyone moves. The business paper can come together fast when Sunbiz, the IRS, your insurer, and the city all cooperate. A single ground-floor storefront wash often runs well under an hour once you are set up. No Florida board clock says you are "approved" after 30 days. Anyone selling you a guaranteed processing time is guessing.
Sunbiz e-file for an LLC often posts the same day. Confirm current status text on the LLC e-file page before you plan around it. [1] The IRS EIN application issues a number in the same online session when the system accepts the form. [13] Local business tax receipts are the wild card. Some cities hand them over quickly. Some want a zoning glance or an in-person visit. Ask that clerk. Do not use a blog's stopwatch.
Insurance binders can be same week or longer if you have prior claims or want extra insured wording for a national tenant. I would not book a plaza start date until the certificate is in your email.
On the glass, time is about access and soil, not Florida mythology. A small shopfront with clear sidewalk access is a short stop with a water-fed pole. A covered walkway, parked cars against the glass, interior partitions, and hurricane grit after a storm all add time. Interior-only work needs a keyholder. That wait is usually longer than the squeegee work.
I would not promise a property manager a 12-minute visit on a first clean. First visits hide tape, stickers, and mineral spots. Recurring stops get faster. Build the day around morning commercial strips, then stop before the afternoon storms common in summer. Wet glass in a downpour is a redo, not a flex.
Which local business tax receipts actually apply?
You need the local business tax receipt required by the city or county that taxes the privilege of working there. Many operators need more than one: a shop in one place, regular work in another. Chapter 205 lets local governments charge this tax. There is no single statewide receipt.
The statute is plain. Section 205.032 says, "The governing body of a county may levy, by appropriate resolution or ordinance, a business tax for the privilege of engaging in or managing any business, profession, or occupation within its jurisdiction." [6] Cities hold a parallel power. The dollar amount is local. I will not invent Miami-Dade, Tampa, Orlando, or Jacksonville fees. Pull the current schedule from that government.
Home-based operators still get caught. Store poles in a garage in one city and wash glass in the next city, and both clerks may want you. Some only care about the physical business location. Some care about where you solicit. Get the answer in writing or from the published code, not from a Facebook group.
I would start with the city where you sleep and bank, then add receipts as real routes appear. Buying ten cities of paper before you have one account is a waste of money.
Keep the receipt in the vehicle. Some code officers know this tax exists and do not care that you "only do windows." The Alabama start guide is a reminder that every state hides a local layer under the state myth.
Do you need workers' compensation and unemployment accounts?
Work alone with no employees, and Florida workers' compensation coverage is often not forced on you the way it is in construction. Hire, and the analysis changes. Confirm your facts with the Division of Workers' Compensation. Do not guess from a forum post.
Section 440.02 is where Florida defines employers, employees, employment, and the construction industry for chapter 440. [8] Construction employment is treated more strictly than other private employment. Sidewalk storefront washing is usually a service, not "construction industry" work. Usually is not a legal opinion. If a helper lands on your payroll, call the division and ask how they class the work before the first shift.
Reemployment tax (Florida's unemployment insurance) is a separate switch. Under s. 443.1215, an employing unit can become a covered employer if it paid wages of at least $1,500 in a calendar quarter, or if it employed at least one individual on any portion of a day in 20 different weeks in the current or preceding year. [9] Those tests are easy to trip with one regular helper.
I would not 1099 a person who shows up on your route three mornings a week, uses your pole, and follows your schedule. That looks like an employee to the people who audit this. Pay them as staff or do the work yourself.
Hire, and you also need the EIN, new-hire reporting, and a wage that meets s. 448.110. [10] [13] Solo year one is simpler. Hire after the route pays.
Is storefront window work taxable in Florida?
Florida's state sales tax rate is 6 percent of the sales price on taxable retail sales under s. 212.05. [7] Counties can add a local discretionary surtax on top. Whether your wash labor is taxable is a Florida Department of Revenue question for your exact mix of services and any products you sell. I will not invent a yes or no for every invoice.
Register with DOR if you will collect tax or if you are not sure. The registration conversation is cheaper than an assessment later. Sell bottles, blades, or other tangible goods, and those sales are the easy taxable part. Labor-only service treatment is where operators get cute and get letters.
Put the legal business name and address on the invoice. If tax applies, show it as its own line. If DOR tells you your service is exempt, keep that written guidance with the books.
Local surtax rates change by county. Use DOR's current surtax materials when you set the register, not a number you memorized in 2019. [7] This is boring. It is also how you keep the $125 LLC from becoming a penalty file.
What insurance do Florida property managers ask for?
Most Florida plaza and bank managers ask for general liability, often $1 million per occurrence, with the property owner and management company named as additional insured, plus a waiver of subrogation if their vendor packet is picky. That is a contract demand, not a Sunbiz box. You can legally wash a friend's shop without it. You will not get the grocery vestibule.
I would buy the policy before I print door hangers. The certificate of insurance is the real ticket onto managed property. Ask the agent for the additional insured endorsement form number the big tenants want. A cheap policy that cannot issue that wording is a waste of money.
Auto insurance matters if you throw poles on a personal car. Tell the auto insurer you use the vehicle for this work. A denied claim after a parking-lot tap costs more than the LLC.
Workers' compensation we already covered. Some vendor portals demand a WC policy even when Florida law may not require it for a true solo operator. Then you choose: buy a minimum policy, or skip that plaza. I skip picky portals in month one and take independent shops that pay on the spot.
Nobody has a public, current premium table I trust for this exact trade in every Florida county. Get two quotes. Do not use a national average from a content farm.
What equipment and safety rules apply on Florida sidewalks?
For ordinary storefront windows in Florida, a water-fed pole, clean water (deionized or equivalent), a squeegee kit for interiors and shaded soffits, towels, and shoes you can stand in for four hours will do the work. I would not start with a ladder if the pole reaches the glass. Ladders on public sidewalks create more problems than they solve.
StorefrontWash publishes a $149 one-time Pure-Water Pole Route Kit if you want a simple starter list. You can also piece together a pole and resin from suppliers you already trust. The glass does not care about the brand on the handle.
OSHA still exists on a sidewalk if you have employees, and gravity exists even if you do not. General industry fall protection in 29 CFR 1910.28 kicks in at unprotected sides or edges 4 feet or more above a lower level. [12] That is why I stay on the pole from the ground in year one.
High-rise rope work is a different business. If you even think about a rope descent system on a tower, read 29 CFR 1910.27 first. OSHA says, "Before any rope descent system is used, the building owner must inform the employer, in writing that the building owner has identified, tested, certified, and maintained each anchorage so it is capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (2268 kg), in any direction, for each employee attached." [11] If a building cannot hand you that writing, you do not go over the side. Period.
Florida heat is the safety rule nobody prints on Sunbiz. Start at dawn. Carry water. Salt air on the coast leaves a film that looks like you missed a pane. Hard water spots are a chemistry problem, not a "scrub harder" problem. Pure water is the point of the pole.
I would not use hydrofluoric restoration creams on day one. Those products are their own hazard class. Learn plain washing first.
How should you price Florida storefront routes?
Price a recurring weekly or biweekly stop, not a heroic one-off, unless the glass is a construction cleanup. Recurring routes pay the May 1 annual report and the insurance. One-off "make it perfect" jobs eat a day and train the customer to call you only after a storm.
I bid after I see the glass. Photos lie. Look at height, awnings, interior film, tracking, and whether cars park against the panes at 7 a.m. If I cannot stand where the pole needs to stand, the price goes up or I decline.
Per-pane math falls apart on modern storefronts with weird lites and door hardware. Per-visit or per-elevation is cleaner. Raise the price after a first clean if the glass was neglected. Say that out loud on the first invoice so the second visit is not a fight.
Cash on the first three stops is fine for independent shops. Managed plazas will want net 30 and a W-9. That is normal. Just do not let net 30 become net 90 while you still have $125 and a pole in the game.
If you want a comparison point outside Florida, read how operators size the Arizona start or Colorado start. Water, heat, and local paper change the math. Copying a national "$8 a pane" meme is how you work for free.
What first-year paper still bites people?
Three things stall real jobs: the May 1 LLC annual report, expired local receipts, and missing additional-insured wording. None of them are hard. They are just easy to ignore while you chase glass.
Keep a one-page packet: Sunbiz acknowledgment, fictitious name if you use one, EIN letter, local business tax receipt, certificate of insurance, and W-9. Email that packet when a manager asks. Do not make them hunt.
Track where you actually worked. If a second city becomes a regular Tuesday, ask that clerk about their business tax before you have a dozen accounts there. Chapter 205 is the reason they can ask. [6]
Add a person, and revisit workers' compensation and reemployment tax the same week, not "after the season." [8] [9] Pay at least the Florida minimum wage in effect that month. [10]
I would skip van wraps, franchise brochures, and anyone selling you a secret Florida window license. The paper path is public. Confirm amounts on the board page you file.
If you want the publisher's kit checklist after your filings are straight, use /start. StorefrontWash is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a cleaning company. For a lighter neighboring path, the Alabama guide is a useful contrast, and California licensing shows you what Florida is not.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for storefront windows in Florida?
No Florida DBPR contractor license exists just to wash existing storefront glass from the sidewalk. You still need Sunbiz paper if you use an entity or a trade name, plus any local business tax receipt the city or county requires. Installing or replacing storefront systems is different and can require a contractor license under chapter 489. Confirm the current DBPR list before you bid non-wash work.
How much does storefront windows cost in Florida?
State filings are posted at $125 for LLC articles, $50 for a fictitious name, and $138.75 for the LLC annual report. An EIN is free. Local business tax receipts and insurance are extra and vary. There is no official statewide price list for washing a storefront. Confirm every government amount on the page you file before you pay.
How long does storefront windows take in Florida?
Sunbiz e-file and an IRS EIN can happen in the same day when the systems accept the forms. Local tax receipts and insurance certificates take as long as those offices take. Confirm, do not assume. A single ground-floor storefront wash is often under an hour after setup. First cleans and keyholder interiors run longer. No board guarantees a start date.
Can you start as a sole proprietor without an LLC?
Yes, if you invoice in your own legal name. The moment you use a brand name, Florida's fictitious name statute expects a Sunbiz registration. I would still file the $125 LLC once real plaza accounts appear, because mixing personal and route money gets messy. Confirm current Sunbiz amounts before you file.
Do you need a contractor license to use a ladder on a storefront?
A ladder does not create a CILB license by itself. It does create fall risk and sidewalk problems. OSHA's general industry rule in 29 CFR 1910.28 uses a 4-foot trigger for unprotected edges. I would reach the glass with a pole from the ground when I can. If the work becomes installation or structural repair, chapter 489 is back in play.
What if you only work in one strip mall?
You still need a legal way to invoice and, in most places, the local business tax receipt for the jurisdiction that taxes that privilege. The mall's vendor packet can add insurance wording the city never mentioned. Ask management for the packet before the first sunrise clean. One site is simpler paper, not zero paper.
Do you need a commercial vehicle or markings?
Florida does not make you wrap a van to wash storefront glass. Tell your auto insurer you use the car for the work. Poles that stick out need to be secured so they are not a missile. I would skip vinyl wraps in year one. The money belongs in insurance and water quality, not door art.
Can you start storefront windows while you still have another job?
Yes. Morning commercial routes fit before many day jobs. Read your current employer's moonlighting rules and do not use their time or gear. File Sunbiz in your own name or LLC, keep separate banking, and do not hire people until you can run payroll correctly. Weekends are better for interiors when shops are closed.
What happens if you skip the local business tax receipt?
The city or county that levied the tax under chapter 205 can treat you as working without the required receipt. That can mean fines, a stop on the sidewalk, or a problem when you later apply. It is usually cheap compared with losing a plaza. Confirm whether your city taxes the home base, the work site, or both.
Do downtown districts or HOAs add another permit?
Sometimes. A business improvement district, downtown ambassador program, or HOA can require vendor registration even when the state does not license the wash. That is private or local property control, not a DBPR card. Ask before you set a pole on their sidewalk. I would get the rule in writing.
Is a water-fed pole required by Florida law?
No. Florida does not mandate a pole, a resin tank, or any branded kit to wash storefronts. Pure water helps on sun-facing glass because tap minerals spot as they dry. I still prefer a pole from the sidewalk over a ladder. Buy the simplest gear that leaves clean glass, then stop shopping.
Do you need a written contract for a small weekly shop?
Not by a special Florida window statute. A short written scope still saves arguments about interiors, screens, and storm extras. Managed properties will force their own vendor agreement anyway. For a $40 independent shop, a text that states day, price, and what glass is included is better than a handshake you will not remember in August.
Should helpers be employees or 1099 contractors?
If they work your hours, use your gear, and follow your route, treat them as employees until a CPA tells you otherwise. Florida reemployment tax can attach after $1,500 in a quarter or 20 weeks with a worker. Workers' compensation analysis starts when you hire. Misclassification is how a cheap helper becomes an expensive file.
Where do you confirm fees before you pay?
Confirm LLC, annual report, and fictitious name amounts on the Florida Division of Corporations Sunbiz pages you file. Confirm local business tax on that city or county's current schedule. Confirm sales tax handling with the Florida Department of Revenue. Confirm wage floors in s. 448.110. If a reseller quotes a different state fee, use the state page.
Sources
- Florida Division of Corporations, Florida LLC e-file page: Florida posts a $125 amount to file Articles of Organization for a Florida LLC.
- Florida Division of Corporations, fictitious name registration e-file page: Florida posts a $50 amount to register a fictitious name.
- Florida Senate, s. 865.09 Florida Statutes (fictitious names): Florida law requires fictitious name registration with the Division of Corporations before engaging in business under that name.
- Florida Senate, s. 489.105 Florida Statutes (contractor definitions): Florida defines contractors as persons who construct, repair, alter, remodel, add to, demolish, subtract from, or improve buildings or structures, and lists specific CILB categories.
- Florida Senate, s. 205.032 Florida Statutes (county business tax): Florida counties may levy a business tax for the privilege of engaging in or managing a business in the county.
- Florida Senate, s. 212.05 Florida Statutes (sales tax): Florida levies state sales tax at 6 percent of the sales price on taxable retail transactions.
- Florida Senate, s. 440.02 Florida Statutes (workers' compensation definitions): Florida's workers' compensation chapter defines employer, employee, employment, and construction industry for coverage analysis.
- Florida Senate, s. 443.1215 Florida Statutes (reemployment tax employers): An employing unit can become a Florida reemployment-tax employer after $1,500 in quarterly wages or 20 weeks with at least one worker.
- Florida Senate, s. 448.110 Florida Statutes (state minimum wage): Florida's minimum wage schedule reaches $14.00 on September 30, 2025, and $15.00 on September 30, 2026.
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.27 Scaffolds and rope descent systems: Before a rope descent system is used, the building owner must inform the employer in writing that each anchorage has been identified, tested, certified, and maintained to support at least 5,000 pounds per attached employee.
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.28 Duty to have fall protection: OSHA general industry fall protection duties apply to unprotected sides or edges 4 feet or more above a lower level.
- IRS, Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) online: The IRS issues EINs online at no charge for eligible applicants.
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Register your business: Federal SBA guidance tells new owners to register the business with the state and obtain tax IDs as part of launch.