Running a cleaning or janitorial business means entering other people's spaces with equipment, chemicals, and trust. One slip on a wet floor, one damaged piece of client property, or one employee injury can put everything you've built at risk. The right insurance coverage isn't just about compliance—it's about protecting your livelihood and sleeping soundly at night.
This checklist walks you through the essential coverages every cleaning business needs, the optional policies that make sense for specific situations, and the annual review items that keep your protection current as your business grows.
Essential Coverage: The Non-Negotiables
General liability insurance sits at the foundation of your coverage. This policy protects you when someone gets hurt on a job site or when you accidentally damage client property. Think about it: you're working in someone's office with wet floors, extension cords, and cleaning solutions. If a client's employee slips and breaks their ankle, or if you knock over an expensive vase while dusting, general liability steps in. Most commercial clients won't even let you through the door without proof of this coverage, typically requiring at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate.
Workers' compensation insurance becomes legally required in most states the moment you hire your first employee—and sometimes even for independent contractors depending on your state. This coverage pays for medical expenses and lost wages if an employee gets injured on the job. Given that cleaning work involves repetitive motions, chemical exposure, and physical labor, workplace injuries aren't uncommon. In 2025, the average workers' comp claim in the janitorial industry costs around $41,000, according to the National Safety Council. Without coverage, you'd pay that out of pocket while also facing potential legal penalties.
Commercial property insurance protects your business assets—equipment, supplies, and your office space if you have one. Your vacuum cleaners, floor buffers, pressure washers, and inventory of cleaning products represent a significant investment. If fire, theft, or vandalism strikes your storage facility or vehicle, this coverage replaces what you've lost so you can get back to work quickly.
Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles used for business purposes. Your personal auto policy specifically excludes business use, so if you're driving to client sites with equipment and supplies, you need commercial coverage. This applies whether you own the vehicle or employees use their personal cars for work. The policy covers both vehicle damage and liability if you cause an accident while heading to a cleaning job.
Optional Coverage: When to Add Protection
Professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions (E&O), covers you when your work causes financial harm rather than physical damage. Here's a real scenario: you use the wrong cleaning product on a client's expensive marble floors, causing permanent etching that requires replacement. The $50,000 repair cost isn't covered by general liability because there was no accident—it was a professional mistake. E&O coverage handles exactly these situations. If you work with high-value properties, delicate surfaces, or commercial clients with expensive finishes, this coverage is worth every penny.
Commercial umbrella insurance adds an extra layer of liability protection above your primary policies. If you face a claim that exceeds your general liability limits—say, someone is seriously injured and sues for $3 million when you only have $2 million in coverage—the umbrella policy kicks in for the difference. This coverage is relatively inexpensive (often $500-$1,000 annually for $1-2 million in coverage) and provides crucial protection as your business grows.
Cyber liability insurance might seem unexpected for a cleaning business, but consider this: you likely store client contact information, building access codes, alarm codes, and possibly payment data. A data breach or ransomware attack could expose this sensitive information. In 2025, the average cost of a small business data breach reached $164,000, according to IBM Security. If you use digital scheduling systems, store client information in the cloud, or accept credit card payments, cyber coverage protects you from breach notification costs, legal fees, and potential lawsuits.
Surety bonds aren't insurance, but many commercial clients require them. A janitorial bond (also called a fidelity bond) guarantees that if you or your employees steal from a client, the bond pays the claim. This is especially important for businesses that clean offices, medical facilities, or retail spaces where valuable equipment and inventory are present. The cost is typically small—$100-$300 annually—but the credibility boost with commercial clients is significant.
Business interruption insurance replaces lost income if you can't work due to a covered event. If fire damages your storage facility and you can't access your equipment for three weeks, this coverage pays your ongoing expenses and lost profits during the shutdown. For businesses with tight margins and regular contracts, this protection prevents temporary setbacks from becoming permanent closures.
Trigger Points: When to Add or Increase Coverage
Certain business milestones signal it's time to review and potentially expand your coverage. When you hire your first employee, workers' compensation moves from optional to required in most states. When you sign your first commercial contract over $100,000 annually, consider increasing your general liability limits and adding umbrella coverage. When you purchase equipment worth more than $25,000, verify your property coverage limits match your actual asset value.
Adding specialized services also requires coverage updates. If you start offering carpet cleaning, window washing, or pressure washing, these higher-risk activities may need endorsements or separate policies. Medical facility cleaning, COVID-19 disinfection services, or biohazard cleanup all require specialized coverage beyond standard janitorial insurance. Always notify your insurance agent before expanding services—discovering you're not covered after a claim is too late.
Annual Review Checklist: Stay Protected as You Grow
Set a calendar reminder to review your coverage every year, ideally 60 days before your renewal date. This gives you time to shop around if needed. During your review, verify that your coverage limits still match your business reality. Have your annual revenues grown? Do you have more employees? Have you purchased new equipment? Each of these changes should trigger a coverage adjustment.
Review your certificate of insurance (COI) requirements from commercial clients. Many contracts specify minimum coverage amounts, and these requirements often increase over time. Make sure your current policies meet or exceed every client's requirements. Update your named insureds and additional insureds list—if you've added business partners, changed your legal structure, or taken on property managers as clients who require being named, these updates prevent coverage gaps.
Check your deductibles and premiums against your current financial position. As your business becomes more stable and profitable, increasing your deductibles can significantly lower your premiums. A $5,000 deductible versus $1,000 might save you $800-$1,200 annually—worth it if you have that emergency fund available. Conversely, if you're experiencing cash flow challenges, a lower deductible might provide peace of mind even at higher premium costs.
Getting Started: Building Your Coverage Package
Start by getting quotes for a Business Owner's Policy (BOP), which bundles general liability, commercial property, and business interruption coverage at a discounted rate. For most small cleaning businesses, a BOP costs $500-$1,500 annually and covers your essential needs. Add workers' compensation quotes if you have employees, and commercial auto coverage if you're using vehicles for business.
Talk to an independent insurance agent who works with janitorial businesses. They'll understand the industry-specific risks and can access multiple carriers to find competitive rates. Be completely transparent about your operations—the services you offer, the types of properties you clean, your employee count, and your revenue. Withholding information to get lower quotes backfires when you file a claim and discover you're not covered.
Insurance for your cleaning business isn't just a checkbox exercise—it's the foundation that lets you grow confidently. With the right coverage in place, you can take on larger commercial contracts, hire employees, and expand services knowing you're protected when things go wrong. Use this checklist as your starting point, review your coverage annually, and adjust as your business evolves. Your future self will thank you.
