IRATA Level 3 supervised crews, Detroit since 2009

Every pane we touch, documented

Commercial, high-rise and residential glass across Metro Detroit. Start anywhere below: rates, safety records, route pricing or the specs behind the water we use.

Get a free estimate Book from this page

Buildings under contract: 412
Tallest current drop: 38 floors
Experience mod rate: 0.71
Bid turnaround: 48 hrs

Rope access technician cleaning glass on a Detroit high-rise

$5M insuredANSI/IWCA I-14.1

IRATA Level 3 supervisors
SPRAT certified technicians
IWCA member firm
OSHA 30 site leads
ANSI/IWCA I-14.1 compliant
$5M general liability
Rope access to 40+ stories
W-2 technicians only
Anchor certification surveys

Thirteen panels, no scrolling narrative

The whole operation, on one index

01 / Services

Eight services, one certified crew

Most clients start with one building or one house. They stay because the same crew handles solar, gutters, pressure washing and the stains nobody else could lift.

All service detail pages

02 / Figures

Numbers we are held to

Lost-time incidents since 2019: 0
Training hours logged in 2025: 1,940
Visits completed on schedule: 98.6%
Anchors surveyed since 2019: 1,486
Average review score: 4.9

Sample operational figures for this demo site.

Safety and certifications

03 / Contracts

Property manager frequencies

Pick a frequency per building and mix them across a portfolio. Rates lock for 24 months and every address lands on one invoice.

Quarterly

4 visits per year

$640per visit

Base rate

Best forClass B offices, suburban medical

Exterior glass every quarter
Interior entries each visit
Photo report
72-hour spot re-clean

Get a free estimate

Most chosen

Bi-monthly

6 visits per year

$576per visit

10% off base

Best forClass A offices, hotels, retail centers

Everything in Quarterly
Off-hours scheduling included
Annual facade defect report
Dedicated site lead

Get a free estimate

Monthly

12 visits per year

$525per visit

18% off base

Best forHospitals, flagship retail, HQs

Everything in Bi-monthly
Storm and event call-outs in 24 hours
Quarterly portfolio review
Single invoice for all sites

Get a free estimate

Sample rates modelled on a 22,000 sq ft mid-rise at $640 base per visit. Your price is fixed after a roof and facade survey.

04 / Solar array soiling

Dirty modules do not dim. They lose kilowatt-hours

Soiling is a production problem before it is a cosmetic one. Below is what a 10 kW Detroit array gives away each year at each soiling level, at 1,250 kWh per kW and a sample $0.18 per kWh.

Site and tilt	Annual loss	kWh given up	Value	Clean
Suburban rooftop, 25 to 40 degree tiltRain sheets off steep glass and self-cleans most of the array. Grime collects along the bottom frame lip.	2 to 4%	375	$68	Once a year, spring
Low-tilt commercial roof, ballasted rackingBelow about 12 degrees rain pools instead of running, so dust dries in place and cements to the anti-reflective coating.	5 to 8%	813	$146	Twice a year
Near I-94, I-75 or a rail corridorDiesel soot and brake dust are oily. They bind to glass and will not rinse off with rain alone.	6 to 10%	1,000	$180	Three times a year
Agricultural or unpaved-road frontageFine soil dust builds a uniform film, then bird and insect debris create hard shading on single cells.	8 to 14%	1,375	$248	Quarterly, plus after harvest
Carport and canopy arrays over parkingNear-flat glass under trees and exhaust. Leaf litter sits on the lower frame edge all season.	7 to 12%	1,188	$214	Three times a year

Scroll the table sideways for value and cleaning interval.

How the wash is run

Deionized water finished below 10 ppm total dissolved solids, so nothing dries onto the anti-reflective coating.
Soft nylon flow-through brush only. No abrasive pads, no scrapers, nothing that scores the AR layer.
Work before 10 am or after 6 pm. Cold water on module glass at 60 C risks thermal shock and micro-cracking.
No detergent. Surfactant residue attracts dust again within days and can void module warranties.
Walk the array, not the modules. Rail-mounted anchor points and a roof plan are agreed before the crew arrives.
Hard shading from bird debris is cleared first. A single shaded cell can drag its whole string through the bypass diode.

Soiling percentages are industry ranges for the Great Lakes region. Dollar values use a sample $0.18/kWh blended rate and a 1,250 kWh/kW annual yield.

Solar panel cleaning

05 / Water purity

Resin life is arithmetic, not a guess

Pure water dries without spots because there is nothing dissolved in it to leave behind. Mixed-bed resin holds 20,000 grains per cubic foot, and one grain per gallon is 17.1 ppm. Change the feed water and the whole economics change.

Feed water, GLWA: About 130 ppm TDS, 8 grains hardnessGreat Lakes water is soft by national standards, which is the only reason pole work is affordable here.
Spot-free threshold: Under 10 ppm at the brushAbove roughly 25 ppm you get visible drying spots on the first sunny elevation.
Membrane rejection: 94 to 98%A thin-film composite RO membrane at 60 psi and 15 C. Cold winter feed drops output, not quality.
Resin capacity: 20,000 grains per cubic footMixed bed, virgin nuclear-grade. Regenerated resin exhausts sooner and is not used on glass work.

Resin life is arithmetic, not a guess: capacity in grains times 17.1, divided by feed TDS in ppm. Costs shown are sample 2026 consumable prices.

06 / Anchor and tieback register

The duty to certify anchors sits with the owner

Before anyone hangs from your roof, the things they hang from have to be proven. Building owners, not contractors, carry the duty to certify rope descent anchorages under OSHA rule 1910.27. We survey what you have, tell you what is missing, and arrange the engineer when certification has lapsed.

Anchors surveyed since 2019: 1,486
Found out of certification: 23%
Engineer pull tests arranged in 2025: 64
Skylights screened before interior work: 100%

Anchorage	What it carries	Rating	Inspection cycle
Roof anchor, D-ring or eyeboltSealant failure at the base plate is the most common defect we log.	Rope descent lines and fall-arrest tie-off	5,000 lb per attached worker, or a design safety factor of 2	Visual before every use, certified at least every 10 years
Tieback anchor, parapet mountedFrequently installed into the parapet cap rather than structure. Needs a pull test.	Restraint line for a davit or suspended platform	5,000 lb, tested in the direction of loading	Certified at least every 10 years
Davit base and socketSocket corrosion and missing pins are the usual write-ups on 1980s roofs.	Suspended platform and boatswain chair rigging	Per ASME A120.1 and the davit manufacturer's rating	Annual inspection, 10-year certification
Horizontal lifelineEnergy absorbers past their indicator window. Replace, do not re-tension.	Continuous travel along a roof edge or atrium catwalk	Engineered system, 2 workers maximum per span unless designed otherwise	Annual by a competent person, recertified per the system designer
Skylight screen or coverAcrylic domes are not a walking surface. We treat every unguarded skylight as a hole.	Fall protection at interior glass and atrium daylighting	Twice the maximum intended load, per 1910.29(e)	Inspected annually and after any roof work
Window cleaner's belt anchorBody belts stopped qualifying for fall arrest under the 2016 walking-working surfaces rule.	Legacy anchors beside operable sashes	No longer acceptable for fall arrest	Removed or placarded

Scroll the table sideways for ratings and inspection cycles.

The standards we survey against

29 CFR 1910.27(b)(1)Rope descent system anchorages must be identified, tested, certified and maintained. Owners had to have this in hand by November 20, 2017.
29 CFR 1910.140(c)(13)Personal fall arrest anchorages rated at 5,000 lb per worker, or designed with a safety factor of at least two under a qualified person.
29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)Skylights and roof holes need a guardrail, a cover or a travel restraint system. There is no walk-carefully exemption.
ANSI/IWCA I-14.1The window cleaning safety standard: anchor design, labelling, rescue planning and equipment inspection intervals.
ASME A120.1Powered platforms, davits and permanent building maintenance units, including load testing and inspection records.

Full safety program

07 / Storefront routes

A storefront is priced by route density

A storefront is not quoted by the hour. It is quoted by what it costs us to add your door to a loop that is already driving past it. Density is the whole business: a route with 14 stops in a mile prices very differently from one stop eight minutes off the line.

Restaurant and cafe storefront glass on a morning route

Cadence: Weekly
Glazed frontage: 18 to 30 linear feet
Scope: 6 to 10 panes, in and out
Per visit: $34
Per year: $1,768

Door glass, push plates and the vestibule get hand detail every visit. That is where every fingerprint lands.
We work before the first cook arrives, so nothing is wiped while the patio is being set.
Grease film from a sidewalk patio needs a degreasing detergent step, not just pure water.

How a stop is priced

Route minimum$28 per stop: The floor for any address inside an existing loop, however small the frontage.
Off-route surcharge+$12: Applied when a stop adds more than six minutes of drive time to the day's line.
Density credit-8%: Three or more addresses on the same block, invoiced together.
Skip credit2 per year: Credited on weekly accounts without notice, for closures or remodels.
Frontage bandPer 6 lf: Rates step every six linear feet of glazed frontage, not per pane.
CancellationNone: Route accounts are month to month. There is no term and no exit fee.

This week's morning loops

MondayWoodward, Royal Oak to Birmingham5:30 to 8:30 am22 stops
TuesdayCorktown and Michigan Ave6:00 to 9:00 am17 stops
WednesdayDowntown core and Campus Martius5:00 to 8:00 am26 stops
ThursdayBig Beaver and Somerset, Troy6:00 to 9:30 am19 stops
FridayDearborn, Michigan Ave and Ford Rd6:00 to 9:00 am15 stops

Rates are sample 2026 figures for illustration. Your route price is fixed in writing after a frontage measure.

08 / Industries

Sectors we keep clear

Each one has its own rules: infection control in hospitals, guest hours in hotels, badging on corporate campuses, tenant notice in multifamily. Crews are trained and briefed for the sector before they are scheduled.

Commercial programs

Office towers building exterior in Metro Detroit — 01Office towersClass A and B curtain wall, lobbies and atriums.

Healthcare building exterior in Metro Detroit — 02HealthcareHospitals and clinics with infection-control protocols.

Hotels building exterior in Metro Detroit — 03HotelsOvernight exterior work that guests never notice.

Retail building exterior in Metro Detroit — 04RetailWeekly storefront routes and mall entrances.

Multifamily and HOA building exterior in Metro Detroit — 05Multifamily and HOABalcony glass, amenity decks and common areas.

Education and civic building exterior in Metro Detroit — 06Education and civicCampuses, libraries and municipal buildings.

09 / Case studies

Recent buildings, measured results

Read them in full

Institutional owner, Downtown Detroit

38-story riverfront office tower

Switched three elevations to rope access with rolling exclusion zones and a two-crew schedule.

working days per cycle: 11
sidewalk closures: 0
lower annual cost: 22%

Health system, Midtown Detroit

Midtown hospital campus

Night lift work near entries, rope drops scheduled around flight windows, and ICRA-trained technicians.

buildings, one contract: 6
visits completed on schedule: 100%
storm call-out: 24 hr

Regional property manager

Nine-building Southfield office portfolio

One bi-monthly contract, one site lead, one invoice with per-building line items and photo reports.

buildings consolidated: 9
admin saved per quarter: 31 hrs
tenant survey score: 4.9

Mixed-use owner, Troy

Big Beaver retail and hotel block

Early morning storefront route plus quarterly swing stage program on the hotel tower.

storefront visits per year: 52
tower cycles per year: 4
guest complaints logged: 0

10 / Crew

Named people, not a dispatch number

Andre LewisFounder and Operations DirectorIRATA Level 3. Started on ropes in 2004 and founded HighRise in 2009.
Marisol DuarteSafety and Compliance ManagerOSHA 500 trainer. Writes every access plan and rescue plan we issue.
Kevin BrandtCommercial Accounts LeadManages 140+ contract buildings and every portfolio walkthrough.
Jalen PriceResidential Crew SupervisorSPRAT Level 2. Leads our historic home and storm window crews.

About the company

Their anchor survey caught two davits that were out of certification. Professional, documented, and they never left a drop unattended.
Marcus VillanuevaChief Engineer, Downtown Detroit

12 / Reviews

4.9

612 verified reviews across Google, BBB and property manager surveys

Read all reviews

Nine buildings, one invoice and a photo report after every visit. Tenants noticed the glass before I told them we switched vendors.

Denise OkaforProperty Manager, Southfield

Badged the same crew for our campus so we never re-train vendors. They work at 5 am and are gone before the parking lot fills.
Rashid HaddadDearborn
Balcony glass for 84 units without a single complaint. They posted notices a week ahead and stuck to the schedule.
Gregory TateBirmingham

13 / Everything else

The rest of the site

Recent work, Metro Detroit

The gallery wall

Open the full gallery

Rope access on curtain wallDowntown Detroit
Reflective office glassSouthfield
A-frame great room glassBloomfield Hills
Tower facade dropMidtown
Storefront routeRoyal Oak
Residential solar arrayAnn Arbor
Wood-framed windowsGrosse Pointe Woods
Suspended platform cleaningTroy
Glass roof and skylightsDearborn

Booking desk

Put it on the calendar

Tell us the building type and the frequency you want. Commercial requests come back with an access plan, a COI and a fixed per-visit price within 48 hours. Homes get a firm number the same day.

Bid package: 48 hours
COI turnaround: 1 business day
Rain guarantee: 7 days residential, 5 days contract
Deposit: None on residential work

(313) 555-0120

Mon - Fri, 6:00 am - 6:00 pm. 24/7 storm and glass response.