Cleaning and janitorial business insurance
Cleaning businesses are low-margin, staff-heavy, and work inside other people's property with their keys. The insurance follows from that: liability for what gets damaged, a bond for what goes missing, workers' comp for a workforce that gets hurt on wet floors, and a certificate that satisfies the property manager before you get the contract.
A cleaning or janitorial business needs general liability (the damage claim when a floor is scratched or a client's property is broken), a janitorial bond for employee theft that commercial clients require, workers' compensation from the first employee, and hired and non-owned auto for staff driving between jobs. Most contracts with property managers require a certificate showing all four.
The core package
- General liability: bodily injury and property damage to clients and their premises, with lost-key coverage and a limited care, custody or control exclusion.
- Janitorial bond: employee dishonesty against clients' property.
- Workers' compensation and DBL/PFL: slips, strains and chemical exposure are the routine claims.
- Commercial auto or hired and non-owned auto.
- Equipment: floor machines, vacuums and supplies in the vans.
Residential versus commercial
| Coverage | Residential house cleaning | Commercial and janitorial |
|---|---|---|
| Main exposure | Damage to household items; theft allegations | Slip-and-fall by building occupants; larger property damage; contract requirements |
| Bond | Sometimes requested by clients | Almost always required |
| Certificates | Rarely | Every contract, often with additional insured status for the property owner |
| Specialty work | Post-construction cleaning, hoarding, biohazard: separate underwriting | Floor stripping, window cleaning above one story, medical facilities: rated higher |
The certificate is the sales tool
Property managers in Albany, Latham and Clifton Park won't sign a janitorial contract without a certificate showing GL, workers' comp and a bond, often with the owner as additional insured. Having the package in place before you bid is what lets you say yes on the spot.
What I need to quote
- Residential, commercial or both, and the types of buildings.
- Number of employees and payroll, and whether any are 1099.
- Vehicles, owned and personal.
- Bond amount and additional-insured requirements from your contracts.
Request a quote. Many of the cleaning businesses I insure are family-run and Turkish-speaking; the whole process can be done in Turkish.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Still have a question? Call (518) 902-8822 or book a call.
What is a janitorial bond?
A third-party fidelity bond that reimburses your clients if an employee steals from their premises. Commercial clients and property managers commonly require one, in the bond amount their contract names, and it's inexpensive. It's separate from general liability, which doesn't cover employee theft.
Does general liability cover damage to the property I'm cleaning?
Mostly. A broken vase, a scratched floor or a chemical stain on a carpet are covered property damage. The gap is the 'care, custody or control' exclusion for property you're directly working on; I look for policies that limit that exclusion or add a buy-back, and for lost-key coverage, which pays for rekeying a building.
My cleaners are independent contractors. Do I still need workers' comp?
If you set the schedule, supply the equipment and direct the work, New York treats them as employees regardless of the 1099, and you need workers' compensation and DBL/PFL. Misclassification is common in cleaning and the Workers' Compensation Board audits for it.
What drives the cost of cleaning business insurance?
Payroll comes first: workers' compensation is priced on payroll times the rate for your job class, and general liability for cleaners is often rated on payroll or revenue as well. After that come residential versus commercial work and any specialty jobs, such as floor stripping, window cleaning above the ground floor, post-construction or medical facilities, which are rated higher; the bond amount your contracts require; your vehicles and who drives them; and your claims history. Cleaners paid on a 1099 but directed like employees count as payroll at the year-end audit, so a low estimate up front can turn into a bill later. I don't publish a typical figure; send the details listed under "What I need to quote" and I'll price it.
Do I need commercial auto?
If the business owns vehicles, yes. If employees drive their own cars between jobs, you need hired and non-owned auto liability, because their personal policies won't respond to a claim that happened on your business.
Get a quote for your business
Tell me what you do, where, and roughly what payroll looks like. Quotes come from the private carriers I represent, usually within days.
Where I work
I'm based in Clifton Park and work in person across six counties, the four on the map plus Warren and Washington, or by phone.
Close to the Clifton Park office: Clifton Knolls, Country Knolls, Rexford, Vischer Ferry, Jonesville, Groom's Corners and Halfmoon across Route 9 — I'll come to you at home.
Auto, home and business insurance by town
Medicare has its own county and town pages.