The policies a cleaning business carries
House cleaners work alone in other people's homes. Broken items, slips on wet floors and accusations of theft are the claims to plan for, which is why many cleaners carry a janitorial bond as well as liability.
| Policy | Average a month |
|---|---|
| General liability | $51 |
| Commercial auto | $268 |
| Workers' compensation | $100 |
| Surety or license bond | $9 |
| Business owner's policy | $79 |
| Commercial umbrella | $72 |
Averages are what Insureon's customers who are house cleaners pay, from Insureon's cost page; most of its customers have fewer than five employees. Across all its small business customers, general liability runs $265 to $3,030 a year.
Claims cleaning companies plan for
- A vase is knocked off a shelf and broken
- A cleaner is accused of taking jewelry
- A customer slips on a floor that was still wet
- The wrong cleaner etches a stone countertop
Ask your agent, in these words:
- Would my policy pay if a vase is knocked off a shelf and broken?
- Would my policy pay if a cleaner is accused of taking jewelry?
- Would my policy pay if a customer slips on a floor that was still wet?
- Would my policy pay if the wrong cleaner etches a stone countertop?
Name the work you sell
A policy covers the work you describe on the application. From the cleaning services list, name each of these and ask whether any is excluded: standard clean, 2,000 sq ft home; weekly or every-two-weeks clean; monthly clean; deep clean, 2,000 sq ft home; move-out clean, 2,000 sq ft home; post-construction clean; holiday or event clean; inside the oven; inside the fridge; interior windows; carpet steam cleaning; laundry and linens.
Most cleaners drive their own car, so check whether a personal policy covers business use. On the tools list, the items to list on the policy are backpack vacuum; canister or hepa vacuum; steam cleaner; window cleaning kit; washer and dryer kept for cloths, and from the starter kit, commercial upright vacuum; microfiber cloths in color codes; cleaning caddy and spray bottles with labels; flat mop system with washable pads; extendable duster and a step stool.
State rules in the license
Most states do not license cleaning work as a trade of its own, so there is usually no state insurance minimum tied to a license. Cities and commercial customers can still set their own.
Workers' comp and bonds
The SBA says every business with employees must carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance. Insureon's average for house cleaners is $100 a month, priced per $100 of payroll. A bond protects the state or the customer, not you; Insureon puts its yearly cost at a share of the bond amount:
| Bond amount | Estimated yearly cost |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $25 to $500 |
| $10,000 | $50 to $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $250 to $5,000 |
Certificates of insurance
Property managers and some homeowners ask for proof of insurance and a bond before the first clean. Keep a PDF on your phone so you can send it the day they ask.
Sources
- Insureon: Insurance cost for house cleaners, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: General liability insurance cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: Workers' compensation insurance cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: Surety bond cost, checked October 9, 2026
- SBA: Get business insurance, checked October 9, 2026
Last checked October 9, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.