The short answer: on Christmas lights, WashTech costs less from the second season. On starting prices, three seasons with us come to about $1,900, against about $2,745 on Flat Mate's Classic plan, because you own our lights and pay labour only after year one. We also install permanent LEDs, which Flat Mate does not list. Flat Mate's $250 minimum is lower than ours, which helps on a very small cleaning job.
WashTech publishes this page. Every Flat Mate fact below comes from Flat Mate's own site, checked November 5, 2026.
The two companies side by side
| WashTech | Flat Mate | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 | 2021 |
| Google rating | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Minimum per visit | $350 plus GST for gutters, and other services on the visit count toward it | $250 plus GST, and some services have higher minimums |
| Liability insurance | $2 million | $5 million |
| WorkSafeBC | Registered | In good standing, by its own account |
| Windows | Inside and out, deionized rinse, photos and a walkthrough. Screens and interior tracks priced separately | Tracks, sills and screens included. Deionized pole-fed water above ground floor, where the building suits it. Pole-fed to about four storeys, rope access above |
| Gutters | Every run cleared, every downspout checked clear, photos, walkthrough | Every downspout flushed and confirmed, photos of the finished work |
| Christmas lights | You buy them in year one, then pay labour only | Flat Mate owns them, and you renew each season |
| Permanent lights | From $2,000 | Not listed on its site |
| Also offers | Pressure washing, soft washing, roof cleaning, commercial work | Pressure washing, soft washing, roof cleaning, dryer vents, snow removal, graffiti removal |
Windows
A WashTech crew cleans the interior glass by squeegee and microfibre, then rinses the exterior with deionized water so minerals don't dry into spots. Before anyone starts, we walk the windows with you, so existing scratches and failed seals go on record. You get before and after photos and a final walkthrough.
Flat Mate's window page includes tracks, sills and screens in the clean, and uses deionized water above the ground floor where the building suits it. With WashTech, screens and interior tracks are priced separately and quoted before we start, so compare the two quotes on that line.
Gutters
Both companies clear the gutters, take the debris away, check every downspout and show you photos. Flat Mate's gutter page says "every downspout flushed and confirmed" and quotes larger repairs separately.
WashTech's visit covers every run, corner and inside miter, and we check hangers, joints and fascia while we are up there. We walk you through the photos before the crew leaves. We also seal small leaks, which you can quote with your clean. Our gutter cleaning page has the full list, and the cost guide shows how each factor changes the price.
Christmas lights
This is the biggest difference between the two, and it decides what you pay from the second season on. On starting prices, three seasons come to about $1,900 with us and about $2,745 on Flat Mate's Classic plan. Flat Mate keeps the lights and renews each season. WashTech sells them to you in year one, so later years are labour only, at about half the first-year price with a $500 minimum.
Slide the seasons below to see the two approaches over time. The renewal line uses Flat Mate's Classic plan, and it assumes the price holds after its three-season lock.
Buying is $295 lower over 5 seasons.
Starting prices, plus tax. A starting price does not buy the same display at each company, so ask both for a quote on the same rooflines.
WashTech shows next year's price on your first quote, and you decide each year. Purchased lights carry 4 years of cover for product defects when we install and take them down each year, and we come back to fix a bulb or strand that fails during the season. A service call fee may apply to damage from weather, animals or other people. See the full math in rent or buy Christmas lights.
Flat Mate locks its plan price in writing for three seasons, publishes a 48-hour repair promise and replaces its own lights when they fail. The plan renews automatically on September 1, with written notice 30 to 60 days before, so you keep renting unless you cancel.
Who each company suits
WashTech suits you if
- You want to own your Christmas lights and pay labour only from year two.
- You want next year's lights price on your first quote, with no automatic renewal.
- You are weighing permanent lights against seasonal ones.
- You want your gutters cleaned on the same visit as your lights come down.
Flat Mate may suit you if
- You have a very small job, and the $250 minimum saves you money.
- You want rope access on a building above four storeys.
Practical questions
Can I switch from Flat Mate to WashTech?
Yes. For cleaning work, there is nothing to cancel with us: send your address and we will quote it. Flat Mate's rented lights stay with Flat Mate, so we quote new lights for your home. Check your agreement first, because its terms ask for 30 days' notice.
Do either of them lock me into a contract?
WashTech quotes each job. Flat Mate offers 5% off for a recurring schedule on cleaning work, and its lighting plan renews each year unless you cancel.
What if the work isn't right?
Raise it on the walkthrough, before the crew leaves. Flat Mate says to tell them within 7 days and they come back, which excludes new dirt.
Which is the better deal on a full exterior clean?
Neither company publishes a price for it, because both price by the property. Ask each for a written quote listing the same services, and check screens and tracks on the window line.
