The short answer: WashTech suits most homes that want to see the work and know the price first. You get deionized water on your windows, before and after photos of every job, a published $350 gutter minimum, and Christmas lights from $900, $200 under Shack Shine's usual start. Shack Shine includes window tracks in its window clean, so if your tracks are the main job, compare that line.
WashTech publishes this page. Every Shack Shine fact comes from its own pages and the rating sites named below, checked November 5, 2026. "Not stated" means we did not find it there, so ask Shack Shine.
The two companies side by side
| WashTech | Shack Shine | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | One company, founded in 2020 | A franchise brand with local teams. Vancouver Central's owner started with the brand in 2014 |
| Google rating | 5.0 | 4.9 Vancouver, 4.8 North Shore, 4.8 Tri-Cities |
| BBB grade | A+, not accredited | A+, not accredited |
| Prices shown | Gutter visits have a $350 plus GST minimum, with other work counting toward it. Lights from $900 | No cleaning prices. Estimates go by home style and size. Lights typically start at $1,100 |
| When you pay | Set out on your quote | After the job, by card on site or emailed invoice |
| Insurance | $2 million liability, registered with WorkSafeBC | Not stated on the service pages we read |
| Windows | Inside and out, deionized rinse, walkthrough, photos. Screens and interior tracks priced separately | Inside and out. Tracks, frames and sills included. Screens and water type not stated |
| Gutters | Every run cleared, every downspout checked clear, photos of every run. Outside brightening priced separately | Inside clean, outside wash, soffit and fascia wash, roof blown clear. Photos not stated |
| House and power washing | Soft washing for siding, stucco and brick. Pressure matched to each surface | Soft or pressure washing by surface. Power washing priced by square footage |
| Christmas lights | You buy them in year one, then pay about half, with a $500 minimum | You buy them in year one, then pay about 45% to 55% |
What outside sites say
Shack Shine's score changes with the site. Google shows the 4.9 and 4.8 above. HomeStars shows 4.3, and its newest review dates from June 2024. BBB's letter grade is A+, while its customer reviews there average 1.92 out of 5. Google holds far more reviews than those two sites, so read a few on each before you trust one number.
Our 5.0 sits on one Google listing for one company, so it covers every crew that could come to your home. Shack Shine's scores are split by franchise location, so read the listing for the location that serves your address.
Windows
Our outside clean ends with a rinse of deionized water from a water-fed pole. The minerals are taken out of that water, so drops dry without leaving spots. Inside, we use a squeegee and microfibre and wipe the frames. We check the glass with you first and record any scratches or failed seals, so nobody argues about them later.
Shack Shine's Vancouver window page includes tracks, frames and sills, with cleaning solutions, squeegees and extension gear for upper floors. It does not state the water it rinses with, or whether screens are included. With us, screens are billed per screen, and our window page lists the rest. Ask each company to put tracks and screens on the quote as separate lines.
Gutters
Few people can see inside their own gutters, so we photograph every run before and after. We clear every run, corner and inside miter by hand, bag the debris and take it away. Every downspout gets checked clear before we leave, and hangers, joints and fascia get a look while we are there. Brightening the outside face and taking a blocked downspout apart cost extra, and we tell you before starting. We can also seal small leaks. Read the full list on our gutter cleaning page.
Shack Shine's gutter page names an inside clean, an outside wash, a soffit and fascia wash, and blowing the roof clear. It does not mention photos, so ask how you will see the inside of your gutters when the crew leaves.
House and power washing
Both companies pick the method by surface. Shack Shine's house washing page names soft or pressure washing across concrete, brick, stucco, vinyl, wood and stone. Its power washing page adds runoff control near plants, and crews move your furniture and put it back.
Our house washing uses low pressure and biodegradable detergents on siding, stucco, brick and fibre cement, and ends with a walkthrough. For driveways, patios and pavers, our pressure washing crew sets the pressure to the material. Both companies also clean roofs. Neither lists a price, so ask each to name the method for each surface.
Christmas lights
With both companies, you buy the lights in year one, then pay for labour in later years. WashTech starts $200 lower and prints next year's price on your first quote.
Shack Shine's page puts later years at about 45% to 55% of year one. On $1,100, that is $495 to $605 a season. Ours is about half, with a $500 minimum. The chart adds up three seasons.
- WashTech from $900$1,900
- Shack Shine from $1,100$2,090 to $2,310
- WashTech, $1,400 first year$2,800
- Shack Shine, $1,400 first year$2,660 to $2,940
Our math, before tax. A starting price does not buy the same display at each company, so get both quotes on the same rooflines.
On a small display, we come in $190 to $410 lower over three seasons. On a $1,400 first year, the two overlap, so the quote decides it. Homes with us typically run $1,300 to $1,500 in year one, and bigger homes closer to $2,400. Our lights page covers what is included.
Cover
Both give four years of cover on product defects, and both require that company to install and take down the lights each year. Ours allows 120 days up in a row and Shack Shine's allows 180. Shack Shine's terms also end the cover for a location if that franchise location closes. Each company may charge a service call for repairs the cover excludes, such as weather or animal damage. Shack Shine's local franchise sets its fee.
We also install permanent LED lights from $2,000, with 1 year of labour and 10 years of parts cover.
Who each company suits
WashTech suits you if
- You want before and after photos of every job, gutters included.
- You want a deionized rinse on your windows, and a record of the glass before we start.
- You want a published minimum before anyone visits.
- You want Christmas lights from $900, with next year's price on your first quote.
- You want one company, with one 5.0 Google listing, answering for every job.
Shack Shine may suit you if
- You want window tracks, frames and sills in the window price.
- You want your lights up for more than 120 days.
Practical questions
I bought my lights from Shack Shine. Should I switch?
We install only the lights we supply, so switching means new lights and a first year again, from $900. In return, you own lights with 4 years of defect cover from us, and your first quote shows what every later season costs. Shack Shine's commitment ends if another company installs or removes the lights it covers.
Will either company tie me to a contract?
Shack Shine's page says to pay as you go and cancel or pause anytime. We quote each job, and you decide about your lights each year.
Can I add other work to one visit?
Yes, with both. Shack Shine's lights page suggests window washing or gutter cleaning before the holidays. With us, other services count toward the $350 minimum, and we can clean your gutters when your lights come down in January.
When should I book lights?
Our bookings close by late November. Send us your address and two or three photos, and a price comes back quickly in most cases.
