Pets can get injured during a grooming session. They can sustain cuts or even die due to heat exhaustion. Dog groomers like you are hired by pet boarding facilities. The thing is they might not be kind enough to sign you into their pet boarding insurance in case something happens.
How can you mitigate risks or protect your business from the financial implications arising from lawsuits due to such unexpected events? That’s why pet grooming insurance is crucial to dog groomers just as kennel insurance is crucial to dog boarding facilities.
It protects your business from financial losses caused by accidental injuries that pets sustain during grooming sessions. And in case, your business takes dogs for a stroll to make extra income, then this might help too and function as a dog walking insurance.
Just like pet sitting insurance, the coverage also covers any third-party injuries or property damages caused by a pet. Generally, dog grooming insurance is a crucial tool in your risk management arsenal, ensuring your business continues to thrive in the event of a loss.
Who Requires Dog Grooming Business Insurance?
It’s a no-brainer that dog groomer insurance is primarily geared toward individuals and facilities that operate pet grooming businesses. However, this is also recommended for other businesses in the pet industry that offer grooming services. The following is a list of operators that require grooming insurance:
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Professional pet groomers
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Pet salons
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Mobile grooming businesses
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Pet daycare establishments
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Kennels
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Pet boarding facilities
Individuals who provide grooming services as a hobby or as a side hustle can also leverage pet groomer insurance to cover accidents, injuries, and property damages that might occur during the grooming process.
Do I Really Need Pet Grooming Business Insurance?
Some insurance policies are mandatory for businesses, and others are optional but can be highly beneficial when you least expect it. Here’s the reality: no business is immune to natural disasters, accidents, or malicious human activities, such as burglary, theft, and vandalism. Besides protecting you and your business, many clients wouldn’t choose to drop off their dogs at an uninsured grooming facility.
Purchasing pet grooming business insurance demonstrates your commitment to providing professional and responsible pet care services. It guarantees your customers that they are fully covered in case anything happens to their pet during a regular grooming appointment. After all, grooming a dog takes a lot of money. Many are spending hefty amounts on pet insurance that covers grooming. And the least that you want is to get on the bad side of clients.
Liability Insurance for Dog Groomers
Liability insurance is the most common and important type of protection for dog grooming salons.
Liability coverage protects your business from financial losses and legal responsibilities that you might face due to claims for bodily injuries, property damage, and negligence. Liability Insurance for dog groomers can be classified as a general liability policy, professional liability policy, or public liability policy.
General Liability Insurance for Dog Groomers
CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | Pet Care | |
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Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $500,000/$1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $100,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Can be included | No |
Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Can be included | No |
Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Can be included | Yes |
Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
General liability insurance is a must-have policy for your business, whether you provide dog grooming services at home, in a salon, or in a mobile vehicle.
A dog may suffer an injury during a grooming session due to sudden movements or excessive use of force. On the flip side, a pet owner may sustain an injury while in your grooming facility.
In such circumstances, this dog grooming liability insurance will cover the amount required to compensate for the injury sustained by the client’s pet. It’ll also cover the medical costs for the client’s treatments, legal defense fees, and any compensatory amount if the client takes legal action against your business.
A Client Left His Dog in My Care. It Escaped and No One Noticed. Can General Liability Insurance Help if a Claim is Filed?
No. This type of dog groomers insurance can’t help. It’s because a general liability policy of a dog groomer, similar to the general liability policy of a pet sitter, has a care, custody, and control exclusion. Which means that it doesn’t cover the damage or loss of any property left in your care.
Professional Liability Insurance for Dog Groomers
CoverWallet | NEXT | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
License defense coverage included? | No | No | No | No |
Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 |
This type of dog grooming business insurance protects you in case a client sustains financial losses due to their dog’s escape, death, or injury as caused by issues you caused or your failure to perform. While the risks covered under general liability are accidental, professional liability covers injuries and losses due to negligence, recklessness, misconduct, or errors. That’s why this coverage is also known as errors & omissions (E&O) insurance.
How Much Professional Liability Coverage Does Your Dog Grooming Business Need?
A $1 million professional liability insurance is enough to cover your dog grooming business against claims for negligence, recklessness, misconduct, and errors. However, we suggest you get $2 million coverage or more if your dog grooming business provides other services.
Will Professional Liability Insurance Grant Coverage if a Client Files a Claim for a Poor Grooming Service?
Your client might also file a claim after discovering that his or her pet wasn’t properly groomed. Professional liability insurance can cover this provided that it has a limited professional liability endorsement. By the way, you can also cover claims for unsatisfactory work by using the products and completed operations coverage of general liability insurance.
Does My Professional Liability Insurance Automatically Cover the Negligence or Mistakes of Independent Groomers I Occasionally Hire?
Professional liability insurance doesn’t grant immediate coverage to groomers you occasionally hire. Nonetheless, you can use the policy as a dog groomer independent contractor insurance because additional insureds can be named on its terms for free or at an additional cost.
Public Liability Insurance for Dog Groomers
Public liability insurance for dog groomers is an alternative coverage option to general liability insurance. Similar to the policy we discussed above, this also covers claims for bodily injuries or property damage. In the USA, public liability insurance doesn’t have the add-ons usually included in the language of general liability insurance.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Commercial Property Insurance for Dog Grooming Businesses
CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
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Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $15,000 |
Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Included |
Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/$10,000 | Included |
Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Included |
Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Included |
Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Included |
Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Included |
Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded |
Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Excluded |
Commercial property insurance covers the repair and rebuilding costs of your business property if it’s damaged or destroyed due to natural disasters, vandalism, arson, theft, etc. Use the table above to see which insurance company offers the best commercial property insurance for dog grooming businesses.
Can I Use Commercial Property Insurance to Cover the Cost of Tubs, Dryers, Blowers, Showers, and Other Dog Grooming Tools and Amenities?
Yes. If something happens to your dog grooming facility, then it’s also possible for the things inside to be affected. This is why insurance companies design commercial property insurance for dog groomers to reimburse the estimated value of dryers, blowers, showers, tubs, and other tools and amenities.
My Doggy Salon Also Provides Mobile Grooming Services. Does Commercial Property Insurance Cover the Tools in Transit?
No. Commercial property insurance only covers dog grooming tools that got damaged or destroyed in your salon. The coverage of this business insurance for pet groomers doesn’t apply if the loss happened in another location.
Does Commercial Property Insurance Cover the Equipment of Independent Groomers I Hired?
No. The tools and equipment of independent groomers are excluded from the language of your commercial property insurance. This is due to the care, custody, and control exclusion of the policy.
Business Owner’s Policy for Dog Grooming Salons
CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Hiscox | Thimble | |
---|---|---|---|---|
General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $500,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
Commercial property coverage limit | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000/$500,000 |
Optional policies can be added? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Name additional insureds for free? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
BOP discount? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
You might be recommended to bundle the general liability policy and commercial property policy of your dog grooming salon insurance package into a business owner’s policy.
A business owner’s policy can be used to cover liability claims and commercial property damage or loss. It works faster than stand-alone general liability or commercial property insurance.
Depending on which insurance company you work with, a business owner’s policy can be added with optional professional liability insurance, business interruption insurance, non-owned/hired auto liability insurance, etc.
Tools and Equipment Insurance for Dog Grooming Businesses
NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Pet Care | Hiscox | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aggregate limit | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $50,000 | $15,000/$25,000 |
Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $50,000 | No |
Miscellaneous equipment also covered? | $5,000/$10,000 | No | Yes | Yes |
Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Deductible | $500 | $500 | $0 | $0 |
Tools and equipment insurance is another inclusion in a grooming shop insurance package that can protect you against the resulting financial losses if shears, dryers, blowers, and other grooming equipment needs to be repaired or replaced because of fire, theft, vandalism, mechanical breakdown, electrical surge, electrical shorts, and other covered perils. Use the table above to see which insurance company offers the best tools and equipment insurance for dog groomers.
Employee Dishonesty Insurance for Dog Grooming Business
Employee dishonesty insurance can reimburse some of the money that you lost if an employee steals money or the equipment of your dog grooming facility. You can also use this if an employee commits social engineering, credit card fraud, embezzlement, and other dishonest acts. Some insurance companies automatically include employee dishonesty insurance in their commercial property policy.
Will Employee Dishonesty Insurance Help if an Employee Steals a Client’s Dog?
Employee dishonesty insurance can’t help if a client files a claim because your employee tried to steal their pet. This is because the pet in question isn’t your business property but is a possession of a third party.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance for Dog Grooming Businesses
Protect your employees from the cost of dog bites, dog scratches, and zoological diseases by purchasing workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance grants the money you can use to cover the emergency medical care, hospitalization, medication, rehabilitation, lost wages, and death benefits of an employee who sustained a work-related injury or disease.
Even though you don’t have employees, consider purchasing workers’ compensation insurance. It’s because you can name yourself as an additional insured in the terms of this policy. In other words, this insurance will cover also costs if it’s you who got injured or sick because of work.
Mobile Grooming Insurance
Like the average brick-and-mortar pet grooming establishment, mobile groomers are often exposed to risks. That’s why it’s crucial to take out mobile dog grooming insurance. Mobile dog grooming insurance is a tailored insurance program that consists of the following policies:
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General liability insurance-Takes care of expenses if you cause injuries or property damage while grooming a dog at a client’s house. This may also cover the medical treatment of third parties you injure in a car accident
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Professional liability insurance-Covers claims for negligence, errors, failure to perform, and other misconduct
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Commercial auto insurance-Commercial auto insurance is a coverage for the van you use to reach clients. This mobile dog grooming van insurance will cover the medical treatment of third parties if you’re liable for a vehicular accident. Moreover, it can also cover the repair of the vehicle itself. Commercial auto insurance can even cover the repair of attached trailers
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Inland marine insurance-Inland marine insurance can reimburse the value of showers, blowers, dryers, and other grooming equipment that gets damaged or lost during transit due to theft, vandalism, fire, vehicular accident, upset, and mysterious disappearance
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Commercial property insurance-Though rarely useful because you don’t own a grooming facility and conduct operations through a car, mobile pet grooming insurance still offers a commercial property policy. Consider using this to insure the garage or any other location where your mobile grooming salon is kept
Short-Term Dog Pet Grooming Insurance
You can buy pet grooming insurance by the month, week, day, or hour. This is what’s referred to as a temporary or short-term coverage.
Usually, the short-term pet grooming insurance is sold as a general liability policy with up to one month of coverage depending on how long you need to be insured. This has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit.
Companies that might sell short-term pet grooming insurance are Hiscox and Thimble.
Other Pet Grooming Insurance Policies
For comprehensive insurance coverage, you might need to further include the following policies in your insurance bundle:
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Business interruption insurance-Suppose the damage to your business property and equipment forces you to halt your operations; in that case, business interruption coverage reimburses any loss of business and income as you wait for renovations to complete. Coverage also applies if operations had to be stopped because of relocation activity or economic crisis. With this insurance, you can take care of your employees’ wages and other operational expenses
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Cyber liability insurance-You can use cyber liability insurance to cover the cost of data breach containment, credit and fraud monitoring, public relations, and legal defense if your dog grooming business’s website and computer gets hacked
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Animal bailee insurance-Another insurance needed for dog grooming business is animal bailee coverage. Animal bailee insurance adds an additional layer of protection to dogs in your custody. This insurance will reimburse vet expenses and compensation for the death of a pet in case fire, theft, upset, animal attack, injury, and other covered peril happens
Dog & Pet Grooming Insurance Cost
Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
---|---|---|---|
General liability insurance | $32 | $384 | $0-$500 |
Professional liability insurance | $45 | $540 | $500-$1,000 |
Commercial property insurance | $40 | $480 | $1,000-$2,000 |
Business owner’s policy | $70 | $840 | $1,500 |
Employee dishonesty insurance | $75 | $900 | $1,000 |
Animal bailee insurance | $89 | $1,068 | $500 |
Commercial auto insurance | $60 | $720 | $500-$1,000 |
Workers compensation insurance | $115 | $1,380 | $2,500 |
Cyber liability insurance | $80 | $960 | $1,000 |
The average dog & pet grooming insurance cost is $32 per month or $384 per year for a $1 million general liability policy. Factors that we took into account for this dog grooming insurance cost estimate are as follows:
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The number of employees
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Coverage risks
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Location of the business
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Policy limits
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Deductible amounts
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Projected annual income
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Your claims history
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Size of business
In connection, these are some of the proven ways that reduce dog grooming insurance prices:
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Get high deductibles
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Ask clients to sign a waiver
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Properly train employees on how to restrain dogs effectively
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Only hire pet groomers with certifications
Premiums can be also cheap or expensive depending on which insurance company you choose. That said, here’s the cost of the $1 million general liability policy from companies that offer cheap dog grooming insurance quotes:
Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
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NEXT | $20 | $240 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for pet grooming businesses |
CoverWallet | $23.40 | $280.80 | Dog grooming insurance comparison online |
Tivly | $26 | $312 | Comparing pet grooming insurance quotes over the phone |
Thimble | $27.06 | $324.72 | On-demand coverage for pet groomers |
Hiscox | $29 | $348 | Pet grooming insurance with worldwide coverage |
Pet Care | $30 | $360 | Animal bailee insurance for pet groomers |
Governor’s Insurance | $35 | $420 | Pet groomers looking for specialized business insurance coverage |
Before proceeding to read about which carriers to work with, we suggest you compare some dog grooming business insurance quotes. Start by clicking the “Get Quotes” button on this page.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Best Pet Grooming Insurance Companies
Many carriers claim to provide the best dog grooming insurance. Your pet grooming business faces unique risks, and it’s critical to research and identify the carrier that offers business-specific insurance. These are the best pet grooming insurance companies. Read to know their pros, cons, and cost of a $1 million general liability insurance.
NEXT Pet Grooming Insurance
Pros
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Best overall
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Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
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Fastest general liability insurance for pet groomers
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Great customer service and reputation
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Excellent rates
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Outstanding value for money
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Get a 10% discount if you buy two or more policies
Cons
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Couldn’t find any
NEXT’s pet grooming insurance package offers a general liability policy, commercial property policy, workers compensation, and tools and equipment insurance. You can also purchase commercial auto insurance but you will be referred to a partner.
This company grants coverage if you’re an independent pet groomer renting a booth, a mobile pet groomer, or a pet grooming salon. NEXT allows for a customized pet grooming insurance application meaning that you can name additional insureds or add optional policies while in the process of getting covered.
You purchase NEXT’s pet grooming insurance package as a basic, premiere, or deluxe plan. Here’s a quick glimpse of the features of each:
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Basic-$1 million general liability insurance and $1 million professional liability insurance
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Premiere-$1 million general liability insurance, $1 million professional liability insurance, and $100,000 commercial property insurance
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Deluxe-$1 million general liability insurance, $1 million professional liability insurance, $100,000 commercial property insurance, and workers’ compensation insurance
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for pet grooming businesses
Average cost: $20 per month
Our rating: 10/10
CoverWallet Dog Grooming Insurance
Pros
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Compare dog grooming insurance quotes online
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Cancel your coverage anytime with no charges
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Easy online policy management
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Aids you in quickly figuring out the best coverage option
Cons
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Not an insurance company but an insurance broker
CoverWallet’s dog groomer’s insurance is underwritten as part of its pet services insurance package. Therefore, what you’ll get is a generic coverage that covers all of the exposures common to all pet businesses.
Another thing to remember is that CoverWallet is an insurance broker and not an insurance company. And to give a tailored coverage, it curates the quotes of partners such as Hiscox, Liberty Mutual, and Chubb. Policies you can avail are:
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General liability insurance with an optional terrorism coverage and non-owned/hired auto liability coverage
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Professional liability insurance with a waiver of subrogation
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Business owner’s policy
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Broad-form cyber liability insurance
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Workers compensation insurance
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Commercial property insurance
Note that you can only get a quote through CoverWallet’s dog grooming insurance comparison platform. All that you have to do is provide some information about your business profile and CoverWallet will then curate the matching quotes from partners.
Best for: Dog grooming insurance comparison online
Average cost: $23.40 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Tivly Pet Grooming Insurance
Pros
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Responsive customer service
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Compare quotes over the phone
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A partner of many reputable insurance companies
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Grants coverage regardless of your business profile
Cons
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You need to call to get a quote
Tivly’s pet grooming insurance offers a business owner’s policy, general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, commercial property insurance, workers compensation insurance, and animal bailee insurance. Optional policies are also available, such as cyber liability and employee dishonesty insurance. You need to call a Tivly representative to compare quotes and take a look at the features of your coverage.
Best for: Comparing pet grooming insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $26 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Thimble Pet Grooming Insurance
Pros
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Optional policies can be added to general liability and business owner’s policy
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On-demand coverage
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Sells a short-term general liability insurance
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Quickly issues an estimate of your rates
Cons
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Might refer you to Tivly if you have a poor claims profile
Thimble’s pet grooming insurance package offers a general liability policy, commercial property policy, and workers compensation insurance.
General liability insurance and workers compensation insurance can be bought as stand-alone coverages. On the other hand, commercial property insurance will be automatically bundled with general liability insurance the moment you try to purchase it.
Thimble’s general liability insurance has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. You can add an optional professional liability, business equipment, and customer property insurance to it.
This company’s business owner’s policy also comes with optional policies, particularly cyber liability and hired/non-owned auto liability coverage.
Finally, Thimble sells short-term general liability insurance. You can pause or cancel this anytime.
Best for: On-demand coverage for pet groomers
Average cost: $27.06 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Hiscox Pet Grooming Insurance
Pros
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Worldwide coverage
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Automatic policy renewal
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Customizable limits
Cons
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Doesn’t sell a stand-alone commercial property or general liability insurance for pet groomers online
Hiscox offers general liability insurance and business owner’s policy to pet grooming businesses. This company offers these policies through its pet grooming salon/independent groomer insurance package and mobile grooming insurance package. We suggest you work with Hiscox because it allows you to quickly customize limits and include upgrades in your coverage.
Best for: Pet grooming insurance with worldwide coverage
Average cost: $29 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Pet Care Dog Groomer Insurance
Pros
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Sells an annual and monthly dog grooming policy
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High limits on tools and equipment insurance
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High limits on animal bailee insurance
Cons
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Doesn’t sell workers compensation insurance for pet groomers
Pet Care-a company that grants coverage to pet care businesses through policies underwritten by CNA, Veracity, and Lloyds-is also a good option for dog groomer insurance; provided that you want to work with an insurance company that exclusively caters to the needs of pet service businesses. Business insurance solutions available are general liability, professional liability, cyber liability, tools and equipment, animal bailee, and others.
Best for: Animal bailee insurance for pet groomers
Average cost: $30 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Governor’s Insurance for Groomers
Pros
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Licensed with over 50 insurance carriers
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Online insurance quotes available
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Custom-tailored insurance policies
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Available in 48 states
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New Canine cough coverage available
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Individual disability coverage is available for owners and employees
Cons
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Customers outside the continental US may not buy insurance
Governor Insurance is an independent insurance agency that partners with 50+ insurance companies, working hard to locate and customize coverage policies to satisfy your specific insurance needs.
Since the insurance agency has access to over 50 insurance carriers, the company develops specialized insurance packages for the pet industry, including pet grooming insurance coverage, mobile dog grooming salon insurance, dog daycare insurance, boarding kennel insurance, mobile vet insurance, etc.
The insurance agency boasts an extensive product portfolio that includes virtually every policy a pet grooming business requires. These include:
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General liability insurance
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Professional liability insurance
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Animal bailee insurance
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Commercial auto coverage
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Commercial property insurance
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Workers’ compensation insurance
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Business interruption insurance
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Canine cough insurance
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Disability insurance
Governor Insurance is licensed in 48 states, which means you can purchase dog and cat grooming insurance from an agent with extensive knowledge of the industry and the risks in your local pet grooming market. Such local authority eliminates any gaps in business insurance. Besides, it provides superior claims control, ensuring customers get expedited claims settlements for seamless and uninterrupted operations.
The only caveat is that Governor’s insurance for groomers is only available in the continental United States, which means pet owners in Alaska, Hawaii, and other US territories may not access the agency’s insurance products.
Best for: Pet groomers looking for specialized business insurance coverage
Average cost: $35 per month
Our rating: 8/10