Gutter cleaning insurance: what you need

Why gutter cleaning needs specific cover

Every round trade needs public liability cover (see insurance for round trades). In gutter cleaning, the risks and the small print are particular to the work: clearing and flushing every gutter and downpipe on a property.

What to ask your insurer about

• Cover that includes work at height and ladder or tower use
• Damage to property, since gutters and fascias can be damaged during a clean
• Equipment cover for the vacuum and camera kit

The risks behind most claims

• Falls from ladders and towers, the biggest risk in the trade
• Fragile roofs and conservatory roofs: never step on them
• Older garages and outbuildings sometimes have asbestos-cement gutters or downpipes: don't scrub, drill or break them, stop and tell the owner
• Falling debris and wasps' nests

Rules to check

• The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply. HSE's guidance on ladders and on low-level work at height is the starting point
• Debris from gutters can count as waste. If you carry it away, check with the Environment Agency (or SEPA, NRW or NIEA outside England) whether you need to register as a waste carrier

Tell the insurer exactly what you do

Cover for one service doesn't always cover the next. If you do more than one thing, such as window cleaning or pressure washing, say so, and ask for it in writing. A claim refused because a job wasn't on the policy is the most expensive mistake in the trade.

If you take on help

The moment someone works for you, even part-time, you may need employers' liability cover. HSE explains who counts as an employee. Ask your insurer how they treat subcontractors.