Is it worth starting a window cleaning business in the UK?

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Not yet. Window cleaning is cheap to start: a traditional starter kit and a trade ladder come to £389.92, and public liability insurance (cover in case something goes wrong at a customer's property) is advertised from £6.64 a month. But three things need settling first. Working at height is the main risk: HSE, the government's health and safety regulator, says to avoid it where you reasonably can, for example with telescopic water fed poles (long poles that feed clean water to a brush, so you can reach upper windows from the ground), and that a ladder should not be your automatic choice. If you work in Scotland you also need a licence from your council. And customer price guides disagree a lot, so check what window cleaners near you charge before you decide.

Start-up
£389.92
Monthly running
£6.64
Difficulty
Medium

Optional and only-if costs are listed below.

Why now

  • Ladders are legal for low-risk short jobs: not banned (HSE, Ladders, page updated 2024-06-05, read 2026-10-02)
  • You can start trading straight away; register for Self Assessment once you go over £1,000 in a tax year: £1,000 (GOV.UK, Set up as a sole trader, live 2026-10-02)
  • Tell HMRC by 5 October 2026 if you need a tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year: 5 October 2026 (GOV.UK, Check how to register for Self Assessment, live 2026-10-02)
  • A basic DBS check (a copy of your criminal record) costs £21.50: £21.50 (GOV.UK, Request a basic DBS check, live 2026-10-02)
  • WCW Window Cleaning Starter Kit (traditional kit: pole, squeegee, washer, scraper, bucket and cloths), price including VAT; you also need a detergent: £163.74 including VAT (£136.45 excluding VAT) (Window Cleaning Warehouse, WCW Window Cleaning Starter Kit, live 2026-10-02)
  • Lyte 2 Section Trade Ladders at Window Cleaning Warehouse, from price including VAT (the cheapest size); delivery takes 10-14 working days: from £226.18 including VAT (£188.48 excluding VAT) (Window Cleaning Warehouse, Lyte 2 Section Trade Ladders, live 2026-10-02)
  • DI Starter Kit, a glass fibre water fed pole with a pure water filter, price including VAT: the 12ft pole and the 18ft pole: £239.94 for the 12ft pole, £257.94 for the 18ft pole, including VAT (Window Cleaning Warehouse, DI Starter Kit - Glass Fibre Pole, live 2026-10-02)
  • A 25 litre bag of replacement resin (the filter material in a water fed pole kit) costs £107.94 including VAT; the seller says it can last weeks in hard tap water and months in soft water: £107.94 for a 25 litre bag, including VAT (Window Cleaning Warehouse, Resin, live 2026-10-02)
  • FaceLift Compact 325 van-mounted water fed starter kit, from price including VAT, before the fitting charge and before the van: from £1,691.94 including VAT (£1,409.95 excluding VAT); fitting is extra at £519.75 plus VAT (Window Cleaning Warehouse, FaceLift Compact 325 Starter Kit, live 2026-10-02)
  • Ford Transit Connect small van lease advertised by a broker (Vanarama), price excluding VAT, with an initial payment up front: £288.43 a month excluding VAT, 60 months, 8,000 miles a year; £3,461.12 initial payment excluding VAT (Vanarama, Ford Transit Connect 2.0 220 EcoBlue Trend L1 lease, live 2026-10-02)
  • Public liability insurance for window cleaners is advertised from £6.64 a month (a from-price, not a quote): from £6.64 per month, up to £2 million cover (Simply Business, Window cleaning insurance, page updated 2026-09-29)
  • Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for window cleaners; employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million is, but only if you employ people: public liability: not a legal requirement; employers' liability: at least £5 million if you employ people (Markel Direct, Window cleaners insurance, live 2026-10-02 (the page carries no updated date))
  • HSE says you must avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable, for example by using telescopic water fed poles or cleaning windows from the inside: avoid work at height where reasonably practicable (HSE, Working at height whilst window cleaning, page updated 2026-06-11, read 2026-10-02)
  • HSE says a ladder should not be your automatic choice, but it can be sensible for low-risk, short tasks; almost all ladder falls happen because the ladder moves: ladders are not banned, and not the automatic choice (HSE, Working at height whilst window cleaning, page updated 2026-06-11, read 2026-10-02)
  • HSE says health and safety law applies to self-employed window cleaners if their work exposes others to risk, and that the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require work at height to be properly planned and carried out by competent people: Work at Height Regulations 2005 (HSE, Working at height whilst window cleaning, page updated 2026-06-11, read 2026-10-02)
  • The seller warns that a water fed pole is made of material that conducts electricity and must not be used near electrical lines: do not use near electrical lines (Window Cleaning Warehouse, DI Starter Kit - Glass Fibre Pole, live 2026-10-02)
  • A search of GOV.UK's licence pages for window cleaner on 2 October 2026 returned one window cleaner licence, for Scotland, and one unrelated Northern Ireland licence about building over a road: GOV.UK lists a window cleaner licence for Scotland only (GOV.UK search, licence pages for window cleaner, search run 2026-10-02)
  • GOV.UK says most Scottish councils require window cleaners to have a licence, and the fee varies from council to council: Scotland: a licence from your council, fee varies (GOV.UK, Window cleaner's licence (Scotland), page updated 2026-04-09, read 2026-10-02)
  • West Lothian Council's window cleaner licence fee for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 was £66.15 to grant a licence and £47.50 to renew it; other councils set their own fees: £66.15 grant, £47.50 renewal (West Lothian, 2025 to 2026) (West Lothian Council, Civic Licensing Fees 2025-26, fee table for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, read 2026-10-02)
  • Working without a window cleaner licence in Scotland can mean a fine of up to £2,500: up to £2,500 (GOV.UK, Window cleaner's licence (Scotland), page updated 2026-04-09, read 2026-10-02)
  • Checkatrade (page last updated January 2025) gives a starting cost per visit of £30 for a terraced house or bungalow, £35 for a semi-detached house and £40 for a detached house, and an average rate of £25 to £40 per hour; it calls its costs ballpark averages: £30 to £40 per visit; £25 to £40 per hour (Checkatrade, Window cleaning prices, page last updated January 2025, read 2026-10-02)
  • MyBuilder (page updated August 2026) gives £30 to £65 a visit for a small home, £40 to £75 for a medium home and £50 to £90 for a large home; it states no method or number of prices: £30 to £90 per visit across small, medium and large homes (MyBuilder, Window cleaner cost guide, page updated 2026-08-21)
  • HaMuch (page last updated June 2025) says around £60 a visit for a house of 2 to 5 bedrooms over 2 storeys, and around £40 for a 1 bedroom house, a bungalow or a 1 storey flat: around £40 to £60 per visit (HaMuch, Window cleaning cost, page last updated 2025-06-05, read 2026-10-02)
  • The National Careers Service gives employed cleaner pay of £19,000 (starter) to £25,000 (experienced) a year, and lists window cleaner as another title for that job: £19,000–£25,000 a year (National Careers Service, Cleaner, live 2026-10-02)

What it costs

Required by law

Window cleaner's licence, Scotland (example: West Lothian Council grant fee) one-off Law · only if you work in Scotland£66.15

Expected costs

WCW Window Cleaning Starter Kit, traditional: pole, squeegee, washer, scraper, bucket and cloths (Window Cleaning Warehouse) one-off£163.74
Lyte 2 Section Trade Ladders (Window Cleaning Warehouse) one-off£226.18
Public liability insurance, advertised from-price and not a quote (Simply Business) monthly estimate£6.64

Optional extras

DI Starter Kit, 18ft glass fibre water fed pole with pure water filter (Window Cleaning Warehouse) one-off£257.94
FaceLift Compact 325 van-mounted water fed starter kit (Window Cleaning Warehouse) one-off£1691.94
Van lease, small van (Ford Transit Connect), price excludes VAT (Vanarama) monthly£288.43
Start-up total£389.92
Monthly total£6.64

Prices checked 2 October 2026

Make it legal

  1. Register as a sole trader (one person running a business). You can start trading straight away. If your window cleaning brings in more than £1,000 in a tax year (6 April to 5 April), you must register for Self Assessment with HMRC, the UK tax office. How do I register as a sole trader? source
  2. If you need to send a tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year and have not told HMRC yet, the deadline is 5 October 2026. After that you could get a penalty. How do I register as a sole trader? source
  3. Health and safety law applies to self-employed window cleaners if their work exposes others to risk. HSE says the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require work at height to be properly planned and carried out by competent people, using the right equipment. source
  4. Only if you work in Scotland: most Scottish councils require window cleaners to have a licence, so apply to your council before you take a job. The fee varies from council to council. West Lothian Council charged £66.15 for a new licence and £47.50 to renew it in the year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, which is an example and not a current price. Working without a licence can mean a fine of up to £2,500. source
  5. GOV.UK lists a window cleaner licence for Scotland only. That is what its licence finder shows, not a promise that nothing else applies, so ask your own council if you are unsure. source
  6. Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for window cleaners. If you employ anyone, employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million is. source
  7. Optional: you can apply for a basic DBS check yourself (a copy of your criminal record) if you want to show customers. It costs £21.50. source

Sources

Last reviewed 2 October 2026