Just like a gutter cleaning business, house cleaning business, or carpet cleaning business, your window cleaning business is exposed to many job-related risks, especially when working on a high-rise building. It's not uncommon to hear about scaffolding accidents as workers try to access hard-to-reach window panels. Such incidents result in injuries or property damages to you or the client. That's enough reason to take out window cleaning insurance.
It's always critical to have personal protection equipment (PPI), but that's a safety measure to protect you and your employees. Your business itself needs protection too. It's critical to insure your window cleaning business so that it is protected from financial losses caused by the potential risks.
Window cleaning company insurance is a tailored plan for your business. It provides protection against the hefty expenses for wrapping up third-party property damage claims and personal injury claims, economic losses resulting from the breakdown or destruction of commercial property, and many more. In this discussion understand what this is, how much it costs, and which companies offer the best perks.
Again, window cleaning insurance is a type of business insurance policy specifically designed for professional window cleaners to protect their businesses from specific risks and liabilities related to their business activities.
You may take all the necessary measures and precautions to ensure that every cleaning project goes as planned, but you can’t anticipate all eventualities. The resulting lawsuits against your company may mean you splurge hundreds of thousands of dollars, which can shatter your operations.
You know the scope of work you handle and the services you provide. It would be best to partner with a reputable company and purchase sufficient window cleaning business insurance so that you and your employees have peace of mind when rendering your services.
Whether you offer residential or commercial window cleaning solutions, the risks of third-party property damages and injuries always lurk around. Insurance coverage provides the financial protection needed when you or a member of your team is involved in a lawsuit or any other business-related issues.
Typically, the following professionals require window cleaner insurance:
Commercial window cleaners
High-rise window cleaning
Window pressure washing services
General liability coverage is the first insurance that window cleaning and dry cleaning businesses decide to get. Most companies take out a liability insurance policy as the minimum coverage against common exposures.
Liability insurance – typically offered in the form of general liability insurance –provides a shield if a client files a claim to hold your company liable for any property damages or bodily injuries sustained because of your operations.
Typically, general liability insurance pays for the following risks:
The costs for medical treatments when your company causes an injury or illness to a third party
Reimbursements equal to the current market value of the damaged property owned by a third party
Court judgments requiring you to compensate an injured third party
Attorney fees and other legal costs
It is critical to understand that general liability insurance keeps your business as squeaky clean as the windows you work on. Most clients in need of window cleaning services won't hire a contractor until they know that the company carries sufficient general liability coverage.
We want you to know that personal injury claims and property damage claims aren’t the only exposures covered. General liability insurance can also protect you from advertising injury claims and reputational harm claims.
Advertising injury coverage is an optional policy in general liability insurance for window cleaners. This one will help you pay defense costs and settlements if someone decides to sue because your business falsely advertised services, slandered another business, or simply copied an ad.
Errors and omissions in window cleaning are rare but they do happen. For example, an employee once used the wrong cleaning agent and left the window of a client looking ugly. There’s also one incident where the employee, while in the process of setting up ladders, broke the client's window out of haste. Whether it’s a careless mistake or one that’s intentional, clients won’t care and will file a claim against your business.
You should purchase professional liability insurance aside from general liability insurance. This liability policy, also available in janitorial business insurance, roof cleaning, and pool cleaning insurance, provides coverage when a third party sues your window cleaning business for negligence, violation of good faith, misrepresentation, and other acts constituting errors and omissions.
When purchasing liability insurance, it’s good to look for options that offer general liability coverage and professional liability coverage. By having both, you’ll enjoy foolproof protection against third-party claims.
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Your liability insurance policy might offer adequate coverage for third-party injuries and property damages. Remember, these are not the only risks you face as a window cleaner. You have employees and commercial properties that need protection too. It would help to include other policies in your window washing insurance.
You need commercial property insurance if you own or lease a commercial building. You store your cleaning equipment, tools, and supplies inside your business building - in other words, the business building itself, as well as the contents inside, are valuable investments you can’t afford to get damaged or lost.
Protect your business assets with commercial property insurance. Commercial property insurance primarily covers your window cleaning business’s commercial building. If the commercial building is destroyed by fire or extreme weather, then commercial property insurance will pay for reconstruction. If it only got damaged because of fire, extreme weather, theft, and other covered perils, commercial property insurance will pay for building repair.
Commercial property insurance has business equipment and tools coverage. We’re sure that inside the commercial building are hydrocarts, pumps, pressurizers, scrubbers, gloves, and other tools and equipment for window cleaning. If these get lost or damaged because of fire, theft, and other covered perils, business and tools equipment coverage will reimburse losses or provide replacements.
Most states require window cleaning businesses with employees to have workers' compensation insurance. Workers compensation insurance is required so that businesses can adequately take care of employees who were injured or sick because of work.
Window cleaners do face hazards while working. Here’s an example from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration:
On November 21, 2012, Employee #1, a 40-year-old male with HSG Professional Window Cleaner, was working at Disneyland Resort. Employee #1 was descending from the top exterior working platform of the Space Mountain building using a controlled descent apparatus (CDA), when the working line's shackle separated from the anchorage point that it was attached to. Prior to the descent, Employee #1 failed to connect his independent safety line and his working line to an approved tie back or other approved anchorage point, causing Employee #1 to fall approximately 45 ft. down a 32 degree sloped exterior building panel and into a rigid structure at the base. Employee #1 suffered severe and traumatic injuries, including but not limited to broken bones and lacerations, resulting in hospitalization in excess of 24 hours for treatment and surgery. HSG, Inc. was a large organization that specializes in professional window cleaning, and Employee #1 was a full-time employee that had worked for this employer for approximately ten years
Going back to the topic, workers compensation insurance will take care of employee hospitalization, treatment, and rehabilitation. It’s possible for an employee to die because of a window cleaning accident. And so, workers compensation insurance also provides death benefits.
Your general liability policy comes with a coverage limit that you choose when purchasing your policy. Sometimes a single claim can go over your policy limit, leaving you with no other option but to break your business account to cover the remaining amount.
Consider this scenario: your liability policy has a $500,000 coverage limit, and the court awards a claimant $1 million as compensation. Without umbrella liability coverage, your business will have to cover the rest, which can devastate your company's finances. But if you carry umbrella liability insurance, it will cater for the rest. You won't have to spend a dime from your business account.
Whether you own a single business van or a fleet of business vans, you need a tailored commercial van insurance policy to cover them. You or your employee might cause an accident while driving your commercial vehicle. This insurance plan can help you pay for medical expenses for any injured road users and repair or replacement costs for damaged properties.
Window cleaning van insurance doesn’t only take care of your liability for accidents the commercial van caused. Insurance companies typically include additional protection such as:
Physical damage coverage
Medical payments or personal injury protection
Medical payments or personal injury protection is an inclusion in window cleaning van insurance. Medical payments or personal injury protection will shoulder:
Extensive nursing services
Emergency treatment
Hospitalization
Medical treatments and procedures
Your window cleaning business will get medical payments coverage if it’s in a no-fault state. On the other hand, personal injury protection coverage is available for your window cleaning business if it’s in a fault state .
You might already know how physical damage coverage works by its name. Physical damage coverage will take care of the damages to your window cleaning business’s commercial van. This has two forms - collision physical damage coverage and comprehensive physical damage coverage.
Collision physical damage coverage will cover parts repair or replacement if your window cleaning van was damaged after colliding with an object or another vehicle. On the other hand, comprehensive physical damage coverage will take care of parts repair or replacement if the window cleaning van incurred damage because of fire, theft, extreme weather, vandalism, and other covered perils.
High-rise window cleaners go to extreme lengths and heights to work on windows. They often work from the building's exterior to effectively clean the window panes. You can imagine the severity of injuries and property damages that may occur if a scaffold fails and an employee (together with the cleaning equipment) falls while working on a skyscraper's 40th floor.
Such an incident can result in severe injuries for the employee and anyone hit by the falling equipment and tools. Suppose a car is parked on the ground below and the falling objects damage the vehicle's sunroof. You'll incur significant financial losses after the injured parties file claims against your window cleaning business.
Human error is innate, and you can't anticipate or escape it. High rise window cleaners insurance can cover the claimants' medical expenses and settlement fees. It also pays for the repairs and replacement costs of the damaged properties.
Besides, high-rise window cleaning insurance has several other benefits.
General contractors often outsource surplus work, and they might want to hire subcontractors. If you run a small window washing company, liability insurance can help you secure more work from a general contractor, who'll be at ease knowing that you have the necessary coverage to undertake the job.
If you're an ambitious manager who wants to expand your business by bidding on municipal and federal window cleaning contracts, it's almost mandatory to hold adequate coverage.
High-rise window cleaning insurance instills confidence among your clients and other end-users, knowing their needs are handled by a company with active insurance coverage against property damages and injuries.
Window cleaning insurance cost varies based on different factors. Generally, small businesses can expect to pay lower monthly rates than large companies. Suppose you're shopping for pressure washing and window cleaning insurance. In that case, the average cost of window cleaning insurance is $54 per month or $648 annually for general liability coverage with a $1 million - $2 million limit.
Just like when calculating the pricing of house cleaning insurance, your carrier will consider several factors to give you an exact window cleaner insurance price. These factors include:
Business location
Number of employees
The services you provide (residential or commercial)
Business property and equipment
Annual and projected revenue
Policy limits and deductibles
The types of policies purchased
You can also get an idea about the cost of window cleaning insurance by looking at the price of the window cleaning insurance quote from numerous insurance companies. Since there are many, it’s best if you only look at the rates of the best carriers. The table below already did the job and all you have to do is check it out:
Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
---|---|---|---|
CoverWallet | $49.15 | $589.80 | Comparing available insurance policies for window cleaners online |
Thimble | $51.33 | $615.96 | Window cleaning professionals looking for temporary coverage |
NEXT | $53.79 | $645.48 | Buying more than one type of window cleaning business insurance policy |
Hiscox | $56 | $672 | Window cleaning insurance with risk management resources |
Insurance companies often recommend buying a business owner's policy (BOP), which combines general liability and commercial property insurance. Purchasing a BOP lets you save on window cleaning insurance cost instead of spending more when you purchase the policies separately.
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The insurance industry is filled with many reputable companies, but it doesn't mean that they are all suitable for your window cleaning business. If you're looking for a provider to write your business insurance, we've made it easy for you. Here are the best window cleaning insurance carriers in 2022. Read to know their pros, cons, and pricing for a $1 million general liability coverage.
Provides online quotes from several insurance companies
Offers an online dashboard for easy policy management
Provides a wide range of coverage policies
Insurance policies sold are from third-party providers
CoverWallet is a digital insurance broker specializing in business coverage policies. It partners with leading insurance carriers and provides free online quotes from these providers for businesses across wide-ranging industries, including the window cleaning sector.
The online insurance marketplace offers customers a hassle-free quoting process, taking several minutes. The advantage of shopping for insurance through CoverWallet is that it quickly presents several quotes from several companies, allowing you to compare rates and choose the best, cheap, and tailored coverage for your window washing business.
Another benefit of partnering with CoverWallet is that it offers a user-friendly dashboard that enables customers to manage their policies on a single platform. From that single dashboard, clients can download their insurance certificates, pay their monthly premiums, renew their policies, and file for insurance claims.
Best for: Comparing available insurance policies for window cleaners online
Average cost: $49.15 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Offers online quotes and insurance purchases online
Hourly, daily, and monthly coverage are available
Contractors can verify that their insurance is contractually compliant
Claims can only be filed by email or phone to the specific provider
Customer support is only available online
Thimble is an insurance provider providing commercial policies for individuals and small businesses shopping for temporary or short-term insurance packages. It allows customers to purchase insurance online within minutes, whether they need hourly, daily, or monthly insurance.
Suppose you only provide window cleaning services on a part-time basis or only require business coverage for a short time. In that case, partner with Thimble to provide you with tailored temporary insurance plans.
Best for: Window cleaning professionals looking for temporary coverage
Average cost: $51.33 per month
Our rating: 6/10
Get an instant live certificate of insurance
Responsive customer support
Bundle two or more policies and get a discount
Window cleaning insurance doesn’t offer commercial auto policy
General liability and commercial property insurance can’t be bundled in a BOP
NEXT offers a lot of policies in its window cleaning insurance. This company is ready to cover your business with general liability insurance with tools and equipment coverage, workers compensation insurance, professional liability insurance, and commercial property insurance.
Many like NEXT because this carrier isn’t pushy. For one, customers are free to only buy a single policy offered in the company's window cleaning insurance. Nonetheless, we recommend you buy two or more policies because NEXT will give a 10% discount.
Best for: Buying more than one type of window cleaning business insurance policy
Average cost: $53.79 per month
Our rating: 8/10
Offers clients a chance to get quotes and purchase insurance online
14-day money-back guarantee
Professional liability covers work done regardless of the geographical location
Customers may not be able to purchase all the coverage directly from Hiscox
Unavailable in Alaska
BOPs may not be available in several states
If you run a small or medium-sized window cleaning company, Hiscox is the best insurance provider for you. It's one of the few companies that pioneered small business insurance online. The company provides a range of business insurance policies, including general liability, workers' compensation, professional liability, cyber-security insurance, etc.
The company offers customers two ways of purchasing window cleaning insurance. You can choose to work directly with Hiscox online, which is more convenient. On the other hand, you can opt to purchase your business coverage package from an independent, licensed agent, which guarantees personalized insurance plans as you can explain your specific needs to the agent.
As your business grows, your insurance needs also change. Hiscox offers its customers additional insurance policies to ensure your growing business is covered against all possible risks.
Best for: Window cleaning insurance with risk-management resources
Average cost: $56 per month
Our rating: 8/10
Are you searching for cheap window cleaning insurance? Compare window cleaners insurance quotes online by clicking the " Get Quotes " button at the top of the page to get the cheapest coverage from the top insurance carriers.
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
It really can't get any better than this... wow