Window cleaner insurance in Australia: cover, glass and heights

Window cleaner insurance usually means public and products liability insurance for injury or damage connected with your work. Many window cleaners add tools of trade insurance for their poles and gear. Other covers to consider are personal accident and sickness insurance for your income and commercial motor insurance for the van.

Clients, strata managers and building managers may ask to see public liability insurance before you start. Whether public liability insurance covers the glass you are cleaning depends on the policy wording.

Public liability insurance is designed to cover claims that someone was injured or their property was damaged in connection with your business. Products liability insurance is designed to cover claims that a product you made, sold or supplied caused injury or damage after it left your hands.

The two are usually arranged together as public and products liability insurance. Public and products liability cover may include legal defence costs, compensation and any settlement you are legally liable to pay, subject to the policy terms.

Cover depends on the policy and insurer you choose. Check the policy wording and its terms and conditions for what is and isn't included.

What insurance does a window cleaner need?

Each cover is subject to the policy terms, conditions and exclusions. For cover options across the trade, see insurance for window cleaners.

Does public liability insurance cover the glass you are cleaning?

Public liability insurance is designed for injury to other people and damage to their property. Public liability policies commonly exclude damage to the exact property you are working on, such as the pane you are cleaning. This is called the care of property being worked on exclusion.

Some public liability policies include care, custody or control cover. It is designed to cover accidental damage to property that is temporarily in your care or possession.

Care, custody or control cover, where a policy includes it, commonly has a sub-limit. A sub-limit is a smaller limit inside your main policy limit for that type of claim.

Whether a policy covers the glass you are cleaning, and up to what sub-limit, varies between policy wordings, so always check with your insurance broker or the team at upcover.

Is insurance compulsory for window cleaners?

Window cleaners may be required to hold insurance by law or by the people they work for.

What insurance is required by law?

• Workers' compensation, if you employ workers. Safe Work Australia says "Under Australian law, employers must have insurance to cover their workers in case they get sick or injured because of work" (Safe Work Australia). Each state and territory runs its own scheme, and the laws vary between them.
• Third party personal injury insurance, if you use a vehicle. It is often part of the vehicle registration fee (business.gov.au). It is commonly called compulsory third party (CTP) insurance, and some states use another name, such as the TAC charge in Victoria.

When is public liability insurance for window cleaners required?

For window cleaners, the requirement to hold public liability insurance usually comes from a client, contract, strata manager or site (business.gov.au). Commercial clients and strata managers may ask for a certificate of currency showing a set limit before you attend the site. A certificate of currency confirms your policy is current.

According to cleaner's insurance cost guide:

• domestic work is often covered at $5 million or $10 million
• commercial contracts, strata agreements and shopping centres commonly specify $10 million or $20 million.

The contract in front of you sets any minimum, which may be higher. Above any minimum, the specified limit you choose depends on your work, your sites and the people around you. The specified limit is the most the insurer may pay, subject to the policy terms.

An upcover team member or an insurance broker can talk through what those limits mean for a business like yours. Our guide to choosing a public liability limit explains the other factors.

How do heights and access methods affect window cleaner insurance?

In policies arranged through upcover, window cleaning is described as an activity on the policy schedule, and that description often carries a height condition. Examples include window cleaning service below three storeys, or window cleaner up to 10 metres.

A public and products liability policy is designed to respond to the activities described on your policy schedule. That is why naming each service in your activities section matters, particularly where you have the certificates and training to offer it as an added service you charge for. If a customer makes a claim about an activity your schedule leaves out, the insurer may consider declining it if they were not aware of the activity and would not have accepted it as covered under the insurance policy.

Whether a policy covers ladders, elevated work platforms or rope access, and to what height, varies between policy wordings, so always check with your insurance broker or the team at upcover.

Work health and safety rules on working at height are separate from your policy. Each state and territory has its own regulator and its own laws (Safe Work Australia).

What do window cleaner insurance claims look like?

The claims examples below come from upcover's window cleaners page. The first two are claims made against the business. Tool Theft is a claim on the window cleaner's own tools of trade policy.

_{Important: These claims are examples only. Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions and exclusions. Policy wordings vary between insurers. Always refer to the policy wording and its terms and conditions for details. If you have questions about a particular possible claim or would like assistance about whether a certain claim might be covered it is always best to speak to an upcover team member or your insurance broker.}

If you're concerned about a particular customer service or experience, you can always consider telling your insurer as soon as you become aware of an incident, complaint or circumstance that could lead to a claim. You don't need to wait for a formal demand. Also keep in mind that notifying of a claim late may affect your claim.

You can start a claim through the make a claim page. Admitting liability, incurring costs or agreeing to a settlement before you notify your insurer may affect your claim. Starting a claim does not confirm that your claim is covered; your insurer assesses it under the policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits.

How does window cleaner insurance change with your business setup?

Working alone

If you work alone, there may be no one to keep jobs going while you recover from an injury or illness. Personal accident and sickness insurance is designed to help protect your income if injury or illness stops you working.

Benefits and waiting periods vary between policies. Our guide to personal accident and sickness insurance explains how it works.

Working for a bigger cleaning firm

A head contractor's policy is generally arranged for the head contractor's own business. Head contractors may ask you to hold your own public liability insurance and show a certificate of currency before you start. You may need to consider obtaining your own insurance even if you work on someone else's site.

If you pass jobs to your own subcontractors, whether your policy covers that work varies between policy wordings, so always check with your insurance broker or the team at upcover.

Employing staff

Employers must have workers' compensation insurance (Safe Work Australia). Who counts as a worker, and any exemptions, depend on your state or territory scheme.

How much does window cleaner insurance cost?

Public and products liability insurance for window cleaners, arranged through upcover, is from $292 a year. The figure is for window cleaning work only and includes GST and stamp duty where they apply.

What affects the cost?

No single price applies to every window cleaner. Your price may depend on factors including your industry classification, your revenue and the stage of your business. Licensing, professional or contractual requirements may also influence the limit of insurance you consider, which may affect the cost.

Your existing controls and risk framework, your answers to insurers' risk questionnaires or proposals, and your recent claims history may also affect the total cost of your insurance. For a window cleaner, the details you give the insurer may also include:

• the activities on your schedule, such as window cleaning only, or window cleaning with general cleaning, gardening or handyman work
• the heights you work at, such as below three storeys or up to 10 metres, and your access methods
• your number of staff and where your business is based
• the specified limit you choose and your excess (the amount you contribute to a claim)
• the value of the tools you insure

The amount you pay may also include fees. Paying monthly may add instalment charges.

What do public liability and tools of trade policies commonly exclude?

Public liability exclusions commonly include, but are not limited to:

• damage to the exact property you are working on, such as the pane you are cleaning. Some policies include care, custody or control cover, which may respond to some of this damage, commonly with a sub-limit
• liability arising from using a registered motor vehicle. Some policies include cover, with limits, for third party damage caused while loading or unloading a registered vehicle. Injury to other people caused by the vehicle generally sits with compulsory third party (CTP) insurance. Damage to other people's property may sit with commercial motor insurance, depending on the cover arranged
• dishonest, fraudulent or wilful acts by you. Dishonesty by an employee may sit under the crime or fidelity section of a management liability policy, designed to cover losses from employee dishonesty, where you arrange one. Management liability insurance is designed to help protect a business and its directors, officers and managers against claims about how the business is run
• the cost to redo, correct or improve your own work or fix defects, although the policy may respond to resulting damage to someone else's property
• claims from professional advice or services for a fee, which generally sit with professional indemnity insurance
• liability you take on only because of a contract (contractual liability exclusion)

Tools of trade exclusions commonly include, but are not limited to:

• wear and tear, or breakdown
• damage from a power surge
• theft from the open air or without forced entry, such as poles left on site overnight (theft in open air exclusion)

Important: These lists are not exhaustive. Exclusions vary between insurers. Always refer to the policy wording and its terms and conditions for the exclusions that apply to you, and if you have questions you should speak to your insurance broker or the upcover team.

What should a window cleaner check on the policy schedule?

Your policy schedule and certificate of currency show what you hold. For a window cleaner, the details to check include:

• The activity description, including any height condition, and whether it covers every method you use.
• The specified limit, and whether it meets the minimum requirement your contracts or strata agreements set.
• The insured name and policy dates. Clients may check that the name on the certificate matches your business.
• Your tools. Lower-value tools are often insured as a group (unspecified tools of trade). Higher-value items, such as a water-fed pole system, may need to be listed with their value (specified tools of trade).

Cover for replacing locks if you lose a client's keys varies between policy wordings. An upcover team member or an insurance broker can confirm whether your policy includes it.

How upcover can help

upcover arranges insurance for window cleaners, including public and products liability, personal accident and sickness, tools of trade and commercial motor insurance. upcover works with 80+ insurance partners and can arrange quotes from a range of insurers.

• 70,000+ businesses covered across Australia
• 4.9/5 customer rating
• 80+ insurance partners

Get a quote for window cleaner insurance, or see insurance for cleaning businesses if you also do general cleaning.

Frequently asked questions

Do window cleaners legally need public liability insurance?

For window cleaners, the requirement to hold public liability insurance usually comes from a client, contract, strata manager or site (business.gov.au). Workers' compensation is different: employers must hold it under their state or territory scheme (Safe Work Australia).

Does public liability cover a scratch on the glass I'm cleaning?

Public liability policies commonly exclude damage to the exact property you are working on. Some include care, custody or control cover, commonly with a sub-limit. Whether a policy covers the glass you are cleaning varies between policy wordings, so always check with your insurance broker or the team at upcover.

What insurance covers my water-fed pole system?

Tools of trade insurance is designed to cover the tools and equipment you use for work. A high-value system may need to be listed on the schedule with its value. Theft from a vehicle commonly needs evidence of forced entry into a securely locked vehicle.

Does window cleaner insurance cover a fall from a ladder?

Public liability insurance is designed for claims from other people. Personal accident and sickness insurance is designed to help protect your income if your own injury or illness stops you working. Injury to your workers generally sits with workers' compensation.

How much public liability cover do window cleaners need?

The contract, strata agreement or site sets any minimum. Commercial contracts, strata agreements and shopping centres commonly specify $10 million or $20 million (upcover's cleaners insurance cost guide), and some may ask for more. Above any minimum, the choice depends on your work, your sites and the people around you. An upcover team member or an insurance broker can talk through the options with you.

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_{Written by upcover's editorial team. This article provides general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not legal advice. Cost figures are a guide as at Sep’26 not a quote. Work health and safety laws are set by each state and territory and may change, so confirm what applies with the relevant regulator. Insurance availability and cover are subject to underwriting and the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of the relevant policy. Read the policy wording and its terms and conditions before deciding. For commercial motor vehicle insurance, also read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Target Market Determination (TMD) and Financial Services Guide (FSG). upcover arranges insurance products with selected insurers and underwriters and does not compare all general insurers or insurance products available in the market.}