Commercial window cleaning is the routine cleaning of a building's glass and frames, planned and delivered under the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Optus Glean UK cleans windows, facades and atrium glazing nationwide using reach-and-wash poles and access equipment selected by risk assessment, delivered by DBS-checked (Disclosure Scotland / AccessNI in Scotland and Northern Ireland), PAYE-employed operatives.
Working at height: the law we plan around
Most window cleaning is work at height, so it is governed by the Work at Height Regulations 2005, whose purpose is to prevent death and injury from a fall. The Regulations set a strict hierarchy that must be followed in order: first avoid work at height where reasonably practicable; then prevent a fall using a safe place of work or suitable equipment; and only then mitigate the consequences of a fall, with collective protection chosen before personal protection.
Selecting a harness and lanyard (personal fall arrest) as the first choice is not acceptable under the hierarchy. That is why we specify ground-based reach-and-wash access wherever it will do the job, and reserve powered access for the minority of work that genuinely needs it. Our approach is explained in full in our working at height guide for cleaning, and it also underpins our high-level cleaning and external facade cleaning services.
How we reach the glass
Access is chosen by risk assessment, not habit. Ground-level and low-rise glazing is cleaned with pure-water reach-and-wash poles, which keep the operative on the ground and remove the fall risk altogether. Where height or building geometry rules that out, we use mobile elevating work platforms, cradles or eyebolt-tested systems, each covered by a method statement and rescue plan. The same access planning covers our high-level cleaning and gutter and solar panel cleaning, and every job is documented under our method statement and risk assessment process.
How much does commercial window cleaning cost?
Commercial window cleaning is priced by the size of the glazing, the access required and the visit frequency, then folded into a fixed monthly fee within your commercial cleaning contract. Access equipment and height are the biggest cost drivers, and all commercial cleaning is standard-rated for VAT at 20%, as explained in our commercial cleaning prices guide. As a broad market guide (actual quotes vary by access, frequency and location):
Directly-employed, vetted teams
Window cleaners often work alone and on client premises, so vetting and lone-working discipline matter. Every operative is PAYE-employed on guaranteed hours and background-checked before assignment (DBS in England and Wales, Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI elsewhere), and we manage the risks the HSE flags for people working on their own through our lone-working procedures.
Part of one national cleaning contract
Window cleaning rarely stands alone: most buyers want the glass, the daily clean and the periodic work under one roof. Optus Glean UK folds window cleaning into a single commercial cleaning contract with one specification and one invoice, alongside pressure washing and facade cleaning, across every site you run in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Indicative commercial window cleaning costs (UK, guide only)
| Basis | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial job | £100 – £500+ | Driven by size and access |
| Per window | £2 – £10 | Standard reachable glazing |
| Per square metre | ~£1 – £3 | Larger glazed elevations |
| Hourly (per cleaner) | £30 – £60 | Where priced by time |