[H20cleaning]

Just rang up to renew my insurance and they said last year i wasnt actually insured for any damage i did on someones property, i was just insured for damage whilst out working Still don't understand that.
So what do i need to include with my policy to actually be covered if i damage a house, window or car?

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I think you'll find you were insured for any damage, anywhere "apart from" the actual property (meaning window) you were working on. It's worded weirdly, you need insurance for "property being worked on". Property means anything you are working on.

So, if you broke a window you were cleaning, you were not insured. If you dropped your pole on your customer's car, then you were insured for that.

I have property being worked on but it comes with a £500 excess!

[H20cleaning]

Ahh thank you mate thats correct it was worded very clever! I have just done a quote there with 5million cover and its coming back at £250 excess and £16 a month, im a sole trader does that sound about right

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

Mine's 1 million with AXA & £70. £250 normal excess & £500 excess for "property being worked on".

[Pete Thompson]

Its a totally ridiculous thing that most non-specialst insurance companys do.  Don't cover property being worked on.  I mean honestly WTF use is that?!

My advice is go to a specialist broker like Alexander Swan who have IMO excellent policies for window cleaners public liability etc.  About the same price as others, but top notch cover IMO.

[dave f]

ive got insurance with a company that as advertised on here .they will be getting a call from me today to elabarate on what im coverd for .you have to request the documents to be sent or down load i think.i must be more oranised

[Paul Coleman]

This wording of "property being worked on" can be confusing - probably deliberately so knowing insurance companies.  It would be less confusing if it was called "item being worked on".  This is because "property" can be interpreted two ways.  It can be the building and surrounding grounds - or it can mean a piece of property.  e.g. the keyboard that I'm typing on is a piece of property.  It is not my house.
It seems to me that if you took the pole back too far and broke some window with the base end of it while cleaning another window, the broken window would be under the "general damage" part of the insurance whereas if you broke the window that you're actually cleaning at the brush end, that would come under the "property worked on" bit 

[Ian Lancaster]

These policies tend to be the 'General Tradesman' type.  They are designed for people like plumbers, carpenters etc.

The reason they exclude 'property being worked on' is to prevent some clod from cutting a pipe, worksurface etc, finding he's done it wrong and then trying to claim on the insurance.

As plenty have mentioned, we are speciallists so need to use speciallist insurance brokers.