Public Liability Insurance for Window Cleaners

Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for window cleaners, but it is the cover most window cleaners buy first, because it deals with claims from customers and the public for injury or property damage caused by your work. If you employ anyone, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement and must cover you for at least £5 million.

What can go wrong for a window cleaner?

Window cleaning looks simple, but most of the risk sits in three places: height, water and other people’s property. HSE says that almost all falls from ladders happen because the ladder moves unexpectedly, and a ladder that slips does not only hurt the person on it. It can go through a conservatory roof, dent a car or hit someone walking past.

Typical claims against window cleaners come from:

• ladders or poles damaging gutters, fascias, conservatories, cars or garden furniture
• a dropped bucket, squeegee or scraper injuring someone below
• run off water freezing on a path or pavement and causing a fall
• scratched or cracked glass, damaged seals or window frames
• a helper or employee falling or being hurt while working with you

Example. Dan runs a domestic round with one part time helper. While Dan is cleaning a first floor window, his ladder slides on a wet patio and falls against a neighbour’s parked car, and his helper twists a knee jumping clear. The car owner claims the repair from Dan, which is a public liability claim. The helper’s injury claim is made against Dan as the employer, which is what employers’ liability insurance is for.

Which insurance covers usually fit a window cleaning business?

Most window cleaners put together a small package rather than a single policy. The main parts are:

• Public liability. Claims from customers and members of the public for injury or damage to their property. Our guide to what public liability insurance is explains how it works.
• Employers’ liability. Compulsory once you employ someone, including a part time or casual helper. See employers’ liability insurance requirements.
• Tools and equipment. Ladders, poles, water purification units and van mounted systems. Whether theft from a van overnight is covered depends on the policy wording, so check it.
• Personal accident. Some sole traders add this because a fall can stop them working. What it pays depends on the policy wording.

Professional indemnity is rarely needed for window cleaning. It becomes relevant only if you give paid advice, for example designing access arrangements for a commercial building.

What may customers and managing agents ask for?

Domestic customers rarely ask to see a certificate. Commercial work is different. Facilities managers, managing agents of blocks of flats, schools and offices may ask for a copy of your public liability certificate showing a stated limit, plus a risk assessment and method statement for the job. Our guide on how much public liability insurance you need helps you pick a limit that matches those contracts.

There is a reason clients ask. HSE says the Work at Height Regulations 2005 place duties on employers, the self employed and any person that controls the work of others, including facilities managers and building owners who contract others. A client who hires you therefore has an interest in how you plan the work, and HSE says an agreed, coordinated approach between window cleaner and client is essential for reducing the risks.

What does health and safety law expect when you work at height?

Insurance pays claims, but it does not replace safe working, and an insurer may ask how you work before it quotes. HSE’s guidance for window cleaners sets out a clear order:

1. Avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable, for example by using telescopic water fed poles or cleaning from inside.
2. Use an existing safe place of work, such as a balcony, before anything else.
3. If that is not possible, provide suitable access equipment.
4. Where a fall risk remains, take steps to reduce the distance and consequences of any fall.

HSE says a ladder should not be your automatic choice, but it can be the most sensible option for low risk, short duration tasks. Access equipment and anchor points must be maintained and inspected under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, and HSE says anchor points for fall arrest need periodic inspection and testing by a competent person. Planning should also stop the public getting into the area directly below where you are working, which is also where many public liability claims start.

Cover	Legal requirement?	What it deals with	Who may ask for it
Public liability	No	Injury to the public and damage to their property	Commercial clients, managing agents, schools
Employers’ liability	Yes, if you employ anyone (at least £5 million)	Injury or illness claims from your staff	Required by law; clients may also ask
Tools and equipment	No	Loss, theft or damage to ladders, poles and water systems	Usually your own decision
Personal accident	No	Payments if you are injured, depending on the wording	Usually your own decision

What affects the price of window cleaning insurance?

We do not publish typical prices because they vary so much from one business to another. The main things insurers look at are:

• how you work at height: water fed poles only, ladders, cherry pickers, cradles or rope access
• the maximum height you work at
• the split between domestic and commercial work
• your turnover and the number of people you employ
• the limit of indemnity you choose and the excess you accept
• the value of your equipment and where it is kept overnight
• any claims in recent years

What should you have ready when you ask for a quote?

• your business name, whether you are a sole trader, partnership or limited company, and how long you have traded
• a short description of the work, including any gutter, fascia or solar panel cleaning
• the methods and maximum height you work at
• annual turnover and wage roll, plus the number of helpers and subcontractors
• the limit of public liability your clients ask for
• a list of equipment with replacement values
• details of any claims or incidents in the last five years

Ask us for a quote and we will look for cover that fits the way you work. You can call us on 01795 841 310, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. If you also clean inside premises, our page on public liability insurance for cleaners covers that side of the work.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need public liability insurance as a sole trader window cleaner?

The law does not require it. The ABI’s guide for small businesses lists employers’ liability and motor insurance as the covers required by law, and public liability is not on that list. Most window cleaners still buy it because one damaged conservatory or injured passer by can cost more than a year’s profit. See our page on public liability insurance for sole traders.

Does public liability cover damage to the windows I am cleaning?

It depends on the policy wording. Some policies limit or exclude damage to the part of the property you are working on, so check how scratched glass and broken seals are treated. Our guide on whether public liability covers damage to client property explains what to look for.

Do I need employers’ liability if my only helper is a family member?

Gov.uk says you do not need employers’ liability insurance if you only employ a family member, such as a spouse, child or sibling. Anyone else you employ, even casually, brings in the legal requirement, and gov.uk says you can be fined £2,500 for every day you are not properly insured.

Will my van insurance cover my ladders and water system?

It depends on the policy wording. Motor policies are written for the vehicle, and equipment carried in it is often treated separately. Ask whether your poles, pumps and tanks are covered on the van, in your home and while you are working.

Can I still use ladders?

Yes. HSE says ladders can be the most sensible and practical option for low risk, short duration tasks, as long as they are suitable, long enough, free of visible defects and kept stable. Insurers may ask how often you use them and at what height.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Employers liability insurance
• ABI: Smeinsuranceguidejanuary2026
• HSE: Window cleaning
• HSE: Falls

Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 10 November 2026. Solar Protect is the trading name of Solar Insurance Services (Medway) Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This page is general information, not personal advice.