If you own a car wash business, then you’re going to need a comprehensive car wash insurance policy to protect you against claims made against your business if a customer’s car is damaged on your premises or due to your cleaning machinery. Similarly, auto detailers should also maintain a mobile detailing business insurance policy to protect them against various damage claims or professional liability claims. 

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!

Car Wash Business Insurance: What it Covers

Car wash or 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 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 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 auto 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 damage claim is filed against your business, you won’t have to pay for it yourself. Instead, your insurance company will pay for the claim. In addition to paying the claim, they’ll also handle any legal fees associated with the lawsuit or insurance claim (which can often cost thousands of dollars extra). 

When it comes to liability insurance for small businesses, you’ll usually have a few different options available to you. 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:

• Public Liability: Public liability insurance protects your business from claims made by customers or the general public regarding the premises of your business. For example, this coverage would protect you if a customer claimed that they tripped and fell on your property or sustained a chemical burn due to an unsafe cleaning compound. 

• Property Damage Liability: Property damage liability 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. 

• Professional Liability: Professional liability insurance protects you from claims that your services weren’t provided as advertised or were improperly marketed. For example, a customer could claim that your paint repair service didn’t remove enough scratches or that an employee stole something from their vehicle. 

• General Liability: General liability policies typically encompass several aspects of public liability and property damage liability insurance. However, general liability policies differ from one provider to another, so you’ll need to ask your agent to make sure that you have the right level of coverage for your car wash or auto detailing business. 

Mobile Detailing Insurance and Mobile Car Wash Insurance

Mobile auto detailing insurance policies should include property damage liability and professional liability insurance for starters. Since you’re a mobile detailer, you may not need public liability insurance as you won’t have any customers coming directly to your business location.

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 policy. Conversely, if you’re working on Ferrari’s or other exotic supercars, then you’ll want a greater degree of coverage. 

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. Although the type of insurance that you’ll need is the same, you’ll likely need a higher limit on your property damage and professional liability insurance policies. 

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 all grouped together in a large umbrella policy. 

Car Detailing Insurance Cost

Alright, now for the part you’ve all been dying to know- the cost of car detailing insurance. For the most part, purchasing a liability insurance policy for a car detailing business is easy and affordable. 

Small car detailing businesses can expect to pay between $30 and $40 per month or $360 to $480 per year for a standard general liability insurance policy of $1M/$2M coverage. Please find the average auto 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 receives competitive quotes online from some of the top car wash and auto detailing insurance companies in the nation!  

Mobile Auto Detailing Business Insurance Cost

Mobile auto detailing insurance cost is slightly more due to the fact that you’ll often be working on the inside of the client’s car. This presents a number of risks, including damage to interior electronics, seats, or fabrics, and theft claims (if items go missing while the car is being cleaned). 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

Car wash insurance programs typically cost a little bit more since you're dealing with a physical business location where your customers come. This means that there’s an increased risk of claims due to equipment malfunction, public liability or injury claims while customers are at your car wash, and more. If you offer personal car washes, then you’ll also pay extra for hand car wash insurance coverage. 

The average car wash insurance cost in America is $60 per month, or $725 per year for $1,000,000 general liability insurance coverage. Please find average rates from some of the best car wash insurance companies below:

That said, rates may very significantly depending on: 

• The size of your car wash business
• The car wash type
• What type of equipment your business have 
• How many employees are working at the car wash 
• Its location
• Years in business
• Revenues
• Claims history
• And other factors that determines 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, mobile car wash insurance cost is between $27 and $36 per month, or between $324 to $432, for a $1m general liability insurance coverage.