Cleaning Business Insurance and Bonding

If you own a cleaning business, you'll need to ensure it's properly covered by the right kind of cleaning insurance. However, finding insurance for cleaning businesses might seem tricky if you're not sure which kind of coverage is necessary for the job. First, it's helpful to understand all the unique risks and exposures your cleaning business faces so you can locate the proper business insurance for cleaners.

Luckily, a local independent insurance agent can also help you find the right kind of cleaning business insurance. They'll learn more about your unique company and help get you matched to the best policy fast. But first, here's an overview of insurance for cleaning businesses.

Why Do Professional Cleaners Need Business Insurance?

A cleaning or janitorial service needs to cover a range of different business exposures. Since most or all of the job is spent working on other people’s property, your cleaning business has a unique range of exposures that many other businesses don’t have. 

And since cleaning services come in all different shapes and sizes, your policy may differ from the next business’s policy. Generally speaking, your cleaning business insurance package will include protection for some or all of the following business elements:

The right cleaning insurance policy will protect these elements of your cleaning business against numerous related risks, such as injuries, theft, and fire damage.

Who Needs Cleaning Insurance?

Any professional cleaning business needs the proper form of commercial insurance to protect its operations, workers, and more. You'll need cleaning business insurance if you work in one of the following fields:

An independent insurance agent can help you find the right type of cleaning insurance for your unique niche, including house cleaning insurance or insurance for janitorial businesses. 

What Cleaning Insurance Covers

Your cleaning business insurance package will be assembled and customized to meet your specific company's needs. You'll at least need general liability insurance for cleaning businesses as well as protection for business property and your employees. You can expect to find the following types of coverage in a commercial cleaning business insurance policy:

• Commercial general liability insurance: This covers costs associated with third-party lawsuits for claims of bodily injury or personal property damage.
• Commercial property insurance: This covers the costs of repairing or replacing business property if it gets stolen, damaged, or destroyed by a covered peril like fire damage.
• Commercial vehicle insurance: This covers the costs of incidents involving company-owned vehicles that are used for business purposes, such as mobile cleaning services.
• Hired/non-owner car insurance: This covers incidents that occur if your cleaning business's employees use their own vehicles for business purposes. 
• Business owners policy insurance: This is a convenient package that combines commercial general liability insurance and commercial property insurance.
• Workers' compensation insurance: This covers the costs of employee medical treatments and rehabilitation as well as a portion of lost wage replacement after injuries or illnesses caused by the job.
• Crime insurance: This covers incidents of employee dishonesty, such as stealing money from the business.
• Employment practices liability insurance: This covers incidents of claims filed by employees against the business for sexual harassment, discrimination, and more.

An independent insurance agent can help you build and customize the right kind of cleaning business insurance policy for your unique company.

Why Bonds Are Necessary for Cleaning Businesses

It might be wise for your cleaning business to be not only insured but bonded, as well. Being both bonded and insured can increase your business's credibility and potentially attract a much larger number of customers and clients. Cleaning businesses should at least consider getting the following:

• Fidelity bonds: Also referred to as "employee dishonesty bonds," these bonds offer protection for customers in case of dishonest acts by employees. Covered incidents can include employees stealing property while cleaning a customer's home or stealing money from a client.

Fidelity bonds are also sometimes referred to as "janitorial service bonds" for cleaning businesses. Some customers or clients may request your business to have fidelity bonds so they feel safe hiring you. 

Having bonds not only protects your customers or clients, but your business from losses due to employee dishonesty. In the event of dishonest employee acts, the fidelity bond can compensate the client or customer directly for their loss, rather than your business having to pay out of pocket. The maximum potential reimbursement is determined by the amount the cleaning business purchased.

How Much Does Cleaning Business Insurance Cost?

The cost of a cleaning business insurance policy depends on a variety of factors. The biggest factor that influences the cost of coverage is the type of business you own and its specific operations. The riskier your cleaning business's operations, the higher the cost of its insurance. However, the location of your business, the number of employees you have, and the types of coverage you need also impact the cost of your premiums.

Who Sells the Best Insurance for Cleaning Businesses?

You can find cleaning business insurance from many different carriers that sell standard business insurance. However, we've compiled a few of our top recommendations for your convenience. Start by checking out these top-rated carriers when you're ready to find the right cleaning business insurance.

Top Cleaning Business Insurance Company	What It's Best For	Overall Carrier Star Rating
Progressive	Coverage options	5 Stars
Nationwide	Business owners policies and workers' comp	5 Stars
Travelers	Financial stability	5 Stars
Acuity	General liability insurance	5 Stars
Hiscox	Low average premium rates	4 Stars

Here's How an Independent Insurance Agent Can Help

An independent insurance agent will have access to multiple carriers who offer cleaning business insurance near you. They can shop and compare policies and quotes to help find you the overall best blend of coverage and cost. And down the road, they'll be there to help file business insurance claims for you and update your coverage as necessary.