Cleaning Business Insurance: Insurance for Cleaning Company

Running a cleaning business means juggling a lot more than just mops and disinfectants. You’re managing client expectations, keeping staff safe, protecting expensive equipment, and entering other people’s homes and workplaces sometimes all in the same day. That kind of work carries risk. Whether you’re a solo house cleaner or run a growing commercial team, the right business insurance protects you from the accidents, injuries, and legal claims that can wipe out your business overnight. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about cleaning business insurance in 2025 from coverage types and real-world risks to pricing, top providers, and how to find a policy that fits your operation.

Key Takeaways:

• Cleaning business insurance protects against property damage, bodily injury, employee lawsuits, equipment loss, cybercrime, and more.
• General liability and professional liability are the most essential policies for cleaners and contractors, with $1M–$2M coverage limits recommended.
• Workers’ comp, commercial auto, and property insurance are highly recommended based on your structure and services.
• Expect to pay around $37–$103/month, depending on your cleaning specialty, business size, and risk level.

Why Every Cleaning Business Needs Insurance

Whether you clean homes, offices, pools, or high-rise windows, your business is exposed to more risk than you think. A client could trip on a wet floor you just mopped. A new employee might misuse chemicals and cause property damage. Or you could miss a contracted deadline, resulting in a lawsuit and lost business.

Insurance doesn’t just help you meet client and landlord requirements; it protects your livelihood.

Customers increasingly expect cleaning professionals to be insured. Landlords, municipalities, and government contracts usually won’t work with uninsured vendors. But more importantly, a single accident could result in a six-figure claim that wipes out your business overnight. With the right insurance in place, you can focus on growing your company while not worrying about what happens if something goes wrong.

General Liability Insurance for Cleaning Businesses

General liability insurance is the cornerstone of your cleaning business policy. It covers bodily injury and property damage caused to third parties, your clients, visitors, or others who aren’t employed by your company.

Let’s say one of your cleaners accidentally knocks over a flat-screen TV while moving furniture. Or a client slips on a freshly waxed floor and breaks their wrist. General liability kicks in to cover the medical bills, repairs, legal fees, and any settlements.

This policy can also include:

• Products and completed operations coverage: If a customer claims your work caused damage after the job was completed, such as streaked windows or chemical damage to a carpet. 
• Advertising injury coverage: Protects you if you’re accused of libel, slander, or copyright infringement in marketing material.

For most cleaning companies, a $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate policy is the industry standard. However, if you clean in high-value areas or commercial settings, you may want to go higher.

Make sure your business has sufficient coverage if you happen to be cleaning water treatment plants!

Why Professional Liability Insurance Is Just as Important

Professional liability insurance (also known as errors and omissions insurance) covers your business when a client claims you were negligent or made a mistake that caused them financial loss.

Here’s what this looks like in action:

• Negligence: An employee mixes bleach and ammonia in a poorly ventilated space, making the property uninhabitable for days. The client sues for hotel costs and respiratory issues. 
• Misrepresentation: Your website lists carpet cleaning services, but your team shows up without the right equipment. The client sues for breach of contract. 
• Failure to deliver on time: You’re hired to clean a banquet hall before a wedding. Your team runs late, delaying the event setup. The couple sues for damages. 
• Bad advice: A small animal shelter asks for tips on cleaning protocols. They follow your advice, and an animal gets sick. They hold you liable. 

Professional liability covers legal fees, settlements, and related costs. It comes in two forms: claims-made (only valid while the policy is active) and occurrence (covers claims even after the policy expires, as long as the incident happened while it was active).

How Much Coverage Do You Need?

A $1M/$2M general and professional liability package is the starting point. But many larger contracts or government jobs require higher limits.

If you’re worried about hitting those caps, you can add excess liability insurance, which extends your protection.

For example, if a client wins a $1.5 million judgment against you, but your general liability only covers $1 million, your excess policy covers the remaining $500,000. It’s an affordable way to raise your coverage without buying a more expensive base policy.

Other Must-Have Policies for Cleaning Companies

Liability insurance covers a lot, but not everything. Depending on the size and scope of your cleaning business, here are additional coverages you should consider:

Workers Compensation Insurance

This covers employee medical expenses and lost wages if they get hurt on the job. Cleaners face exposure to:

• Slippery floors and falls 
• Harsh chemicals 
• Confined spaces and awkward positions 
• Electrical hazards in older buildings

Workers’ comp is mandatory in every state except Texas. Penalties for noncompliance are steep: up to $10,000 in some states. If you can’t get coverage from a private carrier, you may qualify for your state’s risk pool or assigned risk fund.

Employer’s Liability Insurance

This covers you if an injured employee claims you were negligent, such as failing to provide safe equipment or training. Standard limits range from $1M to $2M.

Note: It does not cover employment-related claims like harassment or discrimination. For that, consider Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI).

Cyber Liability Insurance

If your business accepts digital payments, stores client info, or uses software to manage jobs, you’re vulnerable to cyberattacks. This policy covers data breaches, credit card leaks, and ransomware attacks.

Employee Dishonesty Insurance

Protects your business from internal threats like theft, fraud, vandalism, or misuse of company resources by employees.

Commercial Property Insurance

This covers your business location and contents (equipment, supplies, furniture) in the event of fire, vandalism, weather, or theft. You can also add:

• Business interruption insurance: Covers lost income while you recover from a covered event 
• Equipment breakdown coverage: Covers mechanical failure of key machines like vacuums or dryers

Tailored Insurance for Different Cleaning Niches

Not all cleaning businesses face the same risks. Fortunately, most insurers offer tailored policies based on your specialty.

Cleaning Contractor Insurance

Great for freelancers or independent cleaners. Typically includes general liability, and optionally professional liability, income protection, or commercial auto.

Roof Cleaning Insurance

Roof work or gutter cleaning adds height-related risk. Look for:

• $2M general and professional liability 
• Income protection for falls or recovery time 
• Equipment/tool replacement coverage
  

Laundromat Cleaning Insurance

While not entirely the same thing as a cleaning business, some companies may be interested in expanding their business presence by opening a laundromat. A laundromat requires insurance that is very different from a cleaning business, beginning with a strong commercial property or BOP to take care of the building and equipment.

One-Day Cleaning Insurance

Need short-term coverage for a one-off event or contract? You can purchase 24-hour general liability coverage from providers like Thimble. Ideal for freelancers, seasonal gigs, or part-time cleaners.

Pressure Washing Business

A pressure washing business carries its unique risks and challenges. Make sure your policy covers that type of work and if not, then you’ll want to look into getting pressure washing insurance.

Maid Services

If your cleaning business offers domestic maid services, you will want to make sure your employees are properly covered. Workers’ comp is going to be a key part of your maid cleaning business insurance.

What Reddit and Cleaning Industry Pros Are Saying

We analyzed dozens of threads across Reddit communities like r/smallbusiness and r/cleaningtips to learn what cleaners really think about business insurance. Here’s what stood out:

• Assumptions are dangerous: Many cleaners believe they’re covered under their client’s or landlord’s policy until something goes wrong. 
• Lawsuits are rarely dramatic: Most claims come from everyday accidents like slips, scratched floors, or allergic reactions to cleaning products. 
• Short-term coverage is underused: Many part-time or pop-up businesses could save money by buying per-job policies through apps like Thimble. 
• Clients are asking more questions: Several cleaners noted that clients are beginning to request certificates of insurance before booking. 

Industry professionals echo this. An executive at a commercial P&C carrier noted that most claims come not from big mistakes but “normal tasks going sideways.” Their advice? Don’t wait until your first claim to get serious about protection.

What Cleaning Business Insurance Costs in 2025

Cleaning business insurance prices vary based on coverage, risk level, business size, location, and the insurer. Here’s what to expect:

In general:

• Higher risk = higher cost 
• Residential cleaners pay the least 
• High-rise, power washing, and commercial jobs pay the most
  

Best Cleaning Insurance Companies

Now that you have somewhat of an idea of the average cost of liability insurance for a cleaning company, it’s time to take a minute to provide you with a brief overview of the best providers of insurance for a cleaning business. Let’s talk about their pros, cons, and pricing for a $1 million general liability coverage.

CoverWallet Cleaning Business Insurance

Pros

• Compare quotes and purchase insurance online
• Offers general liability with $200,000 limit
• Has a business owner’s policy with workers’ comp

Cons

• Not an insurance company but a broker selling the quotes of its partners

CoverWallet offers cleaning business insurance in four options. With this company, you can choose to get general liability only, general liability with commercial property, business owner’s policy with workers’ comp, and a customized insurance plan.

CoverWallet’s general liability insurance for cleaning businesses starts at a $200,000 limit. Independent cleaning professionals will find this very advantageous. Other perks the company offers are online proof of insurance, policy management, and payments.

Best for: Cleaning business insurance online quotes comparison

Average cost: $32.91  per month

Our rating: 10/10

Thimble Cleaning Business Insurance

Pros

• Short-term cleaning business insurance
• Get online proof of insurance fast
• Cancel a policy anytime at no cost

Cons

• Claims filing can only be done online

Thimble primarily offers general liability insurance for cleaning businesses and independent cleaning contractors. But if you want more protection, then the company won’t discourage you from getting professional liability insurance. Other cleaning business insurance policies offered are business owner’s policy and workers’ compensation insurance. Thimble’s price starts at $38 per month.  However, you can also get insured for only hours, days, or weeks. Short-term insurance pricing starts at $6 per hour.

Best for: Cheap short-term cleaning insurance

Average cost: $38  per month

Our rating: 9/10

USAA Cleaning Insurance

Pros

• Can provide a diverse range of insurance policies for different cleaning businesses
• Reliable, friendly customer support and claims management

Cons

• Only available to the military

If you’re looking for cheap cleaning business insurance, then USAA has the best prices on the market. Time and time again, they’ve been consistently ranked as the lowest-cost insurer in the United States. However, there’s one catch- you have to be in the military (active duty or retired) to apply.

Whether you need insurance for a house cleaning business or a larger commercial cleaning business, USAA can provide business owners with comprehensive and affordable plans that can’t be beat by any other insurer on the market. They’re also well known for their respectful customer service, rewarding long-term members, and for their reliability.

Best for: Veteran and military cleaning business owners

Average Cost: $42  per month

Rating:   8/10

GEICO Cleaning Insurance

Pros

• Versatility in business insurance
• Fast, easy-to-use smartphone app
• Instant insurance coverage

Cons

• There are other cheaper insurance providers

Everybody knows Geico by the little green gecko who talks about how customers can “save 15% or more by switching their car insurance.” However, Geico also provides insurance for self-employed house cleaners, workers’ compensation insurance for cleaning businesses, pressure washing businesses, and just about any other small business you could think of. Generally, Geico is known for fair insurance premiums pricing, its easy-to-use app, and overall versatility as an insurer. Geico has a strong history in car insurance, which makes them a great choice for commercial auto insurance if you have any company vehicles you need to insure (such as window cleaning van insurance).

Best for: Commercial window cleaning liability insurance, residential cleaning insurance, commercial auto insurance

Average Cost: $46  per month

Rating: 7/10

State Farm Cleaning Insurance

Pros

• Free cleaning insurance quotes
• Competitive rates for cleaning service insurance costs
• Friendly customer service
• Offices nationwide

Cons

• Claims may take a while to process

If you’re looking for reliable insurance for a home cleaning business, then State Farm is highly regarded in terms of customer service. They have offices across the country, which means that it’s relatively easy to get in contact with an agent and speak with somebody in person, should the need ever arise. As far as pricing goes, State Farm is also quite competitive. Their cleaning business insurance and bonding costs are very similar to the rates offered by GEICO and Progressive.

Best for: Small cleaning businesses such as local pressure washers, self-employed cleaners, auto detailers, or dry cleaning shops

Average Cost: $50  per month

Rating: 6/10

Final Checklist for Choosing the Right Coverage

Before you buy:

1. Know your risk: Are you dealing with heights, chemicals, or sensitive commercial spaces?
2. Check contract requirements: What are the liability minimums? Do you need proof of insurance?
3. Compare at least 3 quotes: Prices vary wildly, especially for short-term or custom setups.
4. Bundle policies where possible: Many insurers discount when you combine liability, auto, or property insurance.
5. Don’t skip professional liability: It’s the #1 overlooked policy and can save your business in a dispute.

Secure Your Business Before the Next Spill

You’ve worked hard to build your cleaning business. Whether you’re just starting or expanding to multiple crews, insurance protects everything you’ve built from one costly mistake. With the right policy in place, you can clean confidently, scale wisely, and show clients that you take your business and theirs seriously.

The best part? Coverage starts at just a dollar or two a day.