10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Exterior Cleaning Company

Hiring the wrong exterior cleaning company is a costly mistake. An uninsured contractor who damages your siding, an unlicensed operator whose worker gets injured on your property, or a fly-by-night operation with no accountability — these are real scenarios that cost Ontario homeowners thousands of dollars every year. Before hiring anyone to work on your home's exterior, ask these 10 questions. And know the right answers before you hear them.

Why Vetting Matters: The Risk of the Wrong Contractor

The exterior home services industry has a low barrier to entry. A person with a pressure washer and a truck can present themselves as a professional contractor, post on Facebook Marketplace, and be at your door next week with no insurance, no training, and no accountability if something goes wrong.

If an uninsured contractor damages your siding — either through inappropriate pressure, wrong nozzle choice, or by forcing water into wall cavities — you have limited recourse. They may not carry commercial liability insurance to cover the damage, may dispute fault, or may simply disappear.

If an unlicensed worker on your property falls from a ladder and is seriously injured, you as the property owner may face liability for the injury if the contractor wasn't properly covered by WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) or equivalent workers' compensation. This is a legal exposure that most homeowners don't know they face when hiring cash contractors.

Proper vetting takes 10 minutes and eliminates most of these risks. The questions below are the foundation of that vetting process.

Questions 1 and 2: Insurance and Liability

Question 1: Are you covered by commercial general liability insurance, and what is the coverage amount?

This is the non-negotiable first question. Any professional contractor providing services at residential properties in Ontario should carry commercial general liability (CGL) insurance, with a minimum of $2 million per occurrence being the standard. Many reputable companies carry $5 million.

CGL insurance covers property damage and bodily injury caused by the contractor's work. If a window is broken, siding is damaged, or a chemical treatment kills your garden, CGL insurance provides the coverage to make you whole.

Always ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI), not just a verbal confirmation. Any legitimate insured company can provide this document in minutes — it lists the insurer, policy number, coverage amounts, and validity dates. If a contractor can't produce a COI, they're not insured.

D&D Home Services answer: We carry $5 million commercial general liability coverage and can provide a certificate of insurance upon request.

Question 2: Do your workers have WSIB coverage?

WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) coverage protects workers injured on the job — and protects you as a property owner from liability for those injuries. If a contractor's worker is injured on your property and the contractor doesn't have WSIB coverage, you may be held responsible for the worker's injury costs and compensation.

Ask the contractor for their WSIB account number and verify their coverage is current at clearance.wsib.on.ca before any work begins.

D&D Home Services answer: All D&D Home Services employees are covered under our WSIB account. We provide our clearance certificate to homeowners who request it.

Questions 3 and 4: Experience and Credentials

Question 3: How long have you been in business?

Longevity matters in service businesses. A company that has operated for 5+ years in a specific market has survived the early stages of business where most operators fail, has handled a wide variety of situations and problems, and has built a reputation that would be damaged by poor work. New operations — while not necessarily bad — carry more risk.

Ask specifically about how long they've operated in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Local knowledge matters: understanding of local tree varieties (which affect gutter cleaning timing), typical soil and construction types (which affect drainage and pressure requirements), and local weather patterns (which affect scheduling) all come from years in the specific market.

D&D Home Services answer: D&D Home Services has been serving the Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph region for over a decade, with deep local knowledge of the specific conditions and timing that affect exterior maintenance in this area.

Question 4: What training do your technicians receive?

Professional exterior cleaning involves real skill: understanding appropriate pressure for different surfaces, handling cleaning chemicals safely, working on ladders without injury, and recognizing when a situation requires different equipment or approach. Ask how technicians are trained before working independently on customer homes.

Red flags: "We figure it out as we go," "I trained myself on YouTube," or no clear answer about training processes. Green flags: Formal onboarding process, supervision during initial jobs, industry training resources, and safety training documentation.

Questions 5 and 6: Equipment and Methods

Question 5: What equipment do you use, and is it commercial grade?

Consumer pressure washers — the kind sold at hardware stores for $200-600 — typically operate at 1,000-2,000 PSI with low flow rates (GPM) that are inadequate for effective professional exterior cleaning. Professional commercial equipment operates at higher flow rates that remove contamination without requiring excessively high pressure, and uses larger water supplies that avoid the constant refilling that slows consumer-equipment work.

For window cleaning, pure water technology (deionized water that leaves no spots as it dries) produces superior results to conventional squeegee-and-bucket methods for second-storey and higher work. Ask whether the company uses pure water systems for window cleaning.

D&D Home Services answer: We use commercial-grade pressure washing equipment and pure water technology for window cleaning. Our equipment is maintained and calibrated for safe, effective operation on residential properties in the KW region.

Question 6: Do you soft wash or pressure wash siding, and how do you decide?

This question separates knowledgeable professionals from untrained operators. A correct answer demonstrates understanding of when each method is appropriate. Vinyl siding, painted wood, stucco, and fiber cement siding should be soft washed (low pressure with appropriate cleaning solution) rather than high-pressure washed. Concrete, uncoated brick, and stone can generally tolerate higher pressure.

Any operator who says they pressure wash all surfaces at the same pressure, or who doesn't know what soft washing is, is demonstrating a lack of training that can result in serious damage to your home.

D&D Home Services answer: We select the appropriate method based on the surface. Painted surfaces, vinyl siding, wood, and brick veneer are soft washed using low pressure with appropriate cleaning solutions. Concrete driveways and walkways are pressure washed where appropriate. We adjust technique for every property based on the specific surfaces and conditions.

Questions 7 and 8: Pricing and Inclusions

Question 7: Do you provide written quotes, and what is included?

A professional company provides written quotes — not verbal estimates that can be disputed later. The written quote should clearly state what is included: which surfaces, which windows (all, or just accessible ones?), whether screens and tracks are included in window cleaning, whether downspout flushing is included in gutter cleaning, and whether debris removal and disposal is included or an extra charge.

Watch for "bait and switch" scenarios where a low initial quote grows significantly once work is underway. A clear, itemized written quote with defined scope is your protection against this.

D&D Home Services answer: We provide written quotes that clearly specify what is included. Our gutter cleaning includes debris removal and downspout flushing. Our window cleaning includes screens and tracks. We don't add surprise charges — you know exactly what you're getting before we begin.

Question 8: Are there any additional charges not mentioned in the quote?

Ask this directly, and be specific: Are there charges for debris disposal? Travel fees? Surcharges for difficult access? Charges for downspout flushing in addition to gutter cleaning? For most reputable companies, the answer to all of these is no — but asking the question upfront prevents surprises.

Questions 9 and 10: References and Guarantees

Question 9: Can I see your Google reviews, and do you have any references I can contact?

Google Business reviews are the most trustworthy independent source of contractor reputation information. Look for: overall rating (aim for 4.5+), volume of reviews (a high-volume profile is harder to manipulate than a few five-star reviews), response patterns (does the company respond to reviews, including negative ones?), and specific details in reviews (generic "great job" reviews are less informative than specific descriptions of work quality and professionalism).

For larger jobs, ask for references — real customer names and phone numbers you can contact to discuss their experience. Established companies with satisfied customers are happy to provide these. Companies that hesitate or can't provide references are a concern.

Question 10: What is your policy if I'm not satisfied with the work?

A company confident in its work quality has a clear answer to this question. Professional companies stand behind their work — if a gutter cleaning left debris in a section of eavestrough, or window cleaning left streaks, they return and correct it without charge. Knowing the company's policy before hiring sets clear expectations and distinguishes contractors who stand behind their work from those who cash the cheque and disappear.

D&D Home Services answer: We stand behind every job we complete. If you identify a concern after our service, contact us and we will return to address it. Our reputation in the Kitchener-Waterloo community depends on every customer being satisfied with the result. You can reach us at (519) 502-3905 or through our contact page.

D&D Home Services TeamExterior Cleaning Experts

D&D Home Services is Kitchener-Waterloo's trusted exterior cleaning company serving Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph.