Males can be as fussy as females when it comes to hair. This is why there’s a barbershop that only caters to the grooming needs of men just as hair salons only caters to the grooming needs of women.
So do barbers need insurance? Yes, A lot of risks lurk. Scissors, razors, and other equipment for hairstyling can accidentally cut a customer. You also have to think of possible lawsuits if a beauty salon or any other business files a claim for slander or libel. Also, the barbers who are renting a chair can vandalize or lose your shop’s equipment.
There are many insurance options. But one that we strongly recommend is barber shop insurance. Here’s a guide that will teach you what this is, what policies are included, how much premiums cost, and which companies to approach.
Barber Liability Insurance
Barber liability insurance shields you against customer lawsuits. You can get this as a general liability policy, public liability policy, or professional liability policy. Let’s discuss how each type of barber shop liability insurance differs.
Barber Shop General Liability Insurance
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | Beauty Insurance Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | Excluded |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $100,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Can be included | Excluded |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Can be included | Excluded |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Can be included | Yes |
All barber insurance programs will offer a general liability policy. General liability insurance allows you to get an injured customer treated, refund damaged properties, cover defense costs, and comply with court judgments in case an accident happens in your barber shop.
In other words, your liability for bodily injuries or property damage is what general liability insurance caters to. You can also use this insurance to cover allegations of copyright infringement, slander, or libel. Use the table above to see which insurance company offers this type of barber shop business insurance best.
What Are the Most Common Barber Shop Accidents That General Liability Insurance Can Cover?
Here are the common problematic situations in your barber shop which general liability insurance can take care of:
-
A customer slips and falls on the floor
-
A customer trips on the wire of the hair clipper
-
A customer is accidentally injured by a shear, hair clipper, razor, and other hair styling tools
-
A customer experiences rashes and other allergic reactions during a facial session in your barber shop
Does General Liability Insurance Help if a Client Blames My Barbershop for the Transmission of Bloodborne Disease?
Your barber shop’s liability for the transmission of bloodborne infections to a customer may be covered or not covered. This all depends on how the insurance company wrote your business’s general liability policy. Usually, if this exposure is covered, then there will be a clause in the policy document that shows how much coverage you can get.
Professional Liability Insurance for Barber Shops
| CoverWallet (Best) | NEXT | Thimble | Hiscox | Beauty Insurance Plus | Simply Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Can be included | No | Can be included |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $50/$10,000 | $500 | $50/$10,000 |
Customers can file a claim against the services offered by your barber shop. They might cite negligence, misrepresentation, lack of experience, and other related offenses. Professional liability insurance helps to compensate for the losses of the claimant and cover your barber shop’s legal defense. Use the table above to see which insurance company offers the best professional liability insurance.
What Are the Most Common Claims Against a Barber Shop That Professional Liability Insurance Can Cover?
Professional liability insurance will help your barber shop if a customer files a claim because:
-
He or she received the wrong hair cut
-
An infection was sustained because your barbershop’s equipment was poorly and negligently cleaned or maintained
-
Your barbershop is allegedly overpricing its grooming services
-
Your barbershop failed to meet standards after it was hired by an organization for a charity cut-a-thon
Can Professional Liability Insurance Help Defend Your Barber’s License?
Health boards can launch an investigation and file a legal proceeding for license revocation after knowing that your barber shop is negligent in keeping the cleanliness of its premises and equipment. Professional liability insurance doesn’t cover this exposure. However, you can solve this gap by including a license defense endorsement that grants a $25,000-$100,000 worth of coverage in case licensing boards take action against you.
Public Liability Insurance for Barber Shops
Some insurance companies that cover barbers don’t offer a general liability policy but a public liability policy instead. Barber public liability insurance caters to bodily injuries or property damage that arise from your business operations. You can say that this works similarly to general liability insurance.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Commercial Property Insurance for Barber Shops
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $320,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $35,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $15,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Included |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/$10,000 | Included |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Included |
| Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Included |
| Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Included |
| Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Included |
| Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Excluded |
You rent, own, or lease a physical location to operate a barber shop. You can recover some of the money spent on retrofit and renovation with commercial property insurance. Use the table above to see which insurance company underwrites this barber shop insurance coverage comprehensively.
How Do You Use Commercial Property Insurance?
You use commercial property insurance to receive a reimbursement if your barber shop gets damaged or destroyed due to:
-
Fire
-
Theft
-
Vandalism
-
Civil commotion
-
Riot
-
Sinkhole collapse
-
Volcanic action
-
Lightning
-
Weather
-
Falling objects
-
Impact
-
Aircraft
-
Vehicle
-
Sprinkler leakage
In Case My Shop’s Mirrors, Shears, Hair Clippers, Barber Chairs, and Other Valuables Get Damaged, Can Commercial Property Insurance Help?
Yes. Provided that the loss is caused by the exposures we mentioned above, commercial property insurance will help. Note that the money you’ll receive will be equal to the overall estimated value of the mirrors, shears, hair clippers, and other equipment that got damaged or destroyed.
Business Owner’s Policy for Barber Shops
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Commercial property coverage limit | $50,000 | $320,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
| Optional policies can be added? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds for free? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BOP discount? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
A business owner’s policy is a unique coverage for barber shops. What makes it different is that it combines general liability and commercial property insurance. Therefore, you can use this insurance to:
-
Recover financial losses in case of the destruction or damage of business property
-
Cover resulting costs if your barber shop is held liable for bodily injuries or property damage
What’s the Advantage of Buying a Business Owner’s Policy?
A business owner’s policy gives the following perks, which you can never enjoy by buying general liability or commercial property insurance separately:
-
5%-10% discount on monthly or annual premiums
-
Easy online policy management
-
Optional policies such as cyber liability, inland marine, or customer property coverage
Tools and Equipment Insurance for Barber Shops
| NEXT | Thimble | Hiscox | Beauty Insurance Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limit | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $15,000/$25,000 | $1,000 |
| Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | No | No |
| Miscellaneous equipment also covered? | $5,000/$10,000 | No | Yes | No |
| Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $0 | $500 |
Tools and equipment insurance is another useful inclusion in barber shop and mobile barber insurance programs. This will reimburse your loss regardless if the shears, hair clippers, and other equipment got damaged or lost at a client’s house, the barber shop, or any other location. The table above shows which insurance company offers the best tools and equipment insurance for barber shops.
Workers Compensation Insurance for Barber Shops
You need to purchase workers compensation insurance if your barber shop has part-time and full-time employees. The failure to get this insurance might result in a government mandated business closure or cancellation of your license to operate.
Workers compensation insurance will cover the costs for emergency care, hospitalization, medication, rehabilitation, retraining, lost wages, and death benefits if an employee sustains a work-related injury or disease. That said, you leverage this insurance when:
-
An employee sustains a bloodborne disease
-
An employee gets cut by a hair clipper, shear, or any other tool for cutting and styling hair
-
An employee sustains chemical burns
-
An employee sustains hand and arm injuries due to the repetitive motions involved when using scissors, hair clippers, and other equipment
-
An employee slips and falls
Commercial Auto Insurance for Barber Shops
You will find this policy usually included in mobile barber insurance programs. Commercial auto insurance covers a car that you transformed as a mobile barber shop or that you are using to reach the places of clients. These are the functions of this insurance:
-
Pay the emergency care of third parties who you injured in a vehicular accident
-
Cover the repair or replacement of your commercial vehicle’s parts that got damaged or destroyed due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils
-
Pay the compensation for medical treatment you would’ve received after an accident caused by an uninsured/underinsured driver
Does Commercial Auto Insurance Cover the Barber Equipment Inside the Car?
No. Things inside the vehicle aren’t covered. However, it’s possible for you to get a personal effects endorsement or inland marine endorsement for coverage to apply. Another thing to remember is that commercial auto insurance will not help if something happens to your car while it’s being used for business purposes by another person.
Cyber Liability Insurance for Barber Shops
Cyber liability insurance will grant protection if your barber shop’s computer is breached. You can use this policy to pay the professional services for containing the breach and restoring lost data, cover your legal defense if affected customers decide to sue, and shoulder the charges for credit monitoring.
Help others make better decisions
Barber Shop Insurance Cost
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General liability insurance | $46 | $552 | $0-$500 |
| Professional liability insurance | $70 | $840 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial property insurance | $80 | $960 | $1,000-$2,000 |
| Business owner’s policy | $110 | $1,320 | $1,500 |
| Commercial auto insurance | $49 | $588 | $500-$1,000 |
| Workers compensation insurance | $105 | $1,260 | $1,000-$2,500 |
| Cyber liability insurance | $85 | $1,020 | $1,000 |
The average barber shop insurance cost is $46 per month or $552 per year for a $1 million general liability policy. This estimate is based on factors, such as:
-
Claims history
-
Business history
-
Location
-
Policy limits
-
Annual revenues
-
Number of employees
-
Location
In connection, here’s another table that shows the cost of a $1 million general liability policy from companies that can offer a cheap barber shop and barber insurance quote:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $11 | $132 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for barber shops |
| CoverWallet | $16 | $192 | Barber shop insurance online quotes comparison |
| Tivly | $19 | $228 | Comparing insurance quotes over the phone |
| Thimble | $22 | $264 | On-demand coverage for barber shops |
| Hiscox | $25.00 | $300.00 | Barber shop insurance with automatic policy renewal |
Get a further idea of the barber insurance cost by comparing quotes. Start by clicking the “Get Quotes” button on this page.
Mobile Barber Insurance Cost
The average mobile barber insurance cost is $50 per month or $600 per year for a $1 million general liability policy. The table below shows the cost of a $1 million general liability insurance from the recommended companies:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simply Business | $28 | $336 | Fast coverage for mobile barbers |
| Beauty Insurance Plus | $23 | $276 | Mobile barbers who also do microblading |
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Best Barber Insurance Companies
Many insurance companies can cover your barbershop. However, only a few offer an excellently underwritten insurance package that addresses the unique risks you face. Here are the best barber insurance companies. Read some of the reviews below to know their pros, cons, and rate for a $1 million general liability policy.
NEXT Barbershop Insurance
Pros
-
Best overall
-
Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
-
Fastest general liability insurance for barber shops
-
Great customer service and reputation
-
Excellent rates
-
Outstanding value for money
-
Get a 10% discount if you buy two or more policies
Cons
-
Couldn’t find any
For fast coverage online, we recommend NEXT. This insurance company streamlines the insurance process by selling a pre-made insurance bundle consisting of policies that cater the needs of barbers and barber shops. NEXT allows you to enjoy the following:
-
$1 million-$2 million general liability insurance
-
$1 million-$2 million professional liability insurance
-
$320,000 commercial property insurance
-
Workers compensation insurance
-
Commercial auto insurance
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for barber shops
Average cost: $11 per month
Our rating: 10/10
CoverWallet Barbershop Insurance
Pros
-
Compare barbershop insurance quotes online
-
Cancel your coverage anytime
-
Easy online policy management
-
Waiver of subrogation can be included to general liability or professional liability insurance
-
Terrorism coverage is available
Cons
-
Not an insurance company but an insurance broker
For comparing quotes online, we recommend CoverWallet. This company curates the quotes of partners and presents them to you. By doing so, CoverWallet helps you find the best coverage with a reasonable price. Here’s a quick glimpse of the policies you can purchase:
-
$1 million-$2 million general liability insurance
-
$1 million professional liability insurance
-
$1 million-$2 million broad form cyber liability insurance
-
Business owner’s policy
-
Workers compensation insurance
-
Commercial property insurance
Best for: Barber shop insurance online quotes comparison
Average cost: $16 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Tivly Barber Shop Insurance
Pros
-
Responsive customer service
-
Compare insurance quotes over the phone
-
A partner of many reputable insurance companies
Cons
-
Only covers barber shops that make money through booth rental services
Tivly covers booth renters and barber shops. Policies you can purchase are general liability, commercial property, professional liability, business owner’s policy, and more. You need to call a representative to know the limits and compare quotes over the phone.
Best for: Comparing insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $19 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Thimble Barber Shop Insurance
Pros
-
On demand coverage
-
You can include optional policies to your general liability and business owner’s policy
-
Quick to issue an estimate of your rates
-
Instant cancellation of policies if you wish to switch
Cons
-
You can’t reach customer service by calling
Thimble is an insurance company that specializes in providing on-demand coverage to policyholders. That said, you can trust this company if you urgently need a policy that will satisfy the requirements imposed by clients. Thimble covers your barber shop through its barber insurance package. This offers:
-
$1 million-$2 million general liability insurance with an optional cyber liability insurance, tools and equipment insurance, and customer property insurance
-
Business owner’s policy with an optional cyber liability insurance and tools and equipment insurance
-
Workers compensation insurance
Best for: On-demand coverage for barber shops
Average cost: $22 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Hiscox Barber Shop Insurance
Pros
-
Upgrades can be added to your policies
-
Easy to customize policy limits
-
Worldwide coverage
-
Automatic policy renewal
Cons
-
Not a BBB accredited company
Hiscox’s barber insurance package offers general liability insurance, business owner’s policy, and cyber liability insurance. You can add upgrades to all of these to enjoy comprehensive protection. As for purchasing your policy, doing this is very easy because you can apply for insurance online or talk with an agent.
Best for: Barber shop insurance with automatic policy renewal
Average cost: $25 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Simply Business Mobile Barber Insurance
Pros
-
Get a quote online
-
Quick to respond to queries
-
Doesn’t ask a lot of questions
Cons
-
Online quotation platform needs some improvements in terms of UI
Simply Business is a good option if you’re a mobile barber. This company’s tailored insurance can be bought online. Moreover, getting a quote is easy. You can purchase cyber liability, workers compensation, professional liability, and general liability insurance. Note that these are underwritten by Simply Business’s partners, such as Hiscox and Travelers.
Best for: Fast coverage for mobile barbers
Average cost: $28 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Beauty Insurance Plus Mobile Barber Insurance
Pros
-
Quick coverage
-
Instant certificate of insurance
-
Free website
-
Offers unique perks
-
You can include microblading activities in your policy
Cons
-
Doesn’t include a commercial auto policy in its mobile barber insurance package
Beauty Insurance Plus grants exclusive coverage for beauty professionals. This company is also a good option for mobile barber insurance. What makes Beauty Insurance Plus great is that it decides rates based on your experience in the field. Your mobile barber insurance package from this company offers a general liability policy, tools and equipment insurance, professional liability insurance, and identity protection plan.
Best for: Mobile barbers who also do microblading
Average cost: $23 per month
Our rating: 9/10
