Car Wash Insurance & Auto Detailing Insurance: Quotes From $5

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If you own a car wash business, then you’re going to need a comprehensive car wash insurance policy as protection against claims if a customer’s car is damaged on your premises or due to your cleaning machinery. Similarly, auto detailers should also maintain a automobile detailing business insurance policy for the same reason.

If you’re considering starting a car wash or mobile auto detailing business or already own one and looking to get it financially covered, then you’ve come to the right place! Fortunately, getting cheap business insurance quotes and purchasing a policy online is now easier than ever before.

In this article, we’re going to break down all of the common terminology and coverage types that you’ll come across while trying to insure your car cleaning business. Then, we’ll go over the average premium costs that you can expect to pay, depending on what type of car cleaning business you own, and show you how to get cheap and affordable car wash and auto detailing insurance coverage!

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Car Wash Business Insurance: What it Covers

Car wash or auto detailers insurance is designed to protect you and your business from the financial liability associated with the car washing and auto detailing industry. No matter how new your equipment is, how skilled you are at washing and detailing cars, or how great your employees are, there’s always the possibility of an accident happening. 

When it comes to working with other people’s cars, you can never be too careful. If you put a scratch on the wrong car, it could be a $1,000 mistake. If somebody’s wallet goes missing out of their glove box while an employee is detailing their car, your business could face a $10,000 or more lawsuit. 

These are just a couple of examples of things that could go wrong in the car wash and auto detailing industry. The more cars your business cleans, the more employees your company has, and the higher the value of the cars you work on, the higher the risk associated with your business. A comprehensive small business insurance policy for auto detailers and car wash businesses is the only way to ensure that you don’t have to pay out of pocket if (and when) claims come your way. 

Car Wash Liability Insurance

Most car wash and automobile detailing insurance policies are centered around liability insurance coverage. As the name implies, liability insurance is designed to protect you from financial liability. This means that if a claim is filed against your business, you won’t have to pay for it yourself. Instead, your insurance company will pay on your behalf. In addition to paying the claim, they’ll also handle any legal fees, if applicable. 

When it comes to liability insurance for small businesses, you’ll usually have different options available. Since we’ll be discussing the various types throughout the article, we figured that this would be a good time to provide a brief definition of each type of car wash liability insurance coverage you’ll come across such as:

• Public liability insurance

• General liability insurance

• Property damage liability insurance

• Professional liability insurance

Public Liability Insurance

Public liability insurance protects your business from claims made by customers or the general public if they experience an accident due to your business operations. For example, this coverage would protect you if a customer claimed that they tripped and fell on your property then sustained injuries or had their personal effects damaged. Take a look at this example so that you understand further:

• Hoses were lying around on the premises of your business. One of the clients was walking around and tripped, sustaining wounds and dropping his phone. The client demands you pay for his injury and reimburse the value of his damaged device

Public liability insurance is one of the cheapest liability insurance policies available. It’s cheap because the protection it provides isn’t very comprehensive. If you want something that covers most of the possible liabilities you’ll face from customers and other third parties, get general liability insurance. 

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance policy typically encompasses several aspects of public liability insurance. In fact, you don’t need to get public liability insurance if you already have general liability insurance. 

You use general liability insurance to pay for defense costs and compensation in case a client, vendor, or any other third party decides to file a personal injury claim or property damage claim. 

But understand that general liability insurance’s usefulness lies in its comprehensiveness.  General liability insurance will provide more protection if you decide to get its optional policies. These are:

• Advertising injury coverage

• Products and completed operations coverage

A third party might file a claim against your business for committing slander, libel, copyright infringement, false advertising, and other related acts. Advertising injury coverage will cover defense costs and compensatory payments on your behalf. 

Your business’s completed auto detailing or car wash service might have caused personal injuries or property damage to a particular client. Products and completed operations coverage will cover defense costs and compensation for losses or suffering if the past client files a claim. 

Property Damage Liability Insurance

Property damage liability insurance is a must-have for car washes and mobile detailers alike. It protects you from being financially liable for damage to your customers’ cars and other personal property caused by your tools, methods, or improper technique. Here’s an example situation where property damage liability insurance applies:

• An employee is carrying a heavy object and is traversing a path near a customer’s car. As he was passing by, the employee lost his balance due to the sheer weight of the load. The load then crashed on the client’s car, leaving the hood terribly damaged. Because of this, the client filed a claim and demanded payment

Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability insurance protects you from claims filed because your business committed the following:

• Negligence - An employee was cleaning a customer’s car and caused damage. The client filed a claim after knowing that the employee wasn’t giving his full attention while working

• Misrepresentation - While billing a customer, the employee registered the wrong figures. This resulted in the client paying more than what should be paid

• Violation of good faith - Your business is hired by a company to clean its cars. The contract states 10 cars should be cleaned. However, you only managed to finish 5 because trouble happened

When buying general liability insurance, it’s good to get professional liability insurance too. By having these policies, you’ll have comprehensive protection against third-party claims. 

Mobile Detailing Insurance and Mobile Car Wash Insurance

Mobile auto detailing insurance policies include commercial auto insurance, general liability insurance, and professional liability insurance for starters. You don’t need public liability coverage included in mobile car wash detailing insurance since there’s general liability coverage already.

Garage Keepers Insurance for Mobile Detailing

Some mobile detailers regularly work at large auto garages or shops that house multiple cars. In this instance, the risk levels are slightly higher.  This is why some insurance companies offer garage keepers insurance for mobile detailing. 

Garage keepers insurance will cover costs if something happens to the cars in the garage and you’re currently in charge of them. In practice, this insurance will reimburse the owners or help you pay for the repair expenses yourself. Note that garage keepers insurance is a common inclusion not just in mobile detailing insurance but also car dealer’s insurance. 

Mobile Car Valeting Insurance

Many mobile car valeting services also provide car washing or detailing services while the driver is occupied. Since valets will usually be driving the cars, there is an increased risk associated with the business. Not only will you risk damaging the exterior or interior of the car, but you’ll also be exposing it to the risk of a crash on the road or even theft (if somebody steals the keys). 

Mobile car valeting insurance typically includes professional, public, property damage, and general liability policies.

How Much Car Wash and Car Detailing Insurance Do You Need?

The amount of car cleaning insurance coverage you purchase should depend on the value of the cars you’re working on. For example, if you’re just working on regular Nissans or Toyotas, then you’ll probably be fine with a lower limit or higher deductible. Conversely, if you’re working on Ferrari’s or other exotic supercars, then you’ll want a greater degree of coverage. 

Car Detailing Insurance Cost

Small car detailing businesses can expect to pay between $30 and $40 per month or $360 and $480 per year for a standard general liability insurance policy having $1 million - $2 million coverage. Please find the average automobile detailing insurance cost that you can expect to pay based on data from our research below. 

Keep in mind that these are just average rates. The amount you’ll pay could be cheaper or it could cost more, depending on various factors such as the business size, states, and cities your business operates in, gross revenues, how many employees you have, your years of experience in business, and what type of cars you detail.

To compare quotes online and get your customized car detailing insurance quote, click the ‘Get Quotes’ button on this page, follow the process, and you’ll receive competitive quotes online from some of the top car wash and car detailing insurance companies in the nation!  

Mobile Auto Detailing Business Insurance Cost

Mobile auto detailing insurance cost is slightly more expensive due to the fact that you’ll often be working in different locations. On average, mobile car detailing business insurance costs between $32 and $49 per month, or between $384 and $588 per year, for mobile car wash detailing liability insurance coverage. 

Car Wash Insurance Cost

A car wash insurance program typically costs more as there’s an increased risk of claims due to equipment malfunction, property damage, or injury while customers are at your car wash.

The average cost of premiums in America is $60 per month or $720 per year for $1,000,000 general liability insurance coverage. Please find the average rates from some of the best companies below:

Rates may vary significantly depending on: 

• The size of your car wash business

• The car wash type

• What type of equipment your business has 

• How many employees are working at the car wash 

• Its location

• Years in business

• Revenues

• Claims history

• And other factors that determine the risk your insurer carries by financially covering your specific car wash business

Mobile Car Wash Insurance Cost

Mobile car wash insurance is usually priced lower since mobile car washes tend to involve less risk, as you’re not working on expensive-to-repair interior finishes, which means they’re a little cheaper. 

On average, the cost of insurance for mobile car wash businesses is between $27 and $36 per month, or between $324 to $432 per year, for a $1 million general liability insurance coverage.