Janitorial business insurance protects your hard work

Being a janitorial contractor or business owner is hard work. You’re on your feet all day or night taking care of a facility and performing the tasks that others don’t want to do. While your efforts may go unnoticed by some, Simply Business sees your hard work and is here to look after you.

Simply Business offers janitorial insurance that protects the blood, sweat, and tears you’ve invested in your business. Don’t know what insurance you need? Don’t worry. All you need to do is answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get free, custom quotes from top insurers.

We know you’re busy, but you only need 10 minutes to start insuring your business.

Here are two types of business insurance available to janitors:

• General liability insurance
• Workers compensation insurance

Each type of policy covers different scenarios, but all insurance offers the benefit that:

• It can protect your business from certain claims.
• It can cover damages caused by your negligence.
• Proof of insurance can help clients feel good about your work.
• It may be legally required where you’re located.

What Types of Janitorial Insurance Do I Need?

While janitorial contractor insurance is always recommended, you may not be required by law to have every policy type. There are a couple of different categories of business insurance, and we’ll explain each one.

General Liability Insurance

As the name suggests, general liability insurance is the most generalized type of janitorial insurance. This type of insurance covers bodily injury, property damage, and third-party accidents. What’s a “third party”? It usually encompasses your customers or vendors. When you choose a janitorial business insurance policy, you’ll also have the option to add contents coverage, which can reimburse you for stolen property.

Even though being a janitor may not seem like a high-risk profession, every business comes with risks. The average claim for property damage or accidents in small businesses is $30,000. Without liability insurance, you would have to pay the entire bill yourself. Paying for a claim is very far down on the list of things I’d do with $30,000.

Since most of us aren’t reviewing business insurance policies every day, it can be a little overwhelming to think about what scenarios it covers. As a janitorial contractor, general liability insurance may be able to protect your bank account if you damage property. For example, imagine that you bump a chandelier in just the wrong spot as you’re dusting it, and it falls to the floor. The chandelier is broken, and your client sues you for $10,000 — the cost of the crystal chandelier. Yikes!

Without insurance, you’d need to defend yourself in court or hand over that cool ten grand. However, if you have general liability insurance, your policy would defend the lawsuit and pay for some of and potentially all of any settlements.

So what does general liability insurance usually cover in your janitorial business? Here’s a recap:

• Third-party property damage (aka customers or vendors)
• Bodily injury
• Medical expenses
• Personal and advertising injury
• And more

General liability insurance usually does not cover:

• Personal property damage
• Professional services
• Employee injury and workers compensation
• Damage to your work
• Motor vehicles during business use
• Intentional injury or damage
• And more

Workers Compensation Insurance

Adding employees is a positive sign that your business is booming. As you take on that extra responsibility, though, you sign up for a few additional requirements. In most cases, workers compensation insurance is legally required if you have employees. Workers comp insurance policies cover medical bills, lost wages, and any legal costs associated with an employee who got sick or hurt on the job.

What does this type of coverage look like for your janitorial business? Your employee could strain their back while moving a large office printer to do a thorough cleaning. Or someone could have a reaction or receive a chemical burn from a cleaning product that’s too strong. Not to mention slips and falls on freshly mopped floors or stairs.

Workplace injuries are expensive, but having workers compensation insurance lessens the impact. The average cost of workers comp claims is $41,000.

Workers compensation insurance for janitors can cover:

• Medical payments
• Lost wages
• Rehabilitation expenses
• Death benefits

Why Should You Get a Janitorial Business Insurance Policy?

You’ve built your business from the ground up, and each decision is not made lightly. We understand that business owners need to be conscious of how they’re spending money and that insurance can be an additional financial burden. However, any monthly insurance costs are a much more pleasant number than the prices you could be accountable for if something went wrong.

Business insurance shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all, so the cost can vary. Your policy premiums are based on how many employees you have, where you’re located, what types of janitorial services you provide, your estimated revenue, and more. You can answer a few questions here to get a tailored estimate.

The average costs small business owners are exposed to without insurance include:

• $30,000 for property damage or accident claims
• $39,000 for work injury claims
• $50,000 for reputational harm claims (e.g., slander or libel)
• $20,000 for a client slip-and-fall case

Unfortunately, businesses aren’t immune to accidents. Forty-three percent of small business owners have reported being threatened with or involved in a civil lawsuit.

What’s even tougher is that you don’t necessarily have to do something wrong to be faced with a severe customer complaint or lawsuit. You could provide an upstanding service, but if a customer decided that they’re dissatisfied with an outcome, they could sue. Even if the court determines you’re in the right, you could still rack up legal fees.

If you have janitorial insurance in those instances, though, the expensive claims and legal fees won’t all come out of your pocket.

Insurance doesn’t just protect you from the potential “gloom and doom” scenarios, though. Showing proof of insurance can help you:

• Rent out a room or space for your business
• Convince other janitors to work with you
• Earn customers’ confidence
• Open another location
• And more!

When you buy insurance through Simply Business, you’ll receive a certificate of insurance (COI), so you can provide proof of coverage.

Janitorial Insurance FAQs

Why Choose Simply Business?

Choosing an insurance policy isn’t something you do every day, so the decision can be overwhelming. Simply Business is trusted by thousands of customers to protect their business, and we provide you with the information you need to make the best choice for you. We’re an online insurance brokerage that lets you compare quotes from top insurers and are one of the fastest-growing online providers of small business insurance.

So why choose Simply Business? Our customers know that :

• We make affordable insurance easy to find. Our quote process takes only a few minutes, and you’ll be able to review free quotes right away. Choose the affordable policy that fits your needs, and then get back to your busy schedule.

• Our coverage is flexible. Select the insurance coverage your business needs, and increase coverage as your business grows.

• We have insurance as unique as you are. You deserve coverage that’s tailored to your needs and business. Each quote is crafted for you.

You’ve worked hard to build your janitorial business. Now you can choose the best coverage to protect it.

This content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting, investment, or any other form of professional advice.