How to start a window cleaning business in the UK

Is it worth starting?

There is steady demand. Research quoted by the British Cleaning Council found that one in four households "hire window cleaning and hygiene operatives". Most window cleaners work for themselves: 74% are self-employed and 40% work part-time (British Cleaning Council, Research Report 2025, page 33).

It is hard, outdoor work, and not everyone sticks at it. The same report says "Many new recruits give up quickly as they don’t think it is for them."

Before buying kit, write a short plan. Pick the streets you could cover and decide if you want homes, shop fronts or other work. Ask people nearby what they need. List what you would spend to get started and what you would pay each month.

Work out what you need left after fuel, supplies, insurance and tax. Allow time for travelling, finding customers and collecting payments as well as cleaning. Your takings will depend on your prices, the work you can safely do and how close together your customers are.

What do you need to start a window cleaning business?

Choose equipment for the jobs you can safely take on. The two common methods use different kit.

• Traditional tools. A washer, squeegee, bucket, cloths and cleaning liquid. Some sets include a scraper. The Unger starter set lists these tools. Plan safe access for each job before buying a ladder.
• A water-fed pole setup. A pole and brush rinse the glass with purified water from the ground. You need a water supply and a way to purify, store and deliver it. The BigBoy backpack kit includes a filter, pole, brush, hoses and water containers.

Learn how to use your kit before taking paid jobs. For work at height, HSE says you need suitable skills, knowledge and experience. Check access, the ground, weather and overhead power lines when planning the job (HSE's window cleaning guidance).

How much does it cost to start?

Your budget depends on the work and equipment you choose. These are equipment examples from Window Cleaning Warehouse, checked on 5 November 2026. They are not a complete business budget.

• Traditional starter tools. The Unger ErgoTec 6in1 Starter Set is £59.14 before VAT, £70.97 with VAT. Access equipment is extra.
• Backpack and pole kit. The BigBoy V3 Backpack Starter Kit with an 18ft pole and water filter is £630.08 before VAT, £756.10 with VAT.
• Van system. The FaceLift Compact 325 Starter Kit starts at £1,409.95 before VAT, £1,691.94 with VAT. The van is extra. Check the price for your chosen pole, filtration and fitting.

Add transport, insurance, any local licence fee, training and the cost of finding customers to your budget. Allow for ongoing fuel, cleaning supplies and water costs too. Follow the supplier links for current prices and what each kit includes.

Do you need a licence?

In Scotland, usually yes. Most councils require a window cleaner's licence, and may ask for proof of public liability insurance (GOV.UK). Ask the council for each area where you will work before starting.

Elsewhere in the UK, generally no, but check with your council. Our window cleaner licence guide covers each nation, council fees and how to apply.

Insurance

• Public liability can cover claims if you damage a customer's property or injure a member of the public. It is generally voluntary (HSE's insurance guide). Customers or a Scottish licensing council may require it. Check that the policy covers your work and working height.
• Employers' liability is usually compulsory once you employ someone. In Great Britain, GOV.UK says you need at least £5 million of cover and can be fined £2,500 for each day without proper insurance. There are exemptions, including some family employment (GOV.UK's employers' liability guide). For staff in Northern Ireland, check the HSENI guidance.
• Your vehicle needs cover for business use, especially if you're using a car or van you already own (Window Cleaning Warehouse).

Ladders and working at height

Ladders aren't banned. HSE says they "can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks" (HSE). If you'd be up a ladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, HSE recommends other equipment (HSE).

HSE's basics for a leaning ladder (HSE: Types of ladder):

• Use the 1-in-4 rule: one unit out from the wall for every four up.
• Keep three points of contact when you climb.
• Don't overreach: keep your belt buckle between the ladder's sides.
• Don't rest the top on glass or plastic gutters, and secure the ladder so it can't slip.

HSE's first step is to avoid work at height where you reasonably can, for example by using extendable tools from the ground (HSE's brief guide). A water-fed pole can let you clean upstairs windows without climbing.

Registering your business and keeping records

You can work for yourself as a sole trader. You make the decisions and are personally responsible for the business's debts. You can also be employed elsewhere while starting your round (GOV.UK: Become a sole trader). If you want to work with a partner or form a company, compare the other business structures first.

As a sole trader, you can start trading before registering. You must register for Self Assessment if your total income from trading is more than £1,000 in a tax year, before taking off expenses (HMRC's trading income rules). Other reasons to register can apply, so check HMRC's registration guidance for your circumstances.

Keep records of business income and expenses from the start. Save receipts for kit, fuel and other business spending, and record customer payments (GOV.UK: Business records if you're self-employed). Put money aside for tax as you go.

Some sole traders must keep digital records and send updates using compatible software under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Check HMRC's current rules to see if and when this applies to you.

What to charge

Prices vary a lot by area and by house. Work out a price for any house with our window cleaning price calculator.

Don't price low just to fill the round quickly. As one experienced cleaner put it:

"The most important factor isn’t the number of houses per day but price per job"

Pjj, Window Cleaning Forums, 22 September 2022

Finding your first customers

On Window Cleaning Forums, cleaners build rounds by knocking doors, posting leaflets and asking customers to recommend them. Start on the streets around your first customers, so your houses end up close together.

Our window cleaning canvassing guide covers leaflets or knocking, the words to put on a leaflet, what to say at the door, which streets to try and when to go back.

How many houses a day?

It depends on the houses, how close together they are and your kit. Window Cleaning Warehouse says "Many Window Cleaners aim to cover 15-20 properties in a day, assuming an average 3 bedroom property in the UK" (FAQs for new window cleaners, 2022).

On one forum thread, one cleaner does "20 houses 5 days a week", another "about 25 house a day in 6 hours", and the cleaner who asked was doing 9 to 10 in 4 to 5 hours.

Buying a round instead

You can buy customers rather than canvass them. Rounds are listed on sites such as windowcleaningroundforsale.co.uk, priced as a number of times their monthly takings. Window Cleaning Warehouse's 2022 guide gives 3 to 5 times average monthly turnover as a guide to sale prices (Buying a window cleaning round). Check current listings and the round's payment history before agreeing a price.

Ask how long the customers have been with the round. The same guide warns that rounds canvassed just to sell "will likely experience a high drop off rate". To see what a round might be worth, try our round value calculator.

Keeping track of who's due and who's paid

For each new customer, write down their name, address and contact details, the agreed price, what you will clean, how often and how they will pay. Note any access arrangements, such as a locked side gate. Agree these details before the first clean.

Keep track of who's due, who you missed and who still owes you. A paper diary, a spreadsheet or an app can help you manage the round. Keep your business income and expense records too, and check the tax recording rules above. If a customer needs a bill, our window cleaning invoice guide explains what to include.

If your customers are already in a spreadsheet or another app, see what to check before bringing your round into Roundly.