HOW TO HIRE · CLEANING

How to hire a window cleaner in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to window cleaners, but it is work at height. Ask how upper windows are reached, and about insurance.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a window cleaner in five steps

  1. Round or one-off?A regular round costs less per visit.
  2. Ask how upper windows are doneWater-fed pole from the ground, ideally.
  3. InsurancePublic liability.
  4. Side gatesUnlocked on the day.
  5. PaymentAgree how and when.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nothing licenses window cleaners in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so window cleaning can be offered by anyone; trader status, insurance and references carry the weight.

Ask for a business name, an invoice for the window cleaning and the name of the insurer.

Work at height

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (and Northern Ireland's own of 2005) require work at height to be planned, supervised and done with suitable equipment; HSE says a ladder suits only low-risk work of up to 30 minutes at a time. That shapes how window cleaning above the ground floor is done.

Ask how the window cleaning will reach high areas — pole from the ground, tower or scaffold. hse.gov.uk →

Public liability insurance

No register requires it, but public liability insurance is what pays if window cleaning damages a floor, a fabric or a fitting. Your right to reasonable care and skill in the window cleaning comes from the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Before the window cleaning, ask the window cleaner for the insurer and the cover level.

VAT

Window cleaning is standard-rated at 20%. A window cleaning business taking more than £90,000 a year must register, charge the 20% on every visit and show it on its own line; a one-person round under the threshold adds none.

Ask the window cleaner whether there is a VAT number; if so, the 20% should be shown apart from the visit price. gov.uk →

“How will you clean my upstairs windows?”

A good answer: A water-fed pole from the ground, or safe access for each window.

“Is window cleaning inside included?”

A good answer: Priced separately.

“How often is the round?”

A good answer: Four or eight weeks, stated.

“Are frames and sills included?”

A good answer: Rinsed as part of the clean.

“Are you insured if a window is damaged?”

A good answer: Public liability, insurer named.

“How do I pay the window cleaner?”

A good answer: A stated method with a record.

Getting the quote right

  • Price per visit
  • Frequency
  • Inside windows priced
  • Conservatory and doors
  • Who actually attends the round, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% shown separately from the price per visit

Walk away if

  • Long ladder work upstairs with no other kit
  • No insurance
  • Cash only with no record
  • Price changes each visit
LOW
£12
TYPICAL
£30
HIGH
£70

What a window cleaner costs: £12–£70 per visit

Window cleaning is priced per visit by the size of the house and how often the round comes. Window Cleaning price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Window cleaners near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. ArriveGates and access checked.
  2. Set upPole and purified water ready.
  3. CleanGlass, frames and sills.
  4. Doors and porchIf agreed.
  5. CheckMissed areas picked up.

Water-fed pole
A long pole with a brush fed by purified water.
Purified water
Water with minerals removed so it dries without streaks.
Round
A regular schedule of visits.
Work at height
Work where a fall could cause injury.
Reveal
The side of a window opening.
Public liability
Insurance for damage caused by the work.

AFTER

When the job is done

Look in daylightStreak-free glass.
Keep payment recordsEach visit.
Report missesTo be done next time.
Review it honestlyYour review of the window cleaning is tied to a real booking. Under four stars, you can send the problem with the window cleaning to the window cleaner first and we follow it up; then the review goes live.

STEP 1Tell the window cleaner, in writingPut the problem with the window cleaning in a message or email, with photos and the date. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads reasonable care and skill into every contract like this one, so you can require the window cleaner to redo the faulty part within a reasonable time at no cost to you, or give a price reduction.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepA score under four stars opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the window cleaner gets the chance to put the window cleaning right first, and we chase it to an end before you publish.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesTrading Standards is reached through a helpline, not directly: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland can log a complaint about the window cleaner and pass it on.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedTo get money back for the window cleaning, the small claims limits are £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland; court fees start at £35 in England and Wales and £23 in Scotland.

Hiring a window cleaner: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005; HSE says ladders suit only short, low-risk work.

Ask about public liability insurance.

£12–£70 per visit, about £30 on average. See the window cleaning price guide for the breakdown, then put your town in the search above to compare cleaners.

Usually not; they are priced on top.

Twenty minutes to an hour for most houses.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in cleaning

How to hire: Conservatory CleaningHow to hire: Gutter CleaningHow to hire: Solar Panel CleaningHow to hire: Pressure WashingHow to hire: Roof CleaningHow to hire: House CleaningHow to hire: Regular Domestic CleaningHow to hire: Spring CleaningAll 701 hiring guides →

Window cleaners near you

Window cleaners in LondonWindow cleaners in ManchesterWindow cleaners in BirminghamWindow cleaners in GlasgowWindow cleaners in BelfastAll window cleaners on Locufy →Do it yourself: cleaning your windows →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — work at height: the law
  2. HSE — work at height myths (ladders and the 30-minute guide)
  3. HSE — types of ladder and using them safely
  4. Work at Height Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register