Esthetician Insurance: Coverage, Liability, Cost & Quotes From $5

Esthetician insurance is a packaged insurance program for self-employed or employed skin care professionals in beauty salons

Inclusions are general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, commercial property insurance, equipment insurance, and more. Get this because clients will only work with an esthetician covered by insurance.

Professional Liability Insurance for Estheticians

Beauty and personal care is a very sensitive job. It’s common for estheticians to be held liable for malpractice or negligence. Here are some examples:

  • A client, who sustained burns on her face, sued and accused an esthetician of medical malpractice and negligence for using an IPL device without any formal training and failing to supervise staff

  • An Atlanta esthetician faced a $500,000 lawsuit for deceptive practices and negligence filed by a patient who sustained burns after a chemical peel treatment

Similar to nail technicians, makeup artists, cosmetologists, and beauty therapists, you need professional liability insurance. Professional liability insurance for estheticians grants protection against claims for negligence or malpractice. Also called malpractice or professional indemnity insurance, this provides $1 million-$6 million you can use to cover:

  • Settlements

  • Defense costs

  • Court judgments

You get malpractice insurance for estheticians as a highly tailored policy. And so, it might come with additional perks not found in generic professional liability policies. These are other benefits you might get:

  • $5,000-$150,000 for investigations and lawsuits filed by state licensing boards 

  • $25,000 for your bodily injuries or property damage resulting from an assault or battery committed by a patient

  • $25,000 for defense costs when you face a claim for HIPAA violations

Understand that professional liability insurance for estheticians is underwritten as a per-occurrence policy. And so, it provides protection even though its effective duration has already lapsed. 


General Liability Insurance for Estheticians

Estheticians aren’t only liable for negligence or malpractice. Any accidents in the clinic are also grounds for a claim. Here are some examples:

  • An Atlanta esthetician was sued for $500,000 after a chemical peel left second-degree burns on a client’s face

  • An esthetician was held liable and paid $145,000 after a regular customer experienced allergic reactions from a product

  • A client sued for $35,000 after an esthetician’s steamer malfunctioned and scalder her face

Professional liability insurance doesn’t cover claims for bodily injuries or property damage because of accidents. This is why you need to get general liability insurance for estheticians. 

The general liability policy included in esthetician liability insurance programs provides $1 million-$3 million. You can use this to:

  • Pay the medical treatment of the client

  • Pay for the replacement or repair of the client’s damaged property

  • Cover settlements

  • Pay for attorney fees, court filing fees, and other defense costs

  • Cover court judgments

The general liability insurance for estheticians comes with additional perks. Aside from coverage against bodily injuries or property damage, you also enjoy these benefits:

  • $150,000-$300,000 for any damage to a rented space caused by fire

  • $1 million-$2 million for claims and accusations of slander, libel, and copyright infringement

Product liability coverage is included in the terms of a general liability policy. This covers defense costs and settlement if the soaps or lotions you made cause allergic reactions. And so, general liability can be used as an insurance for homemade skin care products. 


Short-Term General Liability Insurance for Estheticians 

Estheticians renting salon booths can get general liability insurance as a short-term policy. This kind of insurance grants coverage against bodily injuries or property damage for only hours, days, weeks, or months. The minimum insurance money you can get for claims is $1 million-$2 million. Options are Thimble, Hiscox, and The Hartford. 

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Equipment Breakdown Insurance for Estheticians

The general liability policy of skin care professional insurance programs comes with an equipment breakdown floater. 

Equipment breakdown insurance allows you to cover replacement or repair expenses if laser treatment machines, facial machines, steamers, and other equipment gets lost or damaged because of:

  • Impact

  • Mechanical breakdown

  • Electrical breakdown

  • Electrical surge

  • Electrical shorts

  • Operator error

You get $5,000-$10,000 minimum coverage from an equipment breakdown insurance floater. If this is too little, consider getting it as a stand-alone policy and enjoy up to $50,000-$100,000 coverage. 


Commercial Property Insurance for Estheticians

An esthetician’s clinic is never cheap. At the minimum, you’ll spend $50,000-$100,000 to build a clinic from scratch or renovate a rented commercial space.

It’s a good idea to insure your clinic with commercial property insurance. If a disaster happens, this esthetician insurance coverage will allow you to continue as if nothing happened. Commercial property insurance protects your clinic against:

  • Fire 

  • Theft

  • Vandalism

  • Riot

  • Civil commotion

  • Volcanic action

  • Sinkhole collapse

  • Lightning

  • Aircraft

  • Vehicle

  • Falling objects

  • Winds

  • Snow

  • Storm

  • Hail

Commercial property insurance for skincare business also covers the equipment, furniture, and other valuables inside your clinic. But note that the policy doesn’t limit itself to these. It’s also possible for commercial property insurance to give:

  • $10,000 business income coverage

  • $10,000 employee dishonesty coverage

  • $5,000 for any damage to utility services

  • $5,000 for lost documents

  • $5,000-$10,000 for credit card damage or loss

  • $1,000-$1,500 for lost or damaged key and locks 

You can’t use commercial property insurance to recover losses if business property gets damaged or lost during transit. You need another insurance for this exposure. Earthquakes, floods, mudslides, war, and molds are also excluded. 


Inland Marine Insurance for Estheticians

You need inland marine insurance to cover business property in transit. This is useful if you own two or more clinics and need to transfer supplies and equipment.

Inland marine insurance applies if business properties get damaged or lost due to these perils while being transported:

  • Fire

  • Theft

  • Malicious mischief

  • Negligence or error

  • Mysterious disappearance

  • Lightning

  • Vehicular accident 

You purchase inland marine insurance as a stand-alone policy. However, the most convenient way of having this esthetician business insurance is by getting it as a floater to commercial property insurance or general liability insurance. 


Workers Compensation Insurance for Estheticians 

Your skincare business insurance program needs to have a worker’s compensation insurance policy if you work with full-time and part-time associates. 

It’s easy to get injured at work. Associates might contract a bloodborne disease, get burned or cut when equipment malfunctions, or slip and fall while moving about in the clinic.

Workers’ compensation insurance covers the resulting costs on your behalf when an employee sustains an occupational disease or injury. Particular costs covered by this policy are:

  • Fees for EMT service, first aid treatment, surgery, and other costs for medical treatment

  • Inpatient hospital bills

  • Prescription medicines

  • Rehabilitation and retraining

  • After-hospital visits

  • Lost wages

  • Funeral expenses and allowance to dependents in case of death

Failure to get workers’ compensation insurance when you have associates is punishable by law. Authorities will impose accumulating fines or a penalty twice the amount you would’ve paid for workers comp premiums. In the worst-case scenario, your clinic might be forced to stop operating. 


Employer’s Liability Insurance for Estheticians

Comprehensively designed aesthetician insurance plans include an employer’s liability coverage in their worker’s compensation policies. 

Employer’s liability insurance grants coverage if an employee, who sustained a work-related injury or disease, sues you. You use this to cover settlements, defense costs, and court judgments. 

This insurance grants a minimum $100,000 coverage for each employee injury by accident and $500,000 for each employee injury by disease. 

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Esthetician Insurance Cost

The average cost of a $1 million general liability coverage is about $57 per month or $684 per year. Follow these tips on getting cheap esthetician insurance:

  • Pay a $1,500 deductible on your general liability or professional liability insurance policy

  • Bundle two or more policies to get a 5%-10% discount

  • Remove employer’s liability insurance from workers’ compensation insurance 

That said, esthetician insurance cost is dependent on multiple key factors that are unique to each individual and each business. For example, larger esthetician businesses will pay more for their insurance because that will increase the chances of them needing to make a claim.  On the other hand, independent workers can expect to pay less for their insurance because they see fewer clients over the course of a year. 

Here’s a table showing how much the best companies charge for their aesthetician liability insurance:

Cost per Month Cost per Year Best for
NEXT $8.33 $99.96 Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for estheticians
CoverWallet $10 $120 Esthetician insurance quotes comparison online
Tivly $12 $144 Comparing esthetician insurance quotes over the phone
Hiscox $15 $180 General liability insurance with worldwide coverage for estheticians
Hands On Trade $15 $180 Esthetician liability insurance that covers a lot of methods
Elite Beauty $18 $216 Two-year esthetician insurance
ASCP $21 $252 Esthetician insurance with generous limits

Compare Esthetician Insurance Quotes

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Best Esthetician Insurance Companies

A skin care business insurance is only as good as the company backing it up, so it’s a good idea to be well-acquainted with the carriers that you might find yourself working with. We’re going to look at the best esthetician insurance companies’ pros, cons, and pricing for a $1 million general liability insurance. 


NEXT Esthetician Insurance 

Pros

  • Best overall

  • Issues an online proof of insurance instantly

  • Fastest general liability insurance for estheticians

  • Great customer service and reputation

  • Excellent rates

  • Outstanding value for money

  • Bundle two or more insurance policies and get a 10% discount

Cons

  • Couldn’t find any

NEXT is an insurance company that caters to the needs of small businesses and independent professionals. Its tailored insurance for estheticians is available in all 50 states of the US. At the moment, NEXT has an A-excellent rating from AM best and is accredited by Better Business Bureau. 

So what are the inclusions in this company’s esthetician insurance? Types of business insurance available are general liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and commercial property insurance. 

This company’s deluxe coverage is the cheapest. However, you only get the minimum general liability coverage. Consider getting NEXT’s premiere coverage, which is a bundled package of all the policies it offers to estheticians. 

NEXT works best if you’re an independent esthetician because it offers a live certificate of insurance you can easily send to clients, salons, and other related parties to land gigs and make money. 

Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for estheticians

Average cost: $8.33 per month 

Our rating: 10/10


CoverWallet Esthetician Insurance

Pros

  • Compare esthetician insurance quotes online

  • Cancel a policy anytime

  • Stable rates 

Cons

  • Not an insurance company but an insurance broker

CoverWallet is an insurance broker that’s a sister company of AON. This company sells tailored esthetician insurance consisting of policies offered by its partners. You have four insurance options to choose from-general liability only, general liability and professional liability insurance, bundled general liability and professional liability insurance with workers comp, and a custom plan. 

There are many perks to buying insurance from CoverWallet. First off, the company allows you to use its online quotes comparison platform in case you want to see the offers and pricing of other companies offering tailored coverage for estheticians. Secondly, you can get insured without talking to an agent. Third, the insurance broker allows you to cancel a policy anytime for free. 

Best for: Esthetician insurance quotes comparison online

Average cost: $10 per month

Our rating: 10/10


Tivly Esthetician Insurance 

Pros

  • Responsive customer service

  • Compare esthetician insurance quotes over the phone

  • A partner of many reputable insurance companies 

Cons

  • You need to call to get a quote 

While Tivly (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) doesn’t state that it provides specialized coverage for estheticians, consider calling this company because it works with a wide variety of businesses. 

And so, if your profile is good, this company can take you to partners who are willing to insure you with their general liability, commercial auto, workers compensation, and other business insurance policies.  

Call Tivly now and compare esthetician insurance quotes over the phone. 

Best for: Comparing esthetician insurance quotes over the phone

Average cost: $12 per month

Our rating: 10/10


Hiscox Esthetician Insurance

Pros

  • Worldwide coverage

  • 14-day money-back guarantee

  • You can choose policy limits

Cons

  • You can’t get commercial property insurance as a stand-alone policy 

Hiscox offers general liability, commercial property, professional liability, and cyber liability insurance for estheticians. 

Your general liability insurance from this company will have a $300,000-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. The same also goes for professional liability insurance. You can bundle general liability and commercial property insurance in a BOP to get a discount. 

Best for: General liability insurance with worldwide coverage for estheticians

Average cost: $15 per month

Our rating: 10/10


Hands On Trade Insurance for Esthetician

Pros

  • Coverage applies anywhere

  • Extra resources

Cons  

  • Not a carrier itself

The Hands On Trade Association is a lot more than a risk purchasing group, and it has been in continuous operation since 2000. Along with providing its members with insurance coverage, the Hands On Trade Association also maintains a code of ethics for all of its members.

The Hands On insurance for esthetician policy features both professional and general liability coverage that comes with you wherever you’re working, ensuring that you don’t need multiple policies. Like many other beauty insurance policies, this one also covers multiple methods, saving you money in the long run.

Best for: Esthetician liability insurance that covers a lot of methods 

Average cost: $15 per month 

Our rating: 8/10


Elite Esthetician Insurance

Pros

  • Its two-year policy is affordable

  • Also offers student policies

  • Reasonable coverage limits

Cons

  • Only $1,000 of stolen or damaged equipment protection

The Elite Beauty Society was started in 2015, and it was originally named Beauty Insurance Plus. This group was founded to protect the interests of cosmetologists and to ensure that they can access the insurance coverage that they need. They work with a wide range of beauty professionals.

The Elite Beauty Society’s policy is available in both one-year and two-year subscriptions, with the latter being a little more affordable. You get $3 million general and professional liability coverage, and $2 million product liability coverage.

Best for: Two-year esthetician insurance

Average cost: $18 per month 

Our rating: 7/10


ASCP Esthetician Insurance

Pros

  • High coverage limit

  • Marketing resources

Cons

  • Pricier than alternatives

ASCP stands for Associated Skin Care Professionals, and this is a risk purchasing group for professionals working in the field. ASCP tends to have flat membership fees and the same level of coverage for all of their members, though they may still have specific add-ons for each policy.

ASCP’s policy comes with professional liability insurance with a coverage limit of $6 million as well as a wide range of benefits that are exclusive to its members. For example, your esthetician insurance ASCP policy comes with over 100 webinars, a free website, as well as discounts.

Best for: Esthetician insurance with generous limits 

Average cost: $21 per month 

Our rating: 6/10


Frequently Asked Questions 

How To Find Esthetician Insurance in California?

Using sites that allow you to compare quotes online or over the phone is the best way for finding esthetician insurance in California. Consider visiting CoverWallet, Insureon, Tivly, Bravo Policy, BizInsure, and Compare The Market. 


Is Professional Liability Insurance Required for Estheticians? 

Depending on where you are, the minimum amount of professional liability insurance is required for license application and renewal. You might be required to get $1 million-$3 million professional liability insurance. Contact the licensing board of your state to know the exact figure. 

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