TL;DR
Window Genie is a national home services brand that offers window cleaning, window tinting, pressure washing, gutter cleaning, and holiday lighting services. The brand has a presence in over 200 U.S. markets and continues to expand, with an estimated initial investment required to begin operation ranging from $125,600 to $300,000.
REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $125,600 - $300,000
REPORTED ROI (Item 19): $485,284 (average gross sales for franchises, FY 2024)
Company overview
Window Genie is a national home services brand that cleans, protects and beautifies homes and businesses with window cleaning, window tinting, pressure washing, gutter cleaning and holiday lighting. It operates as part of the Neighborly family of brands.
Window Genie was founded in Cincinnati in 1994 by Rik Nonelle as a small window-cleaning company that quickly added pressure washing and gutter cleaning. The brand began franchising in 1998, expanded into window film in 2000 and added holiday lighting in 2015. In 2016, Window Genie became a Neighborly subsidiary.
Mission: Window Genie’s mission is to be truly dedicated to customer satisfaction and professionalism.
Vision: Neighborly’s vision — which guides Window Genie as a Neighborly brand — is to be so remarkable that it becomes a beloved household name
Multiple exterior services from one trusted provider — window cleaning, pressure washing, gutter cleaning, window tinting and holiday lighting — so you can bundle work with one visit.
Trained, insured and bonded technicians who have passed background checks, arriving in uniform and clearly marked vehicles.
Free estimates for every service, with optional annual “set-it-and-forget-it” maintenance plans that can save up to 30 percent.
Backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise, which means they’ll make it right if the job isn’t done right.
Energy-saving, UV-blocking window films that help regulate temperature and protect interiors from fading.
Quick, convenient scheduling — request a quote online in under two minutes..
Nationally recognized brand with local ownership and community giveback through Windows 4 Wishes.
Sure Start training that covers sales, marketing and hands-on service, plus ongoing coaching from a Franchise Business Coach.
Proprietary business management software for estimating, lead tracking and day-to-day operations.
Marketing horsepower: national brand awareness, local marketing playbooks and cross-brand support within Neighborly.
Access to ProTradeNet for vendor discounts and cash-back rebates powered by Neighborly’s buying scale.
Cross-referrals and lead exposure from nearby Neighborly brands serving the same homeowners.
Executive-owner model with simple, small-footprint operations and no initial office required.
Diversified, year-round service lines that drive recurring revenue (most services repeat two to four times per year).
A family-friendly schedule (primarily Monday–Friday, daytime hours).
Window Genie currently has a presence in over 200 U.S. markets and continues to expand. Prospective franchisees can use Neighborly’s interactive Available Markets map to view new territories or resales by city, state or ZIP code.
Initial costs and fees
Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a Window Genie franchise ranges from $125,600 to $300,000. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:
Initial Franchise Fee: The initial franchise fee is $40,000 for a territory of up to 50,000 households. For territories exceeding 50,000 households, there is an additional charge of $0.50 per household up to a maximum of $47,500. For a rural territory (20,000 to 40,000 households not located within a standard metropolitan statistical area), the initial franchise fee is $32,000. The initial franchise fee is payable upon signing the franchise agreement.
Window Genie offers discounts for roll-in businesses, multi-unit franchisees, multi-concept franchisees, employees of franchisees, and qualifying military veterans.
Ongoing Fees: According to the 2025 FDD, Window Genie franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:
ROI Potential: According to the 2025 FDD, the 90 franchises operating for the entirety of FY 2024 reported the following gross sales:
Window Genie trains new owners through its Sure Start program, which blends classroom sales and marketing instruction with hands-on service training before launch. After training, each owner is paired with a designated Sure Start consultant for the first year to guide ramp-up and execution.
Ongoing support includes a dedicated franchise business coach who provides continuous guidance and accountability, plus access to the broader Neighborly system and peer network to help owners progress through each stage of growth.
Franchisees use proprietary business management software for estimates, lead tracking and day-to-day operations, along with an easy-to-use third-party hiring and onboarding platform. Owners also benefit from ProTradeNet, Neighborly’s preferred-vendor program that offers special pricing and rebates across essential supplies and services.
Liquid Assets: $50,000
Net Worth: None specified
Franchisee requirements
No prior home services or window cleaning experience is required. Window Genie is looking for owners with leadership, a service mindset and teamwork orientation.
Window Genie is positioned as an executive, owner-led business with a family-friendly schedule. The franchisor highlights a Monday–Friday, roughly 9 a.m.–5 p.m. operating cadence; owners focus on managing the team and business development rather than “holding the squeegee.” The model emphasizes simple operations, a small footprint with no initial office required, and mobile, home-based startup logistics, with recurring work from repeat services providing steadier scheduling.
The brand does not market the concept as absentee or explicitly semi-absentee; materials present owners as actively leading day-to-day management even if they are not performing field labor.
Window Genie, through Neighborly, helps qualified candidates line up funding by connecting them with third-party lenders and advising on options such as SBA loans, 401(k) rollovers, traditional bank loans/lines of credit, and self-funding.
“We look at the other owners as part of our family. It feels like we’re part of something big and impactful.”
- Dwight and Sarah Weber, Franchisees — Green Bay, Wisconsin
“I work really hard to be the best person and have my service professionals be the best people they can be.”
- Robin McKenna, Franchisee — Princeton, New Jersey
Market and competition
The U.S. window cleaning sector rides a broad contract cleaning market that was $95.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow through 2030 on steady residential outsourcing and workplace hygiene needs. Overall U.S. cleaning services revenue is also expected to rise through 2030, reinforcing a resilient, recurring-revenue environment for operators that can bundle services and execute consistently.
Window Genie’s primary competitors include Fish Window Cleaning, Men In Kilts, Shack Shine, Squeegee Squad, Shine, Window Hero and Window Gang.
What sets Window Genie apart is its broad service mix (including window tinting and holiday lighting), Neighborly backing with the Done Right Promise, ProTradeNet vendor savings, structured onboarding and coaching (Sure Start plus a Franchise Business Coach), proprietary operations software and cross-brand referral synergies.
Download the Franchise Guide: Start by requesting and reviewing Window Genie’s Franchise Guide to understand the model, costs and support.
Speak With a Franchise Developer: Connect with a franchise developer to get questions answered, discuss fit and review available territories in your area.
Further Your Research: Complete discovery sessions with your developer, conduct territory analysis and speak with existing franchise owners for validation.
Visit Company Headquarters: Attend “Meet the Team Day” at Neighborly’s Irving or Waco headquarters to dive into operations, technology, marketing and territory details.
Training and Grand Opening: After you sign, begin the Sure Start training program, build your local marketing plan and open with support from a Sure Start consultant and a franchise business coach.
Disclaimer: This content is for information only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on this site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities, or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction.
All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the email constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.
In this story
This story was originally published in 1851 Franchise on December 25, 2025. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
Read the full story at 1851 FranchiseLiked this? Get the week's franchise news, explained
- Sunday 8 AM ET weekly + a monthly deep dive
- Sections picked for the industries you follow
- Every claim linked to its source. Free.
