Compare the 4 Best Insurance Companies for Cleaning Businesses (2023)

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Providing a sparkling clean home for your customers is what you do best. But if you want your cleaning business to flourish, you’ll need general liability insurance to prevent a hit to your business finances. Certain types of insurance may even be required for your cleaning businesses—for example, cleaners who drive between clients may need a commercial auto policy, while businesses with a certain number of employees are required to have workers’ compensation coverage. But choosing the right company and getting approved for coverage isn’t always easy.

To help you choose the best cleaners insurance company for your business, we evaluated 11 insurers based on the following criteria: the rate at which the company provides quotes via Insureon (50%-60%, depending on the policy type), average quoted premium (10%-20%), National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index (10%-20%), and AM Best rating (10%). While the best company for you will depend on your coverage needs, how long you’ve been established, and other factors, our guide provides a starting point for your research.

4 Best Insurance Companies for a Cleaning Business in 2023

  • Best for General Liability and Workers’ Compensation: Acuity
  • Best for Business Owner's Policies and Workers’ Compensation: Nationwide
  • Good for Financial Stability: Travelers
  • Best for Low Average Premiums and High Quote Rates: Hiscox

The average premium amounts mentioned in this article represent quoted premiums from Insureon.

4 Best Insurance Companies for a Cleaning Business

4 Best Insurance Companies for a Cleaning Business

  • Our Top Picks
  • Acuity
  • Nationwide
  • Travelers
  • Hiscox
  • See More (1)

  • Final Verdict

  • More Ratings of Top Commercial Insurance Companies

  • FAQ

  • Methodology

Best for General Liability and Workers’ Compensation : Acuity

Why We Chose It

Acuity charges low average quoted premiums, offers loss control services and a nurse helpline, and has positive indicators of customer satisfaction.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

  • No employee benefits

Overview

Acuity has fewer complaints with the NAIC than expected based on the company’s size, indicating the company has few issues with customer satisfaction. Acuity’s financial strength is highly rated by AM Best, and it offers relatively low average quoted premiums, making it a top pick for value. You can get a variety of cleaning insurance coverages from the company, including:

  • General liability
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Commercial auto
  • Inland marine
  • Business owner’s policy (BOP)

You can add endorsements to your general liability policy, too, including additional insureds and contractors’ errors and omissions.

Another benefit: Acuity also offers resources and tools to help you avoid losses, along with a nurse helpline for workplace injuries that can help businesses avoid a workers’ compensation claim. That makes Acuity ideal if your cleaning business has several employees. However, one limitation for larger businesses is that Acuity doesn’t offer employee benefits, like group health insurance.

Plan Pricing

Below are Acuity’s average annual premiums, according to Insureon:

  • General liability: $662
  • BOP: $974
  • Workers’ compensation: $2,254
  • General liability plus workers’ compensation: $1,316

Best for Business Owner's Policies and Workers’ Compensation : Nationwide

Why We Chose It

Nationwide’s average quoted premium for its comprehensive BOP was the cheapest of any of the providers we reviewed. Plus, Nationwide offers workers’ compensation coverage that includes valuable add-ons like nurse triage and loss control services.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Lowest average quoted premium for general liability policies and BOP

  • High quote rate for BOPs

  • Offers commercial auto and inland marine

  • Highly ranked for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power

Cons

  • Mixed customer service reviews

Overview

Nationwide’s low-cost BOPs for cleaning businesses include property, general liability, business income, and equipment breakdown coverage. Plus, the company approves 100% of Insureon cleaning business BOP applicants. The company also offers workers’ compensation coverage that includes nurse triage, loss control services, and a return-to-work program.

Nationwide is also well-rated for financial strength and customer satisfaction. The company ranked third in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Small Commercial Insurance Study and has fewer NAIC complaints than expected for a company of its size for most insurance lines given its market share. Nationwide also has an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating with AM Best. However, some customer reviews on third-party sites are negative.

Plan Pricing

Below are Nationwide’s average quoted annual premiums, according to Insureon:

  • General liability: $651
  • BOP: $317
  • Workers’ compensation: $3,605
  • General liability plus workers’ compensation: $1,070

Good for Financial Stability : Travelers

Why We Chose It

Travelers boasts the highest possible financial strength grade from AM Best and offers a comprehensive BOP that includes coverage for employee theft.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • A++ (Superior) financial strength grade from AM Best

  • Relatively NAIC complaint index for property and liability

  • BOP includes employee theft coverage

  • Offers commercial auto and workers’ compensation

Cons

  • More workers’ compensation complaints with the NAIC than expected

  • Higher average quoted premiums than many competitors

  • Lower average quote rate than competitors

Overview

Travelers has an A++ (Superior) financial strength grade with AM Best, a strong indicator of its claims-paying ability. Also, the company has an NAIC complaint index for property and liability insurance with that’s lower than what’s expected for a company of its size. However, Travelers has a high NAIC complaint index for workers’ compensation insurance. Average quoted premiums for all types of coverage are higher than at several competitors—but it’s worth grabbing a quote to see if Travelers will be affordable for your cleaning business. Just note that Travelers has a lower quote rate than its competitors.

Travelers offers general liability, a BOP with a variety of enhancements, commercial auto, workers’ compensation, employment practices liability insurance, and more. You can even extend coverage to unnamed subsidiaries and purchase umbrella coverage for extra protection.

Travelers is ranked slightly above average in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Small Commercial Insurance Study.

Plan Pricing

Below are Travelers’ average annual quoted premiums, according to Insureon:

  • General liability: $1,721
  • BOP: $1,792
  • Workers’ compensation: $7,465
  • General liability plus workers’ compensation: $7,460

Best for Low Average Premiums and High Quote Rates : Hiscox

Why We Chose It

Hiscox has low average quoted premiums and some of the highest quote rates across policy types. However, be aware that the insurer has some issues with customer satisfaction.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Low average quoted premiums

  • 97% average quote rate

  • Monthly payment options at no extra cost

  • Offers commercial auto and workers’ compensation

Cons

  • Very high NAIC complaint index for commercial property and liability

Overview

If you’re looking for cleaning business insurance, Hiscox has low quoted premiums across policy types and monthly billing options for managing cash flow. Also, the company has a high quote rate across multiple insurance types.

Furthermore, the company offers most coverages you’d need, including commercial auto and workers’ compensation, and has an online quote tool to make it easy to purchase coverage. You can also call to speak to a licensed insurance agent, with extended customer service hours. Hiscox offers a basic affordable BOP as well, and you can add hired and non-owner auto coverage as an endorsement.

Hiscox has a much higher NAIC complaint index than expected for a company of its size for property and liability insurance, but no complaints about workers’ compensation coverage.

Plan Pricing

Below are Hiscox’s average annual quote premiums, according to Insureon:

  • General liability: $1,021
  • BOP: $509

Final Verdict

For most people, Acuity or Nationwide will offer the best value—Nationwide is cheaper, on average, while Acuity offers more resources. Hiscox provides another affordable option, but keep in mind that it falls behind Nationwide both in terms of price and customer satisfaction metrics. Travelers is a good option for business owners who want a financially strong company, but average quoted premiums are relatively high.

More Ratings of Top Commercial Insurance Companies

  • Best Commercial Business Insurance Companies
  • Best Small Business Insurance
  • Best Commercial Auto Insurance
  • Best Commercial Truck Insurance
  • Best Commercial Property Insurance
  • Best Business Owner’s Policy Insurance
  • Best General Liability Insurance for Small Business
  • Best Independent Contractor Insurance Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What Type of Insurance Do You Need for a Cleaning Business?

    Most cleaning businesses need general liability insurance for protection from lawsuits. You’ll likely need commercial auto insurance if you own commercial vehicles or drive a personal vehicle to job sites. If you have employees, you may be required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, depending on local laws. You may also choose to get inland marine coverage to protect your valuable equipment, and you may want a BOP if you own or rent commercial property.

  • Do You Need Liability Insurance for a Cleaning Company?

    While typically not required by law, general liability insurance provides essential protection for cleaning companies. If a customer slips and falls while you are mopping, or if you damage an expensive piece of furniture with the wrong cleaning product, your business could be held liable. General liability insurance helps pay for your legal fees and damages in the event of a lawsuit.

  • How Much Is Insurance for a Cleaning Business?

    The cost of insurance for a cleaning business depends on the types of policies and limits you choose. We found the average cost of a general liability policy for a cleaning company to be $1,372 annually, based on average quoted premiums collected by Insureon. However, workers’ compensation coverage is calculated based on your payroll and other factors. So, the average annual premium is higher than a general liability policy: $5,044 per year, based on average premiums from Insureon.

  • Do You Need Insurance Before You Start a Cleaning Business?

    While general liability insurance is typically not required by law for cleaning businesses, it may be required as a condition of your cleaning contract with clients. If you drive from one client to the next, you’ll also need commercial auto coverage. Some states may also require you to carry workers’ compensation insurance, depending on the number of employees you have.

  • Do You Need Insurance If You Are a Self-Employed Cleaner?

    Yes. Even if you have a sole proprietorship with no employees, you should have general liability insurance before you start cleaning customers’ homes or businesses. This will protect your personal finances if you’re hit with a lawsuit.

Methodology

To choose the best cleaning business insurance, we evaluated 11 insurance companies based on the following criteria:

Quote Rate (50%-60%)

To evaluate the accessibility of cleaning insurance offered by each company, we used quote rate data collected from Insureon. Company quote rates for each policy type were heavily weighted when scoring insurers.

Average Quoted Premium (10%-20%)

We evaluated the average quoted premium by policy type across all cleaning businesses that purchased policies through Insureon.

NAIC Index (10%-20%)

As a measure of customer satisfaction, we averaged the past three years of NAIC complaint indices for each company. Companies with low average NAIC complaint indices received the highest scores.

AM Best Rating (10%)

We assessed each company’s financial strength grade with AM Best, which accounted for 10% of each company’s final score. The grade indicates the future likelihood that your insurer can pay your claim.

Other Considerations

We also checked customer service reviews, J.D. Power rankings, coverage options, and other benefits provided by each company insurer provides.

Compare the 4 Best Insurance Companies for Cleaning Businesses (5)

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