How do you finance a cleaning drone for window, roof or solar panel washing?
The drone’s only part of the bill. The tether, payloads, batteries, generator and wash rig can cost as much as the aircraft, and all of it can go on one agreement. Here are 2026 prices for new cleaning drones and full setups, example payments, and what the FAA and your insurer will ask for.
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What does a new cleaning drone cost in 2026?
About $16,149 to $45,750 for the aircraft at listed prices, or $57,250 for a Sherpa with its window payload. Apellix doesn’t post prices, but two 2026 buyer’s guides it sponsored put its B2 at $47,000 and its NDAA-compliant Blue at $60,000.
| Drone | What the price covers | New price | Working height |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABZ Innovation C10 | Drone and cleaning system; batteries and charger sold separately | $16,148.99 | Up to 197 ft (60 m) |
| ABZ Innovation C10 ready-to-fly kit | Drone, 4 batteries and a charger | $21,507 | Up to 197 ft (60 m) |
| Lucid Bots Sherpa | Drone, controller, batteries, training and a warranty | $45,750 | Up to 150 ft |
| Apellix B2 | Drone and accessories, per Apellix-sponsored guides | $47,000 | Up to 195 ft |
| Apellix Blue (NDAA-compliant) | Drone and accessories, per Apellix-sponsored guides | $60,000 | Not listed separately |
Checked October 2026: the C10 at Global Drone HQ and Blue Skies Drone Shop, the Sherpa at Lucid Bots (also reported by The Drone Girl), and Apellix in buyer’s guides it sponsored (July and August 2026). Heights are the makers’ or sellers’ figures. Listed or reported prices, not appraisals or offers. Five West isn’t affiliated with these makers or sellers.
Most of these drones are sold for windows, roofs and solar panels alike, so roof and solar panel cleaning drone prices land in the same range.
Looking up the Lucid Bots Sherpa price? You’ll find two numbers. The current one is $45,750. That’s what Lucid Bots lists, and The Drone Girl reported in 2026 that it’s down from $75,000. The Apellix-sponsored guides still quote $75,000 for a “full package” they don’t itemize.
Since September 3, 2026, imported drones (not U.S.-built ones) also face a Section 232 duty: 25% at a maximum takeoff weight of 25 kg or less, 100% if heavier or built with a thermal imager. An EU-made drone is capped at 15% only if the importer certifies that substantially all its critical components and technology come from the U.S. or listed allied countries. Get a current, itemized written quote.
What does a full drone cleaning setup cost?
Plan on the add-ons and ground gear costing about as much as the drone. At listed prices, a Sherpa with its window payload, power tether and generator comes to about $78,350. Add a trailer wash rig and a pure-water cart, and it’s about $103,046.
| Part of the setup | Example | Listed price |
|---|---|---|
| Power tether | Lucid Bots Sherpa Power Tether, 200 ft cable; generator and NEMA 14-50 cable not included | $19,800 |
| Generator | Predator 13,000-watt tri-fuel, the model Lucid Bots suggests for the tether | $1,299.99 |
| Window payload | Sherpa Window Washing Payload | $11,500 |
| Batteries and charging | Sherpa Battery Plus Kit: 4 batteries, a charger and a bag | $4,000 |
| Trailer wash rig | 3R Pressure Washers Tornado or Typhoon 10 ft trailer with a washer, soft wash pump, 100- and 50-gallon tanks, filters and hose reels | $16,205 to $20,999 |
| Pure water for glass and panels | Unger HydroPower Ultra DI tank; IPC Eagle Hydro Cart Pro reverse-osmosis cart | From $656.42; from $3,697 |
Listed prices checked October 2026, before tax, freight or installation; not appraisals or offers. Totals: $78,349.99 for the Sherpa, window payload, tether and generator, and $103,045.99 with the Typhoon trailer and Hydro Cart Pro.
Match the ground gear to the drone. The C10’s seller recommends a Kärcher HD 7/20 G Classic or similar pump and at least 60 meters of hose rated for 200 bar. Glass and solar work usually adds deionized or reverse-osmosis water, and roof soft washing relies on the chemical tank and a low-pressure pump.
What can go on one financing agreement?
Everything the job needs, as long as it’s on a seller’s quote:
- The aircraft, one drone or a small fleet.
- A power tether and the generator that runs it.
- Cleaning payloads, batteries and chargers.
- Ground gear: pressure washers, soft wash pumps, tanks, filters, hose reels and pure-water systems.
- The trailer that carries it all, and software licenses.
Brands don’t have to match, and smaller items can be combined to reach our usual $15,000 minimum. Already run a pressure washing or window cleaning company? The drone is underwritten like any other machine you’d add.
To start, we’ll need the itemized quote, a short application and a copy of the operator’s Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. The application starts with a soft credit inquiry, most files get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours, and standard deals fund 24 to 48 hours after signing. Many programs for established businesses start around a 600 FICO. Our commercial drone financing page has the full program, and the drone equipment financing guide covers other drones.
What’s the monthly payment on a cleaning drone?
For an established business at an assumed 9% with nothing down, each $10,000 financed comes to about $318 a month over 36 months, $249 over 48 or $208 over 60. Applied to the listed prices above:
| Example | Price | 36 months | 48 months | 60 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABZ Innovation C10 ready-to-fly kit | $21,507 | About $684 | About $535 | About $446 |
| C10 kit with a Tornado trailer rig and a DI tank | $38,368 | About $1,220 | About $955 | About $796 |
| Lucid Bots Sherpa | $45,750 | About $1,455 | About $1,138 | About $950 |
| Sherpa, window payload, power tether and generator | $78,350 | About $2,492 | About $1,950 | About $1,626 |
| Full Sherpa setup with a Typhoon trailer rig and RO cart | $103,046 | About $3,277 | About $2,564 | About $2,139 |
Established businesses only: an assumed 9%, nothing down, payments in arrears, rounded to the dollar. Startups and businesses under two years are priced on their own files. Illustrative, not a quote or an offer.
Stretching that $103,046 setup from 48 to 60 months cuts the payment by about $425 and adds about $5,257 in interest.
How long can you finance a cleaning drone?
Equipment finance agreements run 24 to 84 months and leases 24 to 60, as long as the term doesn’t outrun the equipment’s useful life. Drones and payloads improve quickly, so I’d keep a cleaning drone package to 48 months or less.
An EFA works like a UAV loan, and the drone is yours from day one. A $1 buyout lease ends with you owning it for a dollar. A 10% option lowers the payment and sets a fixed buyout. A fair market value lease has the lowest payment, and at the end you can buy, return or upgrade. If you’ll want a newer aircraft in a few years, that’s the one I’d look at. My $1 buyout vs. FMV lease comparison shows how to tell which one you’re signing.
On taxes, a drone on an EFA or $1 buyout lease placed in service by December 31 is generally deducted like a cash purchase. The 2026 Section 179 limit is $2,560,000, and bonus depreciation is 100% for property acquired after January 19, 2025. Confirm it with your CPA.
What does the FAA require for a cleaning drone?
Under Part 107, a certified remote pilot has to be in command, each drone has to be registered ($5), and the drone has to weigh under 55 pounds at takeoff. On our side, we need a copy of the operator’s FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate on every drone deal.
Weight is where cleaning drones get tricky. The rule, 14 CFR 107.3, counts “everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft.” A cleaning drone flies with a hose attached, and sometimes a power tether. The C10’s maximum takeoff weight is listed at 54.9 pounds. Ask the maker what your exact setup weighs at takeoff.
At 55 pounds or more, Part 107 doesn’t apply. The FAA’s route is a Section 44807 exemption, requested by petition under 14 CFR Part 11, then a certificate of waiver or authorization (COA) for the airspace. One solar panel cleaning startup has petitioned to fly a drone of up to 150 pounds over solar fields.
For soft washing, Part 137 governs drones that dispense or spray substances, though not every substance falls under it. Check your chemical before you spray it from the air.
What insurance does a financed cleaning drone need?
You’ll usually need to insure the equipment and name the funder as loss payee. That means everything on the agreement: the drone, tether, payloads and trailer rig.
My background is in commercial insurance operations, so this is the step I’d start first. Call your agent the day you get the quote, and ask for the policy to list the drone by serial number.
Check your liability policy too. The ISO endorsement CG 21 09 excludes drones from general liability, and CG 24 50 covers only the drones and operations on its schedule. If yours has the exclusion, ask about scheduling the drone and the cleaning work, or about separate drone liability coverage.
Can you still buy a foreign-made cleaning drone?
Yes, if the FCC has already authorized the model. Since December 22, 2025, foreign-made drones and critical drone components have been on the FCC’s Covered List, so new foreign models can’t get FCC authorization without an exception, such as the Blue UAS Cleared List. Authorized models can generally still be imported, sold and used. The FCC proposed limits on some of them in July 2026, which hadn’t taken effect by mid-October. Before you sign, ask the dealer to confirm the model is FCC-authorized and supported.
What if your cleaning work slows down in winter?
Ask for payments that follow your season. In northern states, exterior washing slows or stops once water freezes on glass. Approvals are sized to seasonal windows, and many of the programs we place these deals with offer seasonal or skip payments. Buying ahead of spring? Ask about pushing the first payment back until the season starts.
When you apply, tell us which months bring in most of your revenue.
Can a new drone cleaning business get financing?
Yes, though the file needs more behind it. Under a year in business, you’re underwritten as a startup, and these make the file stronger:
- Personal credit around 700 or better.
- Experience you can document in pressure washing, window cleaning, roof cleaning or solar maintenance.
- A down payment, plus working capital left after the purchase.
- Jobs lined up, signed or pending.
- A recognized drone brand with dealer support and a resale market.
With one to two years in business there are fewer programs, but it’s still workable. Our guide to startup equipment financing covers the rest. If I were starting a drone washing business, I’d price the whole setup, ground rig and insurance included, before picking the drone.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a window cleaning drone cost?
At listed prices, new cleaning drones run from about $16,149 for an ABZ Innovation C10 without batteries to $45,750 for a Lucid Bots Sherpa, or $57,250 with its window payload. Apellix doesn’t post prices, and 2026 buyer’s guides it sponsored put its drones at $47,000 to $60,000. A full setup with a power tether, generator, trailer rig and pure-water system can pass $100,000.
What is the Lucid Bots Sherpa price?
Lucid Bots lists the Sherpa from $45,750 with the controller, batteries, training and a warranty, and The Drone Girl reported in 2026 that the price had dropped from $75,000. Some 2026 buyer’s guides sponsored by Apellix still quote $75,000 for a full package. The Lucid Bots shop lists the Window Washing Payload at $11,500 and the Power Tether at $19,800.
How much does a solar panel cleaning drone cost?
Most cleaning drones are sold for solar arrays as well as buildings, so expect about $16,149 to $45,750 for the aircraft at listed prices. A pure-water system adds about $656 for a DI tank or $3,697 for a reverse-osmosis cart at starting prices, before the pump, hoses and trailer.
Do you need a Part 107 certificate to finance a cleaning drone?
Yes. Five West needs a copy of the operator’s FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate on every drone deal, and the FAA requires each drone flown under Part 107 to be registered.
Do cleaning drones over 55 pounds need an FAA exemption?
Usually. Part 107 applies only to drones under 55 pounds at takeoff, counting everything on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft. For heavier drones, the FAA points operators to an exemption under Section 44807, requested by petition under 14 CFR Part 11, followed by a certificate of waiver or authorization for the airspace.
Can you finance the trailer, pressure washer and generator with the drone?
Yes. The drone, tether, payloads, batteries, pressure washer, soft wash pump, tanks, pure-water system, generator and trailer can go on one agreement with one payment, even when the brands differ, as long as each item is on a quote. Smaller items can be combined to reach the usual $15,000 minimum.
Can a new pressure washing business finance a cleaning drone?
Yes, selectively. A business under a year old is underwritten as a startup, so programs typically want personal credit around 700 or better, documented cleaning experience, a down payment, working capital after the purchase and, ideally, jobs lined up. The operator’s Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate is required too.
Price your cleaning setup.
Enter the drone, the tether, the wash rig, a term and any money down in the Quote Builder, and you’ll see an estimated payment without a credit pull. When the number works, one short application puts a dedicated funding professional on your deal through funding.
This article is general information about financing cleaning drones and their ground equipment, not tax, legal, insurance or accounting advice or a commitment to finance. Prices shown are listed or reported prices, not appraisals or offers. FAA and FCC rules change, so check the agencies’ current guidance before you buy or fly. Tax and accounting treatment depends on your contract and your business; confirm with your CPA. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting.