Best Pest Control Business Insurance

Finding the right business insurance for your pest control company protects you from liability claims and property damage. The Hartford ranks first with a MoneyGeek score of 4.78 out of 5, offering exterminators and pest control operators competitive rates, quality customer service and comprehensive coverage options. NEXT and biBerk also provide strong protection for pest control businesses at affordable prices.

Note: We based all scores on a pest control business with two employees across professional liability, general liability, workers' comp and BOP policies.

Our study shows The Hartford offers pest control operators the most affordable business insurance across multiple coverage types at $53 monthly or $635 annually. The Hartford ranks cheapest for general liability, business owner's policy and professional liability insurance. For workers' compensation, Thimble ($30 monthly) offers lower rates.

With an average monthly rate of $26 ($308 annually), The Hartford offers pest control operators the cheapest general liability insurance among the companies we studied. That's $6 less per month than the average rate of $32 ($388 annually), an annual savings of $80. NEXT offers competitive rates at $27 monthly. Consider comparing quotes from biBerk and Simply Business as well to find the best coverage for your extermination business.

For pest control operators shopping for affordable workers' comp insurance, Thimble offers the most lowest rates at $30 monthly or $361 annually. Pest control companies should also compare quotes from Progressive Commercial, Simply Business, Coverdash and Hiscox to find the best coverage and rates for their extermination business.

Professional liability coverage shields pest control businesses from claims over misapplied pesticides, incomplete extermination or negligent services. At $85 monthly ($1,021 annually), The Hartford delivers the cheapest professional liability insurance for exterminators. That saves pest control operators $10 monthly compared to the $95 average rate, leading to $121 in annual savings. NEXT, Progressive Commercial and Thimble also offer competitive rates worth comparing.

Business owners' policies bundle essential coverages pest control operators need (general liability, commercial property and business interruption) into one convenient package. The Hartford offers the most affordable BOP insurance for exterminators at $35 monthly ($425 annually), which is $13 less than the $48 average monthly rate. That saves pest control companies $148 yearly. biBerk offers the second-lowest rates worth comparing.

In general, business insurance costs for pest control companies and exterminators cost the following for the four most popular coverage types:

• General Liability: $32 on average per month ranging from $26 to $37 depending on state
• Workers Comp: $70 on average per month ranging from $66 to $81 depending on state
• Professional Liability (E&O): $95 on average per month ranging from $85 to $110 depending on state
• BOP Insurance: $48 on average per month ranging from $35 to $55 depending on state

Pest control operators face unique risks from handling toxic chemicals, working in clients' properties and potential liability from incomplete treatments. Understanding the required coverage for exterminators mandated by law versus highly recommended and optional policies helps you build comprehensive protection for your pest management business.

• Workers' Compensation Insurance: Most states require workers' comp for pest control companies with employees. Your technicians face chemical exposure, slips during treatments and respiratory issues from pesticides. It pays medical bills and lost wages for work-related injuries, protecting your extermination business from employee lawsuits while meeting statutory requirements.
• General Liability Insurance: Many states require general liability for pest control licensing, with minimums from $100,000 to $300,000. Pesticide overspray that damages furniture or fumigation that sickens a customer triggers property damage and bodily injury claims this coverage handles. Most exterminators carry $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate limits.
• Commercial Auto Insurance: Required in most states for business vehicles transporting hazardous chemicals between job sites. If your technician causes an accident driving to treatments, it pays vehicle repairs, property damage and medical expenses. Pest control operators typically carry $1 million combined single limit coverage.
• Pollution Liability Insurance: Standard policies won't cover pesticide spills contaminating soil, fumigation residue sickening pets or herbicide runoff polluting water. It's a specialized coverage that handles cleanup costs, chemical exposure injuries and contamination damage from your pest control operations. Most exterminators carry $1 million to $2 million per occurrence.
• Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions): Protects pest control operators from claims about missed termite damage during inspections, misapplied chemicals that fail to eliminate infestations or wrong treatments allowing pests to return. Covers negligence claims and financial losses from incomplete pest elimination. Most exterminators carry $1 million coverage.
• Business Owner's Policy (BOP): Bundles general liability, commercial property and business interruption into one package. Fire damage to your facility triggers business interruption coverage that replaces lost income during rebuilding while property coverage repairs buildings and replaces destroyed sprayers, foggers and traps. Pest control companies average $1 million per occurrence limits.
• Inland Marine Insurance: Protects foggers, thermal cameras, moisture meters and chemical tanks your exterminators transport between job sites. Covers theft from vans or transport damage since standard property insurance only covers items at your fixed location. Critical for expensive equipment pest control operators carry daily.
• Commercial Umbrella Insurance: Covers catastrophic pest control claims exceeding primary limits, like client death from pesticide reaction or major chemical spills affecting multiple properties. If your $1 million general liability maxes out but courts award $2 million, umbrella covers the remaining amount. Exterminators typically add $1 million to $5 million coverage.

Follow this step-by-step method for getting business insurance that balances affordable rates with comprehensive protection for your pest control company.

The Hartford delivers the best value for pest control business insurance, earning a 4.78 out of 5 MoneyGeek score for competitive rates and excellent service. Exterminators pay $53 monthly for comprehensive coverage, with general liability starting at $26. Pest control operators should prioritize workers' compensation, general liability, pollution liability and professional liability to protect against chemical-related risks.

We answer frequently asked questions about Pest Control business insurance:

We selected the best business insurer for pest-control companies based on the following criteria:

• Affordability (50% of score): The lower a company's costs compared to the competition based on our base profile for four core coverage types, the better the company performs.
• Customer service (30% of score): We scored providers on overall customer satisfaction using industry studies, customer review forum ratings and public forum sentiment analysis from sites like Reddit.
• Coverage (15% of score): We scored business insurance providers for this category based on the flexibility, payment and actual coverage options.
• Financial stability (5% of score): Using financial stability industry ratings from companies like AM Best and Moody's, we created an overall rating to judge how likely companies are to pay out claims compared to the competition.

All pricing in this article is based on the following base profile to represent the vast majority of small businesses in all states:

• Three-person business with two employees
• Coverage: $1 million per occurrence and $2 million total per year for all but BOP, which includes the same coverage plus $5,000 of business property coverage
• $150,000 in payroll
• $300,000 annual revenue