Cleaning Business Insurance

General liability insurance covers third-party claims for bodily injury and property damage that happen during cleaning work. Slip-and-fall incidents on freshly mopped floors, pressure washers stripping exterior surfaces and chemicals damaging hardwood flooring are the most common triggers. It also covers personal and advertising injury claims like libel or slander, though those are rare for most cleaning operations.

• Common claim scenarios:
  • Client slips and falls on a wet floor during or after cleaning
  • Pressure washer damages a building's exterior surface or windows
  • Chemical spill damages flooring, countertops or furniture
  • Vacuum snags a cord and pulls an item off a shelf
  • Duster knocks over an antique during a residential clean
• Who needs it:
  • Any cleaning business that works on client property, whether residential, commercial or institutional
• When you need it:
  • Before your first job, as most clients require a certificate of insurance before allowing work to begin or signing a service contract
• How much you likely need:
  • Per occurrence: $1 million
  • General aggregate: $2 million
  • Products and completed operations: $1 million
  • Personal and advertising injury: $1 million
  • Medical payments: $10,000
  • Damage to rented properties: $300,000
• When to adjust your limits:
  • Commercial property managers, government facilities and institutional clients often require $2 million per occurrence before awarding contracts
  • Hood cleaning, carpet extraction and other high-damage specialty services may warrant higher per occurrence limits
  • Add an umbrella policy if contracts require limits your GL policy can't meet

Commercial auto insurance covers liability, injury and vehicle damage costs for vehicles your cleaning business owns or leases. Personal auto policies exclude business use, so any vehicle your business regularly uses to haul crews, equipment or supplies between job sites needs its own commercial policy.

• Common claim scenarios:
  • Crew vehicle rear-ends another car while driving between job sites with equipment loaded
  • Company van is damaged in a parking lot at a client property
  • Employee injures a pedestrian while driving a loaded company vehicle
  • Collision damages a carpet extractor or pressure washer secured in the work vehicle
• Who needs it:
  • Any cleaning business that owns or leases vehicles used to transport crews, equipment or supplies to job sites
• When you need it:
  • As soon as a vehicle goes on the road for business use
• How much you likely need:
  • Combined single limit: $1 million per occurrence
  • Or split limits: $250,000 per person / $500,000 per accident bodily injury, $100,000 property damage per accident
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist: match your liability limits
  • Medical payments: $5,000 per person
• When to adjust your limits:
  • High-mileage operations or larger fleets carrying expensive equipment should consider $500,000 per person / $1 million per accident
  • Consider hired and non-owned auto coverage if employees drive personal

Workers' compensation insurance covers medical costs and lost wages for employees injured on the job. Cleaning crews lift heavy equipment, mix and apply concentrated cleaning solutions and degreasers in enclosed spaces, and wash windows on multi-story buildings. Few service businesses put their employees through that range of physical exposure on a daily basis.

• Common claim scenarios:
  • Employee strains their back lifting a commercial vacuum or carpet extractor
  • Worker slips on a wet floor while cleaning and injures a knee
  • Concentrated degreaser or disinfectant causes a chemical burn during routine use
  • Employee falls from a ladder while cleaning windows or light fixtures at height
• Who needs it:
  • Any cleaning business with employees. Most states require coverage once you reach one to four employees, and some residential and commercial clients require proof of workers' comp before allowing crews into their properties
• When you need it:
  • Before your first hire, as most states require workers' comp as soon as you meet the employee threshold
• How much you likely need:
  • Statutory limits: as required by your state
  • Employer's liability:
    • Bodily injury by accident: $500,000 per accident
    • Bodily injury by disease: $500,000 per employee / $500,000 policy limit
• When to adjust your limits:
  • Businesses with employees in high-risk roles like window washing, chimney sweeping or hood cleaning should consider higher employer's liability limits
  • Businesses using 1099 contractors should verify worker classification before assuming existing coverage is sufficient

A janitorial surety bond protects clients from financial loss if an employee steals or acts dishonestly while working on their property. Unlike insurance, a bond reimburses the client directly, not your business. For cleaning companies sending unsupervised crews into client spaces, it's also a credibility signal.

• Common claim scenarios:
  • A client reports cash or valuables missing from their home after a scheduled visit
  • An employee uses a client's personal checks or credit card information found during a job
  • A crew member intentionally damages client property and then denies responsibility
• Who needs it:
  • Cleaning businesses sending employees into client properties, whether residential or commercial, without direct supervision
• When you need it:
  • Before your first contract, since most clients require a bond before crews enter their properties
• How much you likely need:
  • $10,000 to $25,000 for most small cleaning businesses
• When to adjust your limits:
  • If you have commercial clients or deal with property managers, who often require $25,000 or more
  • Operations with bigger crews working unsupervised across several client properties carry more dishonesty exposure and should purchase higher bond amounts
  • Government, healthcare and institutional contracts set their own thresholds, so confirm requirements before submitting a bid

Tools and equipment coverage pays to repair or replace the equipment your cleaning business depends on to complete jobs. Unlike general liability, it covers your own property rather than third-party claims. A stolen pressure washer or damaged carpet extractor can bring jobs to a halt, and standard liability policies won't cover it.

• Common claim scenarios:
  • Pressure washer stolen from an unlocked work vehicle overnight
  • Carpet extractor damaged in transit between job sites
  • Window cleaning equipment damaged in a fall from height during a job
  • Specialty cleaning chemicals stolen from a job site or work vehicle
• Who needs it:
  • Any cleaning business that runs commercial-grade equipment across multiple job sites and couldn't absorb the cost of replacing it out of pocket
• When you need it:
  • When losing a key piece of equipment would stop jobs or strain your cash flow to replace
• How much you likely need:
  • Replacement cost value of your total equipment inventory
• When to adjust your limits:
  • Businesses running high-value specialty equipment like industrial carpet extractors, commercial vacuums or professional window cleaning systems need higher coverage amounts
  • A solo house cleaner with basic, low-cost supplies may find the premium isn't justified