What is window cleaning insurance?
Window cleaning insurance provides your business with financial coverage if an accident happens from a job. One story buildings have a lower risk of accidents than skyscrapers, but even if you have a company that only does low risk jobs, it can help you avoid costly financial losses should a claim be made against your business.
Do window cleaning professionals need insurance?
If your business requires cleaning plate glass, your employees are exposed to unique risks associated with the industry. This means that you will need a specialized window cleaning insurance policy to cover these unique risks.
What insurance do window cleaning businesses need?
Carrying the right type of insurance for your window cleaning service is not only required by law (in some states), but also helps establish more credibility in the eyes of a customer. If compared to a company that does not have insurance, your company will look more professional and will most likely result in getting the job over one without it. Window cleaning businesses will usually carry general liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, commercial auto insurance, surety bonds, and commercial umbrella insurance. There are other options that provide further coverage, but these policies are the most commonly purchased.
Common types of window cleaning insurance
General liability insurance
This type of policy covers a wide variety of claims that could be made against your business due to accidents and other common risks. It will offer financial protection if someone other than you or your employee(s) is injured, or non-company property is damaged and you are held responsible.
Commercial auto insurance
If you are using a vehicle or trailer to transport materials and tools to project sites or to carry out necessary actions for the job, it is a good idea to consider commercial auto insurance. It is also required in most states.
Workers’ compensation insurance
Workers’ compensation insurance will ensure that an employee that gets injured on the job will have medical bills and rehabilitation paid for, as well as any lost wages. Employer’s liability insurance is also usually included in workers’ compensation insurance. It covers events such as if an employee files a lawsuit blaming your business for negligence that led to an accident. Employers’ liability insurance will protect your business from costs like settlements, court fees, and attorney fees.
Commercial umbrella insurance
An add on policy to an existing general liability policy, commercial umbrella policies are purchased if a business owner thinks that the risk of potential claims may surpass the current general liability policy.
Surety bond
This bond helps promote trustworthiness to clients. It is an endorsement from the insurance company telling them that your business can be trusted and mitigates risk by the promise of reimbursing the client should an employee steal or break something accidentally.
What are the limits of window cleaning insurance?
Commercial jobs tend to be riskier than residential jobs and may require higher limits. The same goes for higher risk tall buildings versus lower risk shorter buildings. The limits you choose should adequately cover your business should a claim be made against your company. Below is a basic guide with median limits for window cleaning businesses:
| General liability insurance | $1,000,000 per occurrence 2,000,000 aggregate |
| Commercial auto insurance | $25,000 bodily injury per person $50,000 bodily injury per accident $25,000 property damage per accident |
| Workers’ compensation insurance | $100,000 bodily injury per accident |
| Commercial umbrella insurance | $2,000,000 aggregate |
| Surety bond | $10,000 aggregate |
How much does window cleaning insurance cost?
The aggregate of all the insurance coverages you need will be the total for window cleaning insurance. There are several factors affecting the premiums you may pay. Some of the common ones include (but are not limited to):
- Types of clients (commercial is higher risk than residential)
- Claims history
- Number of employees
- Deductibles
- Location where you conduct your business
- Revenue of your business
- Coverage limits.
Below is a good starting point that shows median costs for window cleaning service companies.
| General liability insurance | $650 annually |
| Commercial auto insurance | $1,556 annually |
| Workers’ compensation insurance | $1,786 annually |
| Commercial umbrella insurance | $758 annually |
| Surety bond | $100 annually |
How to choose the best window cleaning insurance
Here are a few tips to find the best provider for you:
- Customer feedback: To see what customers really think about them, check out reviews for each provider to get insight into their customer service and customer satisfaction. Third party companies like the Angie’s List or even Google Reviews which rate how satisfied the public is with large companies. This score is a good measure on how to qualify a provider.
- Customization: Have the providers show a few different products and go through the different options, weighing the pros and cons of each one.The provider should be able to customize their product to best suit the needs of your business. A provider that is not willing to work with you should not be the provider you work with.