Painting has long been one of the main forms of human expression, and there are countless ways to paint, ranging from the methods of a traditional artisan to the challenging discipline of face painting and body painting. However, perhaps the most common form of commercial painting is house painting.

In this article, we’re going to take a deeper look at painting insurance, including what kind of painting business insurance policies are recommended and how much does painters insurance coverage cost. We’ll also explore some of the top insurance companies for painters and compare them to each other.

Do Painters Need Insurance?

Many people ask themselves whether their house painters need insurance in the first place, and while the answer is technically no, there are countless reasons why that’s a bad idea. Hiring a painter without insurance can go very bad very quickly, especially if they’re not qualified for the job.

For example, if the painter uses a hazardous kind of paint and one of your family members falls ill because of it, you may not be able to get any money out of them unless they’re insured. Even if nothing ends up going wrong, an insured painter clearly takes their job seriously, so it’s a good way to vet your options.

Painters Liability Insurance

The most common form of painters insurance is liability coverage, which will protect you from lawsuits initiated by members of the public, including your clients. There’s a lot on the line when you’re painting a house, and this gives clients many opportunities to come after you for damages.

For example, if you drop a gallon of paint on the floor and it ends up damaging the flooring itself, liability coverage will likely protect you unless the error was due to negligence. Public liability insurance is less common for painters, however, with many businesses opting for general liability coverage instead.

General Liability Insurance for Painters

General liability coverage differs from public coverage in the number of people that it protects you from. Whereas public coverage will only kick in with members of the public (AKA third parties), general liability coverage will cover you in case one of your employees or even you gets injured or sustains property damage.

Of course, due to the heightened chances of the insurer having to pay out with a general liability policy, you’ll find yourself paying more when it comes to your painter insurance premiums. Most business owners seem to think that the additional coverage is worth the extra cost.

Painting Contractors Insurance

Insurance for painting contractors is usually more affordable than insurance for a full-fledged business because of the lower stakes involved in covering contractors. Contractors tend to have less equipment that needs to be covered and they usually take on smaller jobs that have a lower likelihood of resulting in damages.

Painters Insurance Cost

The cost of your painters insurance will vary dramatically based on the size of your house painting business. A larger business that works on more valuable homes will likely end up having to pay more for their coverage because of the larger amount of money that’s at stake with each job.

For a standard general liability insurance policy, the average painters insurance cost is about $44 per month or $528 per year.

You’ll also have to account for the number of employees that are working for you if you’re planning on paying for a workers’ compensation policy. Finally, if your business has a history of botching jobs, you’ll likely pay more for insurance because that won’t inspire much faith in the insurance company.

To gather these numbers from 3 of the best painters insurance companies, we’ve used an average-sized painting company with a clean history:

In addition, please check out our reviews of some of the top insurers in the field below:

Geico Painters Insurance

Geico stands for The Government Employees Insurance Company, and they’ve been in business since 1995, making them one of the younger insurers in the United States. While the company is known for its witty commercials, they specialize in auto insurance, tackling more niche insurance types on a case by case basis.

Geico Policy Details

Geico doesn’t actually have a specific painting business insurance policy, though they do cover painters with their general liability coverage. This policy is designed to cover you in case of property damage, physical injury, personal and advertising injury, and defense costs.

Pros

• Covers defense costs

• Geico has experience working with artisan contractors

• BOPs also available

Cons

• A little pricey

Average Cost: $55

Best for: Larger painting businesses

Our Rating: 3.5/5

Progressive Painters Insurance

The Progressive Corporation made its name selling auto insurance, but the company has since expanded into more niche fields of insurance, including painting insurance. The company has been running since 1937, and it has a reputation for quick claims handling and reasonable prices.

Progressive Policy Details

Progressive offers two main types of coverage for painters, including general liability insurance and commercial auto insurance for any vehicles that you may have in your fleet. Optional add-ons for painting businesses include a BOP (business owners policy) and workers’ comp.

Pros

• Wide range of policies available

• Quick claims handling

• Affordable

Cons

• Can get pricier due to risk exposure

Average Cost: $43

Best for: Low-risk painting

Our Rating: 4.5/5