Window Cleaner Insurance
Window cleaners are in high demand, but it’s among the most dangerous professions. Whether you’re washing the windows of a residential home, or you’re cleaning skyscraper windows on scaffolding, accidents can easily happen—that’s why window cleaner insurance is key.
If you own a window cleaning business, it’s important to understand the risks facing you and your workers. For example, an employee could unknowingly climb an unsteady ladder and fall off, leading to a major head or neck injury. Or, someone might walk by a jobsite and trip over a harness rope. It can also be hazardous to work with toxic cleaning agents.
These are just a few of the risks that window cleaners face on a daily basis. When a small business gets sued for bodily injury, property damage, or worker injury, it can be incredibly costly. Fortunately, window cleaner insurance can protect your business financially in the wake of a third-party lawsuit.
Here are the types of coverage that window cleaners should consider having:
General Liability
General liability insurance is one of the most important types of window cleaner insurance. It consists of two parts—bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage. This policy will pay for your legal defense if you get sued for bodily injury or property damage. It will also cover a settlement or judgment with the third party, as well as costs like medical bills and property repairs.
Inland Marine
Inland marine coverage will protect materials and equipment while they are being transported. This type of insurance also covers your equipment during storage. So, for example, let’s say you’re driving to a job site and you get into an accident, which causes your cleaning supplies, scrapers, and squeegees to fly all over the road. In this case, your inland marine policy would cover the cost of replacing those items.
Workers Compensation Insurance
Workers compensation insurance is a legal requirement in every state (except Texas) for businesses that have more than one employee. It’s one of the most important policies for window cleaning businesses. If a worker gets sick or injured as a result of window washing, this policy pays for their medical bills, lost wages, and disability benefits.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Most window washing businesses use trucks or vans to travel to and from job sites. However, personal car insurance policies don’t provide coverage for business use. Commercial car insurance provides liability coverage and will pay for the driver’s legal fees if they cause an accident. You can also purchase physical damage coverage, which will pay for the repairs after a crash.
Surety Bond
Before you can start working for a new client, you’re probably required to sign a contract that details your work arrangement, such as a certain number of window cleanings per month. A surety bond is beneficial whenever contracts are involved. If you fail to deliver on the services you promise in a contract and your client sues you, they can receive a surety bond, which is a fixed amount of money. However, the catch with a surety bond is that you’re required to pay the money back to your bond provider.
Excess Liability
While most window cleaner insurance policies come with a generous amount of liability coverage, every policy is capped at what’s called the coverage limit. If you want to purchase more liability insurance than your standard policy includes, you can purchase an excess liability policy. However, excess liability insurance is only available once you’ve maxed out the limits of the basic policy, which is usually around $1 million or more.
How To Get Window Cleaner Insurance
Every window cleaning business has different insurance needs. Therefore, it’s important to ask yourself some questions before deciding which types of insurance to purchase, and how much coverage is right for you. Here are several things to consider as you shop for insurance:
- How much risk you face: Every window cleaning business faces risks, but the amount of risk you face depends on factors like the number of employees you have, the types of jobs you take, and how much liability you face.
- Choose the right coverages: Think about what insurance policies make sense for your business. For instance, if you’re a one-man window cleaning business, you probably don’t need workers compensation insurance. If you are concerned about protecting equipment and cleaning supplies during transit, you should look into inland marine coverage.
- Purchase enough coverage: The cost of window cleaner insurance depends on the amount of coverage you get. Make sure to buy enough coverage for your specific risks, otherwise, you could have to pay a portion of a claim out-of-pocket.
- Pick a reasonable deductible: A deductible is sometimes required if you have a claim. Choose a deductible amount that you could easily afford in the event of a covered loss. If you can’t afford the deductible, you may not receive a payout from your insurance carrier.
- Get a quote: Before you buy window cleaner insurance, get a few online quotes to compare costs. You might be surprised to learn that the cost of business insurance can vary significantly between insurance companies.
- Work with an agent: Even if you can purchase a business insurance policy entirely online, it’s still a good idea to talk to an agent. They can answer your questions and help you choose the right amount of coverage.
Window Cleaner Business Insurance Cost
The cost of window cleaning business insurance depends on several factors, including your location, the number of employees you have, your previous claim history, the type of policy you buy, your coverage limits, and your deductibles. The more coverage you purchase, the more expensive your premium will be. The average cost of window cleaner insurance starts at $25 per month.
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