Door-to-Door Window Cleaning Offers and Quebec Consumer Law

When a window cleaning company knocks on your door in Quebec and you sign a contract on the spot, the seller is usually acting as an itinerant merchant under the Consumer Protection Act. That means the contract has to be in writing, the merchant generally needs a permit from the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC), and you can cancel without a reason or a fee within 10 days of receiving your copy. Knowing those three points before you sign makes it much easier to judge whether a doorstep offer is a good one.

Below is what the rules cover, what a compliant contract looks like, and what to ask any window cleaner before work starts, whether they came to your door or you found them online.

Who counts as an itinerant merchant

The Consumer Protection Act (Loi sur la protection du consommateur, CQLR c. P-40.1) treats a business as an itinerant merchant when it solicits you somewhere other than its own place of business to sign a contract, or when the contract is signed somewhere other than its address. A crew walking a street in Laval or Pointe-Claire and selling window washes house by house fits that description. So does a seller who leaves a flyer, comes back an hour later and signs you up at the front door.

There are exceptions. The rules can apply differently when you yourself asked the company to come to your home to sign, without being canvassed first, and some small contracts fall outside parts of the regime. The OPC explains the exceptions on its website. If you are not sure which side of the line a particular offer falls on, treat it as an itinerant contract and ask for the paperwork that goes with one.

What the contract has to contain

An itinerant contract must be written and you must get a copy. Among the things it has to show:

• the merchant's name and address, and the number of its OPC itinerant merchant permit,
• your name and the address where the work will be done,
• a description of the service, specific enough to know what is and is not included,
• the total price, with taxes, and the payment terms,
• a statement of your cancellation rights and a cancellation form you can detach and send.

A handwritten price on the back of a business card is not a contract that meets these requirements. Neither is a verbal "we'll do the whole house for $150" followed by a request for cash when the crew finishes.

The 10-day cancellation right

For an itinerant contract, you can cancel within 10 days following the day you receive your copy of the contract. You do not have to explain why and there is no penalty. Send the cancellation form or any written notice to the address on the contract. Keep proof: a registered letter, or an email with the date, works well.

That 10-day window can stretch up to one year in some situations, for example when the merchant has no permit, or when the contract is missing information the law requires. Once you cancel, the merchant has 15 days to refund what you paid.

This right is what lets you sign at the door, then sit down that evening, compare prices and change your mind if the offer turns out to be less attractive than it sounded.

Checking a permit

The OPC publishes a search tool (Se renseigner sur un commerçant) where you can look up a business by name and see whether it holds a permit, plus any formal notices or convictions on file. It takes a couple of minutes. Do it before you hand over a deposit, not after.

Ask the salesperson to show the permit number on the contract. A legitimate seller will not be bothered by the question.

Questions worth asking any window cleaner

The law covers the paperwork. It does not tell you whether the job will be done well. These questions help compare a doorstep offer with any other quote:

• Outside, inside, or both? Many low doorstep prices are for exterior glass only. That is a fair offer as long as it is written down. At Altara, the flat rate is exterior, and interior glass is an optional paid add-on.
• Are frames, sills and screens part of it? Some companies wipe the glass and leave the frames dirty. Altara's exterior rate covers glass, frames and sills, with screens rinsed in place. Removing and washing screens, and cleaning tracks, are paid add-ons.
• How is the price set? Per window, per hour or per house. A per-window or tier price is easier to compare. Count every opening, including basement windows and the patio door.
• How will the upper floors be reached? Ladders, a lift, or a water-fed pole from the ground. Altara uses a pole with pure deionized water, which reaches up to three storeys. A taller or hard-to-reach house gets a site visit first.
• What happens if there are streaks? Ask for the answer in writing. Altara's streak-free guarantee: report a streak within 24 hours and the crew comes back at no charge.
• What is quoted separately? Skylights, solariums, heavy mineral stains and post-construction residue usually cost more because they take different tools and more time. A doorstep price that seems to include all of this deserves a closer look.
• Do they repair screens? Some companies do. Altara does not, but the crew points out torn screens so you can have them fixed.

Booking online is a different kind of contract

When you book a service through a website, the Consumer Protection Act treats it as a distance contract, which has its own set of rules. Before you commit, the business has to give you its identity and contact details, a detailed description of the service and the total price. After you book, it has to send you a copy of the contract. You can see the price and the scope on your own screen and take as long as you need to compare.

That is how Altara works. You count your windows, choose the matching tier on the pricing page and pick a date. Recurring plans come with a discount (10% for quarterly, 15% for bi-monthly, 20% for monthly service), while bi-annual and annual programs come with automated reminders and no discount. The tier prices make a useful benchmark before you talk to anyone at your door, and the Montréal service page lists the areas covered.

Red flags at the doorstep

• Pressure to decide now because the crew is "already on your street today only."
• A request for full payment in cash before the work starts.
• No written contract, or a contract with no permit number and no cancellation form.
• A price that changes once the crew is on a ladder, because the upper windows or the screens "weren't included."

None of these automatically means the offer is a scam. They are reasons to slow down, ask for the paperwork the law requires and compare.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cancel a window cleaning contract signed at the door in Quebec?

Yes. If the contract was signed with an itinerant merchant, you can cancel within 10 days following the day you received your copy, with no reason and no fee. Send the cancellation form from the contract, or any written notice, and keep proof of the date. The merchant then has 15 days to refund you.

Does a door-to-door window cleaner need a permit in Quebec?

In most cases, a business that sells services door to door must hold an itinerant merchant permit from the Office de la protection du consommateur. The permit number should appear on the contract. You can confirm it with the OPC's online merchant search tool.

What if the window cleaner already did the work before you cancelled?

The cancellation right still exists during the 10-day period, but how the money is settled depends on the situation. The OPC can tell you what applies to your case. To avoid the question altogether, ask that the work be scheduled after the cancellation period ends.

Is a low doorstep price for window cleaning usually exterior only?

Often, yes. Ask whether the price covers exterior glass only, both sides, frames, sills and screens, and get it in writing. A clear scope makes any quote easier to compare.

Get a clear price for your windows

If you would rather see the full scope and price before anyone knocks, start on the pricing page. For a house over three storeys, skylights or heavy mineral stains, send the details and the team will reply with a quote. The full list of what the exterior service includes is on the residential window cleaning page. Altara has cleaned windows at more than 7,800 homes across Greater Montréal, and the exterior season runs about March to November, with interior glass booked year-round.