How to start a UK cleaning business: steps, costs & advice

Starting a cleaning business is one of the most accessible and profitable ways to become your own boss. Demand for professional cleaners is always high – whether it’s busy families looking for help around the house, offices needing regular cleans, or specialist services like carpet or window cleaning.

Unlike some professions, cleaning businesses don’t usually require years of training or expensive qualifications, making them a popular choice for first-time small business owners. The sector is also resilient: even during economic downturns, people and businesses still need clean homes and workplaces. With relatively low start-up costs, flexible working hours and the ability to grow from a solo operation into a larger team, a cleaning company offers plenty of opportunities for ambitious founders.

If you’ve ever wondered how to start a cleaning company in the UK, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll break down the steps, the costs, the equipment you’ll need and any legal or practical considerations you should be aware of.

• There are different types of cleaning businesses to choose from, each with its own pros, cons and requirements
• Setting up a cleaning business in the UK is relatively straightforward. You’ll need to register your business whether you choose to trade as a sole trader or limited company, arrange insurance and get the right equipment
• Startup costs can be low but you’ll still need to budget for essentials like cleaning products, equipment, protective clothing (if needed) and insurance.
• You don’t always need a licence to start a cleaning company but you should always double check depending on the type of service you plan to offer

First, think about what type of cleaning business you want to run. Different types of cleaning companies cater to different customers and require different equipment or compliance checks. To help you decide, we’ve laid out the pros and cons of each below.

When choosing your niche, think about:

• Market demand in your area: domestic cleaning may be best for residential areas, while commercial cleaning suits towns and cities with lots of businesses. What suits your area best?
• Your budget: starting with domestic cleaning is cheaper, while specialist cleaning requires upfront investment in training and equipment. How does your plan align with your budget?
• Your long-term goals: do you want flexibility as a solo cleaner or do you have ambitions to scale into a team-based company?

Many successful founders start in domestic cleaning, then branch into commercial or specialist services once they’ve built up some experience and have a healthy cash flow.

To legally run a cleaning business, you’ll need:

A registered business: either as a sole trader, partnership or limited company
Public liability insurance: protects you if clients claim damages or accidents happen
A business bank account: to keep personal and business finances separate (this a legal requirement if you’re trading as a limited company)

To practically run a cleaning business, you’ll need:

Cleaning equipment and supplies: from cleaning sprays and cloths to vacuums and PPE
Protective clothing: gloves, aprons, masks where necessary
Basic accounting setup: to track income, expenses and tax obligations
Branding materials: even something simple like a branded t-shirt with your logo, your logo on invoices or business cards can also make you appear more professional. This helps to build trust with the customer

Tip: a business current account with built-in accounting software like Countingup can save you time and stress by automatically categorising expenses, storing receipts and estimating tax. This helps avoid problems at year-end and makes it easier to start, run and grow your business.

Will you start as a sole trader or register a limited company? The admin that comes with being a sole trader is easier to manage day-to-day but limited companies can offer tax advantages with limited liability. What suits your business idea and situation best?

Decide whether to focus on domestic, commercial or specialist cleaning first – you could always branch into other areas at a later date. A good place to start is looking at your budget, experience and the type of clients you’d like to work with. What type of cleaning suits?

Your business name should represent the type of cleaning company you are. It should be a reflection of you and your business and above all, it should be memorable. If you’re registering as a limited company, use our company name availability checker to see if the name you have in mind is available.

Register as self-employed with HMRC or set up a limited company via Companies House.

Want to register a limited company? We offer company registrations – you pay a £12 deposit towards the Companies House registration fee, instead of the £50 you’ll pay if you go directly through them.

You’ll also need to register for VAT if your turnover exceeds the threshold (currently £90,000 per year).

Public liability insurance is a must. If you employ staff, you’ll also need employers’ liability insurance by law.

Invest in reliable cleaning supplies and equipment: sprays, cloths, hoover, mop. You don’t need to buy everything from the get-go. Buy what you need to get started and add as you gain more clients and traction.

Research competitors and decide whether to charge by the hour, by square footage or per job. Be transparent about costs to build trust with customers.

Next, you need to get your business out there and in front of potential customers. There are plenty of routes you could go down, like building a simple website, creating a business Facebook page or listing your services on platforms like Google Business Profile. You could even consider local advertising. For example, posting on local Facebook groups is a great idea. Word-of-mouth referrals can be powerful in the cleaning industry as clients want someone they can trust.

Offer introductory discounts or free trials and deliver excellent service to encourage repeat bookings and recommendations.

As your business grows, consider hiring staff, expanding into new services or investing in specialist training to diversify your offering.

Most cleaning businesses in the UK don’t require a specific licence. However:

• If you’re dealing with hazardous waste or industrial chemicals, you may need a waste carrier licence or COSHH compliance
• If you’ll be working in high-security environments, you may need background checks (DBS checks)
• Local councils sometimes require permits for commercial window cleaners using equipment in public area

If your cleaning company ticks any of the above boxes, it’s recommended to check in with your local council to discuss what license you might need to operate.

Yes, you need insurance to start a cleaning business. While not all insurance types are legally required for you to get started, they’re strongly recommended:

• Public liability insurance: this is required as it covers damage to customers’ property or injuries caused while working
• Employers’ liability insurance: this is required by law if you hire staff. It’s designed to cover situations where employees hurt themselves at work – maybe through poor training or an unsafe work environment
• Professional indemnity insurance: recommended if offering specialist services where clients rely on your advice or expertise. It’s not needed for basic domestic or office cleaning but if you plan to specialise (e.g. carpets, stone floors, biohazard cleaning), it’s worth considering as part of your insurance package. It protects you if a client claims they’ve suffered a financial loss because of your work or professional advice. For example, you provide a service or advice to clean a business’s carpet but it makes it worse and the client suffers a loss because of it
• Equipment insurance: this is recommended as it’ll cover the cost of your cleaning tools if stolen or damaged. If this happened, you could be out of work for a while until you can replace them. But equipment insurance means you’ll be able to claim and cover the costs quickly so you can get back to work

Startup costs vary depending on your chosen type of cleaning business but here is a list of common expenses:

Fixed costs

• Business registration: £0 if you’re a sole trader or £12 if you’re registering a limited company with Countingup
• Insurance: From £100–£300 per year
• Basic equipment: £200–£500
• Marketing (website, business cards, ads): £100–£300

Variable costs

• Specialist equipment (e.g. carpet cleaner): £500–£2,000.
• Transport (car/van): Purchase, leasing or fuel.
• Staff wages: If you scale up quickly

On average, starting a small domestic cleaning business in the UK can cost between £500 and £2,000. A specialist cleaning company may require £5,000+ to get started.

It’s possible but it will be challenging. If you already have basic supplies and transport, you could start small with just word-of-mouth marketing or posting on local groups online. However, you’ll still need to cover insurance and registration costs. Tread carefully here: having no cash flow can make it hard to manage unexpected expenses. For example, replacing a broken hoover or covering the cost of cleaning products before clients pay.

The equipment you’ll need depends on the type of cleaning services you offer:

• Domestic cleaning: General cleaning sprays, microfibre cloths, mop, vacuum, gloves
• Commercial cleaning: Floor buffers, larger vacuum cleaners, heavy-duty products
• Carpet & upholstery cleaning: Specialist carpet cleaner, stain removers
• Window cleaning: Ladders, squeegees, extension poles, safety harnesses, water connection
• Industrial cleaning: Pressure washers, specialist chemicals, PPE

Remember to always invest in safety gear to protect yourself and staff, if needed.

By the way, eco-friendly cleaning products are also growing in popularity. Using eco-friendly cleaning products and reusable cloths could set you apart from competitors and appeal to eco-conscious clients.

Like any business, cleaning businesses come with risks, such as:

• Financial risk: Struggling to secure clients or lack of cash flow could lead to financial issues
• Health & safety risk: Exposure to chemicals or physical injury, for you or staff members
• Reputation risk: Poor service can quickly damage word-of-mouth referrals or lead to negative reviews, damaging your reputation
• Competition risk: Many areas already have established cleaners – how can you make yourself stand out from the crowd?

You can mitigate these risks with insurance, training, good financial planning and a focus on delivering excellent service that customers will want to tell their networks about.

Exciting times. You’re ready to get your new cleaning business off the ground! You have all the knowledge you need to create a profitable business with room to build and evolve for the future.

Ready to get started? Make sure you’ve got the right tools in place to manage your finances, keep on top of tax and stay organised from day one. We can help with that! Learn more about our business current account, payment features and tax tools.

Do you have to register a cleaning business?

Yes. You’ll need to register as self-employed with HMRC or set up a limited company. This means you can trade legally, pay tax and protect your business finances.

How much does it cost to register a cleaning business?

Registering as a sole trader doesn’t cost a penny. Setting up a limited company with Companies House through our formations service needs just a £12 deposit to get started. Search the company name you’d like to go for, complete the registration process and then we’ll send your company incorporation documents to you by email by the next working day. Register your company now.

How do I start a cleaning business with no experience?

Start small with domestic cleaning, where training isn’t always required. This way you can build your skills and ask clients for feedback to help you market your services for the future. Whilst working in domestic cleaning, you could consider taking short cleaning or health and safety courses to boost your skills and knowledge into other areas.