Window cleaning is rated on one thing more than any other, and it is not turnover. It is how far off the ground the work is done and by what method, because that single declaration decides whether a policy will respond at all to the claims this trade actually produces.
Height is the declaration that decides the policy
Almost every window cleaning policy states a maximum working height, and work above it is simply not covered. The figure is usually expressed in storeys or metres and is tied to the method: ground level work with a water fed pole sits at one end, ladder work at domestic height in the middle, and anything involving a cradle, a rope access system or a powered platform at the far end where specialist underwriting takes over. A cleaner who takes one job on a taller building without telling the insurer has an uninsured job, not a slightly mispriced one.
Damage to the glass and to what is behind it
Public liability answers for damage to other people's property, but the pane you are cleaning is property in your care, custody and control and is commonly excluded. So is water damage inside a building when a window turns out not to be closed, which is a recurring claim in this trade. Insurers writing for window cleaners either write the exclusion back or offer a damage extension, and it is worth checking which, because the loss that reaches a claim is far more often a cracked pane or a soaked carpet than an injured passer by.
Water fed poles, vans and equipment
Reach and wash systems moved much of the trade off ladders, which insurers welcome, but they moved the value into equipment. A van mounted tank, pump, filtration and carbon fibre poles are a substantial asset and they live in a vehicle overnight. Tools and equipment cover is a separate section from liability, usually with conditions about overnight security and whether the van is left loaded, and those conditions are where theft claims are decided.
Questions people ask about window cleaning insurance
Do window cleaners need public liability insurance by law?
No United Kingdom statute requires it. Commercial clients, managing agents and most councils will require it before allowing work on their buildings, and many domestic customers on estates with managing agents will too.
Am I covered if I break a window?
Not under a plain public liability wording, because the glass you are cleaning is in your care, custody and control. You need that exclusion written back or a separate damage extension, and it should be named in the schedule.
What working height will an ordinary policy allow?
Policies state a maximum, and it varies by insurer and by method. Ladder work is usually capped at a modest domestic height and pole work higher. Anything requiring a cradle or rope access is specialist and will not sit under a standard trade policy.
Is my water fed pole equipment covered under public liability?
No. Liability covers harm to other people. Your own poles, tank and pump are insured under a tools and equipment section, typically with conditions about how the van is secured overnight.