Cleaning business insurance can be vital in covering your business if your employees damage a customer’s property, cause accidental injuries or steal equipment.
Problems covered by this insurance include accidentally spilling a cleaning product on a client’s valuable rug or failing to put a caution sign on a wet floor before someone slips and injures themselves.
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Who Needs Cleaning Business Insurance?
A cleaning business could have different types of jobs and clients, everything from cleaning a carpet at a private home to cleaning the entirety of a multi-story commercial building. Here are some examples of cleaning professionals who can benefit from small business insurance:
- Carpet cleaners
- Commercial cleaners
- Dry cleaners
- Furniture cleaners
- House cleaners
- Janitorial services
- Laundry services
- Office cleaners
What Does Cleaning Business Insurance Cover?
Cleaning business insurance combines several types of small business insurance to cover a range of problems like damage to your business property, medical expenses for accidental injuries, and workplace illness and injuries.
You can start with a business owners policy (BOP). A BOP bundles three essential coverage types and it’s typically cheaper than buying each coverage separately.
Here’s what a BOP includes.
Business Liability Insurance
This covers accidental injuries and property damage to others. For example, if you accidentally spill chemicals on a client’s hardwood floor, your general liability insurance will pay for repairs. It also covers your legal costs if you are sued because of an accident.
This coverage also pays for other types of problems, including advertising injury, reputational harm and copyright infringement.
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial property insurance covers the physical location of your business and equipment if they’re damaged due to a problem covered by your policy, such as a fire or hailstorm. It includes items you own and rent, such as cleaning equipment, cleaning products, inventory and office computers.
Business Interruption Insurance
If you cannot temporarily run your cleaning business due to a problem covered by your policy, business interruption insurance covers your lost income. For example, if a tree falls on the roof of your dry cleaning business and you have to shut down, business interruption insurance will cover your lost income and other expenses, such as temporarily moving to a new office location.
Business interruption insurance is also called “business income insurance.”
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Other Small Business Insurance Types
A BOP is a good foundation, but your cleaning business is likely to require more coverage types to address other types of risks, like auto accidents and injuries to your employees. Here are some other small business insurance types to consider.
What’s Not Covered by Cleaning Business Insurance?
Your cleaning insurance business won’t cover certain types of issues, including:
- Fraudulent and intentional acts
- Government seizures
- Earthquakes
- Floods
- Infectious diseases
- Wrongful termination (unless you have employment practices liability insurance)
Examples of Cleaning Business Insurance Claims
Here are a few instances illustrating claim scenarios and the corresponding coverage offered by cleaning business insurance.
| Claim | Coverage type |
|---|---|
| You back into a client’s garage door while driving your work van. | Commercial auto insurance |
| A thief steals your cleaning tools and supplies from your office. | Commercial property insurance |
| Pieces of antique china slip off a shelf and shatter while you’re dusting a buffet. | General liability insurance |
| One of your employees trips down the stairs while vacuuming a client’s floor and injures their knee. | Workers’ compensation insurance |
How Much Does Cleaning Business Insurance Cost?
The median cost for a business owners policy for cleaning business insurance is $48 monthly or $580 per year, according to Insureon.
Your premium depends on factors such as:
- Size and location of your business: Your business’ size and geographical location play a role in determining your insurance costs. For example, businesses in urban areas generally face different risks and higher costs than those in rural areas.
- Policy types and coverage limits: The policy types you choose and the limits you set will influence your insurance costs. Comprehensive coverage packages or higher coverage limits can trigger higher premiums.
- Claims history: A history of frequent or high-value claims might lead to higher insurance costs, as this suggests a greater risk associated with your business.
- Deductible amount: The deductible is the amount subtracted from an insurance claims check. Selecting a higher deductible will reduce your cleaning business insurance premiums, but you’ll get less from your insurer if you file a claim.
- Company assets: The value of your business assets, including equipment, inventory and property, affects your insurance costs. Higher asset values typically bump up premiums because the insurer is assuming more risk.
Here’s an example of the cost of cleaning business insurance, based on the types of coverage you choose.
| Coverage type | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| $580 | |
| $1,627 | |
| $2,075 | |
| $801 | |
| Janitorial bond | $126 |
Ways to Save on Cleaning Business Insurance
Jason Metz
Insurance Lead Editor
Amy Danise
Insurance Managing Editor
Ashlee Valentine
Insurance Editor
Penny Gusner
Insurance Senior Writer
Michelle Megna
Insurance Lead Editor
Explore Your Options
Prices can differ significantly from one insurer to another. The best way to find a good price is to compare business insurance quotes among several different insurers. I suggest getting quotes for the same level of coverage so you can accurately compare rates.
Insurance Lead Editor
Look into a BOP Policy
A business owners policy bundles three types of coverage: business liability insurance, business interruption insurance and commercial property insurance. I’ve found that a BOP generally costs less than buying each coverage type separately.
Insurance Managing Editor
Bump Up Your Commercial Auto Deductible
Raising your insurance deductible is one way to reduce your costs. Insurers typically reduce your premium because the company will pay out less if you file a commercial car insurance claim.
Insurance Editor
Ask About Discounts
I’ve found that one excellent way to cut costs is to carry out preventive measures, such as setting up a workplace safety program. Some insurers reduce premiums when you do this.
Insurance Senior Writer
Make an Annual Payment
Paying your annual premium in full may qualify you for a discount.
Insurance Lead Editor
Where Can You Get Cleaning Business Insurance?
Most small business insurance companies sell common types of insurance so you can customize your cleaning business insurance policy. You can start with a BOP and add the coverage types you need to it, such as workers’ compensation and commercial auto insurance.
Here is a list of several companies that sell small business insurance:
- Acuity
- Allianz
- Allstate
- American Family Insurance
- AmTrust Financial
- Auto-Owners Insurance
- Chubb
- Cincinnati Insurance
- Clear Blue Insurance
- CNA
- Erie Insurance
- Farmers Insurance
- Frankenmuth Insurance
- The Hanover
- The Hartford
- Liberty Mutual
- Nationwide
- State Farm
- Travelers
- Utica First Insurance
- Westfield Insurance
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Cleaning Business Insurance FAQ
Why would a cleaning business need insurance?
A cleaning business insurance policy covers all sorts of problems that your business faces, such as workplace injuries, lawsuits, car crashes and stolen property. Without the right type of small business insurance, you would have to pay out of pocket to cover the cost of claims against your cleaning business.
If your cleaning business has any employees, you’re required to carry workers’ compensation insurance in most states.
Do I need liability insurance for my cleaning business?
Your cleaning business needs general liability insurance to cover accidental injuries and property damage caused to others. For example, if you break an expensive vase while cleaning a client’s home, your liability insurance will cover it. Without liability insurance, you’d have to pay to replace it on your own.
Does my cleaning business need a commercial auto policy?
If you use a vehicle such as a car, van or truck for your cleaning business, you need a commercial auto insurance policy. Your personal car insurance policy won’t cover any work-related accidents.
For example, if you’re transporting cleaning tools and supplies to a job site and get into a car accident, your commercial auto policy can pay expenses such as medical bills and car repair bills.
What type of bond do I need for a cleaning service business?
Your clients may require that your cleaning company get a janitorial bond, which is a type of surety bond that covers you if an employee of yours steals something. You have to repay the bond carrier for paid claims, which is different from insurance coverage.
