Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
A Georgia storefront window route needs no statewide trade license. Most operators file a local occupational tax certificate with their city or county. Many form an LLC for $100 and pay $50 a year to keep it. Workers compensation kicks in at three employees. Timelines sit with your city clerk and the SOS queue, so confirm both. Year-one cash is mostly insurance and a vehicle. Tools stay cheap.
How much does storefront windows cost in Georgia?
Most people starting a Georgia storefront window route spend a few hundred dollars on filings, then much more on a vehicle and insurance. Georgia charges $100 to file articles of organization for a domestic LLC.[1] Annual registration is $50 for most entities, due by April 1.[2] Your city or county adds occupational tax on top. That local bill is the number that actually moves.
There is no official statewide price for washing glass. If you mean what a shop pays you, that is a bid. If you mean what you pay the state to get legal, the paper is cheap.
Pay the Secretary of State first. Then call the clerk where you live and the clerk where you park the van. Those two offices control more of your cost than any Facebook thread. A solo operator on ground-floor glass can start lean. Add a helper, a lift, or tall downtown glass, and the budget changes shape.
State entity paper is fixed and small. Local occupational tax is real, and you confirm it locally. Insurance is the first soft cost that can dwarf the filings. Tools can be a belt and a pole. The used vehicle is usually the largest check.
If you will also run accounts west on I-85, read storefront windows cost in alabama. If your book sits toward the Florida line, use storefront windows cost in florida. The paper does not copy-paste across those borders.
A clean first-year cash list for a one-person ground-floor route looks like this: $100 for the LLC, $50 later for annual registration, $0 for an EIN, a local occupational tax you confirm, a trade name filing if you use a made-up name, liability insurance, fuel, and simple tools.[1][2][4] Skip anyone selling you a Georgia window contractor card. That card is not a thing.
Do you need a license for storefront windows in Georgia?
No. Georgia issues no statewide trade license for washing storefront glass. You do not sit for an exam at the Construction Industry Licensing Board to squeegee a shopfront. That board's published trades are things like electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage, and utility contracting.[8] Washing glass is not on the list.
What you need is ordinary business paper. Cities and counties collect occupational tax, and they often call the certificate a business license. Georgia law lets municipal governments levy that tax on businesses with a location inside the city.[7] That statute is why Atlanta, Savannah, and a town of 2,000 can all invoice you.
Work under a name that is not your legal name or your LLC's legal name, and you file a trade name with the clerk of superior court in the county of the business.[9] That is not an SOS form. Do not mail it to Corporations. Confirm the clerk's current fee. It changes by county.
Workers compensation is not a license, but it becomes a hard rule when you hire. The Georgia Workers' Compensation Act stays off a private employer that has "regularly in service less than three employees in the same business within this state," unless that shop elects coverage, per O.C.G.A. § 34-9-2.[3] One or two people is a different world than three. Confirm how the State Board of Workers' Compensation reads your headcount, including family and part-time people, before you guess.
Carry general liability anyway. Property managers will ask. Paying a consultant to license a Georgia window route is a waste of money.
How long does storefront windows take in Georgia?
The filings can be fast. The SOS and your city clerk set the clock, and those clocks move. I will not print a processing time. Confirm the current Corporations Division queue and the local revenue office's turnaround. Anyone promising you a stamped date here is making it up.
Forming the LLC is a form, not an apprenticeship. Plenty of people finish the online articles in one sitting. How long the state takes to acknowledge them depends on volume and on whether you buy whatever expedite they offer that week. Check the live SOS site.
The EIN is often immediate if you apply online on a weekday. The IRS says, "Applying for an EIN is a free service offered by the Internal Revenue Service."[4] Do it yourself.
Local paper is the slow piece. Atlanta, unincorporated Gwinnett, Savannah, and a small-town clerk do not share a calendar. Some mail a certificate. Some want zoning to sign off on a home office. Do not schedule a paid launch week until the occupational tax certificate is in hand. Property managers ask for it next to your insurance certificate.
The washing is a route problem. Ground-floor storefronts often take 15 to 45 minutes once you know the glass. First visits take longer. Georgia publishes no official minute standard. Price your time.
For a feel of how much slower a real contractor board runs, skim storefront windows cost in california and storefront windows cost in illinois. Georgia is not that system.
What state and IRS paperwork do you actually file?
Decide sole prop or LLC. Georgia lets you operate as a sole proprietor under your legal name with local occupational tax and a tax ID. I prefer an LLC if you will invoice property managers, because $100 is small next to one ugly claim.[1] You can be your own registered agent if you have a physical Georgia address. Paying a national agent when you live in Marietta is usually a waste.
File articles of organization. The published fee is $100.[1] Then calendar April 1. Georgia's annual registration fee is $50 for most entities, due by April 1.[2] Ignore it and the state can head toward administrative dissolution. Boring, and it still ruins a spring.
Get an EIN even with no staff. Banks and insurers want it. It costs $0 on the IRS site.[4] Anyone who charges you for a federal tax ID is selling you a form you can click yourself.
Hire, and you register for Georgia unemployment insurance when you meet the Department of Labor's liability test, and you withhold income tax. Confirm the current trigger on the DOL unemployment insurance tax pages. Do not trust a remembered dollar amount from an old forum post. Owners taking a draw still owe self-employment tax. Self-employment tax is 15.3 percent of net earnings from self-employment, per the IRS.[5]
Sales tax is where people overthink. Georgia's state sales and use tax rate is 4 percent, and locals pile on.[6] Pure cleaning is often treated as a service, but selling bottles, blades, or film off the van can change the answer. Ask Revenue if your mix is weird. I would not print tax language on a flyer until I knew.
| Filing | Who collects it | Published amount | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic LLC articles | Georgia Secretary of State | $100 | Live fee on the SOS how-to guide |
| Annual registration | Georgia Secretary of State | $50, due April 1 | Current due date and late penalties |
| EIN | IRS | $0 | Use the official IRS EIN page only |
| Occupational tax certificate | City or county | Varies | Local revenue office |
| Trade name | Superior court clerk | Varies | County clerk fee schedule |
| Workers compensation policy | Private insurer, if required | Quote | Headcount against O.C.G.A. § 34-9-2 |
What do Georgia cities and counties charge on top of the state?
Occupational tax is the real local business license.[7] Atlanta's Department of Finance, Office of Revenue, runs a business tax division for firms inside the city.[10] Unincorporated Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Chatham, Muscogee, and the rest run their own counters. Formulas differ. Some use gross receipts. Some use a practitioner schedule. I will not invent this year's Atlanta figure. Pull the current application from the city that actually has you.
Live in one county and keep a shop in another? Ask both clerks. The SOS filing does not pay local tax.
Home occupation sits in zoning. Plenty of Georgia cities allow a home-based service business if customers do not line up on the street and you do not park a bucket truck in the front setback. Confirm that before you put an apartment address on a certificate of insurance.
Trade names go to the superior court clerk.[9] Budget a county fee. Confirm it.
Get the local certificate before you print door hangers. Working without it is how a cheap route becomes a citation.
What should you budget for insurance and tax in year one?
Nobody publishes a clean Georgia average premium for storefront window cleaners. Carriers price zip code, height, chemicals, and claims. Ground-floor water-fed work is not swing-stage work on Peachtree Street. Get two quotes. If a broker will not write the height exclusion in plain language, leave.
General liability is what property managers demand. Commercial auto matters the day your personal policy denies a claim because you were working. That denial is common. I would not run a paid route on a personal auto policy.
Workers compensation is required once you have three employees regularly in service, unless an exemption actually fits.[3] Two helpers plus you gets you there. Some owners elect coverage anyway. Ask the Board and the agent.
Calendar quarterly estimates if you will owe. Self-employment tax is 15.3 percent of net earnings.[5] That shocks people who only googled the $100 LLC. Use the SBA startup cost guide to split one-time costs from repeating costs so insurance does not feel like an ambush.[11]
A bond is optional until a manager writes it into the vendor packet. Do not buy a large bond for five independent retailers who never asked.
What equipment and vehicle money should you plan for?
You can wash ground-floor storefronts with a squeegee, an extension pole, a bucket, and clean water for very little. First-year operators overbuy. A trailer RODI rig is usually premature.
If you want a simple water-fed start, StorefrontWash sells a $149 one-time Pure-Water Pole Route Kit. That is optional gear. It is not a permit and it does not replace occupational tax.
Ladders change insurance. So does roof access. OSHA's general industry fall rule is blunt. It requires that "each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling," per 29 CFR 1910.28.[13] That 4-foot line is why I keep new routes on the sidewalk when the glass allows.
A used minivan beats a new wrapped Sprinter in year one. You do not need a CDL for an ordinary service van under the weight and passenger thresholds Georgia uses for commercial licenses. If the truck is heavy, read the door-jamb GVWR and check it against the current Department of Driver Services commercial license rules.
Poles, a tank, and a small DI or RO setup can stay in the low hundreds to a couple of thousand depending on what you already own. I would not finance tools in year one.
How much do Georgia shops usually pay to have storefront glass cleaned?
There is no official Georgia rate card. Anyone selling the Atlanta average as a rule is inventing it.
Bid on things you can count. Panes, height, hard water, frequency, hose access, parking, weekend work. First cleans cost more because you are stripping months of neglect. A weekly drugstore is cheaper per stop and better for a route.
National chains will squeeze you. Independent retailers on a square often pay faster. Pick that mix on purpose.
If a prospect wants $15 a storefront in a paid downtown deck, walk. Parking will eat it. Price so a rain week does not sink you.
For other markets' cost conversations, see storefront windows cost in arizona and storefront windows cost in colorado. Georgia pollen in April is its own tax. Build it into spring bids.
What labor rules apply if you hire help in Georgia?
Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.[14] Georgia's own statute sits lower, so covered employers follow the federal floor. Pay at least $7.25. I would pay more if I wanted people to show up twice.
Federal overtime is time and a half after 40 hours for nonexempt staff. Handing someone a pole does not make them exempt.
At three employees regularly in service, buy workers compensation unless a real exemption fits.[3] Treating helpers as 1099s so you can dodge unemployment tax or WC is how you fund a lawyer. Set the hours, the method, and the accounts, and they look like employees.
Georgia DOL collects unemployment insurance tax from liable employers. Confirm whether you are liable on the current DOL pages before the first paycheck.
Stay solo until the route is actually full. A helper doubles coordination and paper.
What first-year budget should you actually write down?
Write two columns, the way the SBA describes startup math. One-time. Repeating.[11]
One-time: $100 for the LLC if you form one, $0 for the EIN, a trade name if you need it, basic tools, the first insurance payment, whatever application fee your clerk quotes, a used vehicle if you do not already own one.[1][4]
Repeating: $50 SOS annual registration, occupational tax renewals, insurance, fuel, water, squeegee rubber, phone, estimated tax.[2][5]
Keep a reserve for the day someone says you cracked a pane. It happens even when you did not.
What I would not buy: lead-gen exclusive zips, a franchise, a lift, a second van, a staff uniform order for one person, or a consultant who says Georgia makes you sit a window contractor exam.
Put every variable fee in a cell that says confirm with the board. This page is a map. It is not the clerk.
What is a waste of money when you start a Georgia route?
Paying for a statewide window cleaning license. There is not one.[8]
Paying a mill to file your EIN. The IRS does that at no charge.[4]
Buying fall gear you will not train on, then climbing past 4 feet anyway.[13]
Wrapping a new van before you have a few dozen standing accounts.
Registering in five cities because you might one day wash a window there. Register where you are based. Add a city when you actually work it, after you ask that clerk how they treat crews based elsewhere.
Skipping commercial auto to save a few hundred, then losing a claim.
Spend money on better rubber, cleaner water, and showing up the day you said. That is the business.
How do you confirm fees so you are not using a stale number?
Go to the office that cashes the check. Corporations Division for entity fees and annual registration.[1][2] City or county revenue for occupational tax.[7][10] Superior court clerk for a trade name.[9] State Board of Workers' Compensation for the three-employee rule as it applies to your headcount.[3] IRS for the EIN and self-employment tax.[4][5]
StorefrontWash is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. If you want a paper checklist and the optional kit, use /start. Confirm every dollar with the office that takes the money.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for storefront windows in Georgia?
No statewide trade license exists for washing storefront glass. You still need the ordinary local occupational tax certificate that cities and counties issue, and you file SOS papers if you form an LLC. Trade names go to the superior court clerk. Confirm each office. Do not pay anyone for a Georgia window contractor card.
How much does storefront windows cost in Georgia?
Plan on $100 to form a domestic LLC and $50 each year to keep it registered, plus local occupational tax you confirm with the city or county. The EIN is $0. Insurance and a vehicle usually dwarf those filings. There is no official statewide price for the cleaning work itself. Bid by pane count, height, and frequency.
How long does storefront windows take in Georgia?
Entity filings can be finished in one sitting. How long the Secretary of State and your city clerk take to stamp them changes, so confirm current processing with those offices. Do not treat a blog timeline as a promise. The wash itself often runs 15 to 45 minutes on known ground-floor glass. First cleans take longer.
Can I run a storefront window route as a sole proprietor in Georgia?
Yes. Georgia lets you operate under your legal name with local occupational tax and a tax ID. An LLC is optional. I would still form one if I planned to invoice managers, because the $100 filing is small. You can be your own registered agent with a physical Georgia address. Confirm local home-occupation zoning if you work from a house.
Does a solo operator need workers compensation in Georgia?
Usually not, if you truly have fewer than three employees regularly in service in Georgia and you do not elect coverage. That is the statutory line. Confirm how the State Board counts you, family, and part-time help. General liability is still worth buying because managers will ask for a certificate even when WC does not apply.
Do I need a CDL to drive a window washing van in Georgia?
Not for an ordinary minivan or small cargo van under the commercial thresholds Georgia uses (federal GVWR, passenger, and hazmat tests). Read the GVWR on the door sticker. If you buy a heavy truck, check the current Department of Driver Services commercial license rules before you drive it for work.
Do I collect Georgia sales tax on window cleaning?
Georgia's state sales tax rate is 4 percent, plus local add-ons. Many pure services fall outside the sales tax net, but selling tangible goods off the van can change that. Confirm your mix with the Department of Revenue. Do not copy another washer's invoice language.
What does Atlanta require that the state does not?
Atlanta collects occupational tax through its Office of Revenue business tax division. The state SOS filing does not replace that city certificate. Fees follow the city's current ordinance, so pull this year's application. Zoning still applies if you claim a home office inside the city.
I live in Alabama and want Georgia storefront accounts. What changes?
You still owe Georgia local occupational tax if you establish a location the city or county taxes, and you may need a Georgia foreign LLC if you formed the company next door. Compare the Alabama path in the Alabama cost guide. Confirm both states' clerks. Do not assume one certificate covers both.
Do I need a contractor license to replace storefront glass in Georgia?
Replacing glass is not the same job as washing it. Installation can trip contractor and permit rules that washing does not. This guide is for cleaning routes. If you start setting new storefront systems, talk to the local building department and the contractors board before you bid that work.
When is Georgia LLC annual registration due?
Georgia annual registration is due by April 1, and the published fee is $50 for most entities. Confirm the live SOS annual registration page for late penalties and any fee change. Missing it can start you down administrative dissolution, which is a dumb way to pause invoicing.
What insurance do Georgia property managers usually request?
A certificate of general liability is the common ask. Commercial auto shows up once they see you park on their lot. Workers compensation appears in vendor packets even for small shops, so be ready to explain the three-employee rule or to carry a policy. Bonds are deal-by-deal. Get the required limits in writing.
Can I run this from a Georgia apartment or HOA lot?
Often the city will allow a home-based service business if you have no customer traffic. Your lease or HOA rules can still ban a van, tanks, or a home office. Read both. Do not store ladders in a shared garage without asking. Local occupational tax still applies.
Sources
- Georgia Secretary of State, How-To Guide: Limited Liability Company: A Georgia domestic LLC is formed by filing articles of organization; the published filing fee is $100.
- Georgia Secretary of State, Annual Registration: Most Georgia entities pay a $50 annual registration fee, and annual registrations are due by April 1.
- O.C.G.A. § 34-9-2 (Georgia Workers' Compensation applicability and exemptions): Georgia's Workers' Compensation Act does not apply to a private employer that has regularly in service less than three employees in the same business within this state unless coverage is elected.
- 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 of net earnings from self-employment.
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Sales Tax Rate Charts: Georgia's state sales and use tax rate is 4 percent, with local jurisdictions adding more.
- O.C.G.A. § 48-13-6 (municipal occupation tax authority): Georgia municipalities are authorized to levy and collect an occupation tax on businesses with a location inside the city.
- Georgia Secretary of State, State Construction Industry Licensing Board: The Construction Industry Licensing Board's published license types cover trades such as electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage, and utility contracting, not window cleaning.
- O.C.G.A. § 10-1-490 (trade name registration): A person conducting business in Georgia under a name other than the true legal name must file that trade name with the clerk of superior court in the county of the business.
- City of Atlanta, Office of Revenue Business Tax Division: Atlanta collects business occupational tax through the Department of Finance Office of Revenue business tax division.
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Calculate your startup costs: Startup costs should be separated into one-time costs and repeating costs.
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection: In general industry, employees on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge 4 feet or more above a lower level must be protected from falling.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division minimum wage: The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.