Pressure Washing Business Insurance

Why Do Pressure Washing Businesses Need Insurance?

Pressure washing businesses use high pressure water and chemicals that can very easily cause damage to client property like siding on a home, especially older siding, or injuries to customers and employees.

High pressure water and chemicals create slippery surfaces that increase the risk of on-site injuries and also have to transport large equipment which increases the risk of commercial accidents.

General liability insurance can provide protection for a pressure washing business against claims of property damage, bodily injury, or even lawsuits.

It also adds credibility, many customers and clients require proof of insurance before hiring a pressure washing company. If you’re an independent contractor, or you have a business with several contractors under your employ, having the right insurance helps you operate confidently, knowing you’re covered if something goes wrong.

What Insurance Do Pressure Washing Businesses Need?

Running a pressure washing business involves working with high-powered machinery, water, and slick surfaces. Accidents can happen in an instant. To safeguard your livelihood, you need the right mix of insurance policies to cover liability, employees, and expensive equipment.

Here is a look at the key types of business insurance policies successful pressure washing businesses should consider.

General Liability Insurance

This is usually the first policy a business owner buys. It protects you against third-party lawsuits involving bodily injury or property damage. If a client trips over your hoses or you accidentally damage their landscaping, this policy pays for legal defense and settlements.

Example: While cleaning a driveway, the high-pressure spray accidentally shatters a low ground-floor window. General liability would cover the cost of replacing the window and any legal costs if the homeowner sues.

Inland Marine Insurance

Pressure washing requires mobile equipment. Standard property insurance protects items at a fixed location, but Inland Marine covers your tools and machinery while they are in transit or at a job site. This is vital for protecting high-value items like pumps, surface cleaners, and trailers.

Example: You park your truck at a lunch stop, and someone steals your pressure washer and hoses from the trailer. Inland Marine helps pay to replace the stolen gear.

You can expect to pay between $29 and $47 a month to insure your tools.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Personal auto policies rarely cover accidents that happen while you are driving for work. If your business owns a truck or van, or if you use a personal vehicle to haul a water tank and trailer, you need commercial auto coverage. It handles medical bills and repair costs after an accident.

Example: You are driving your work truck to a client’s house and slide on a wet road, hitting a parked car. This policy covers damage to both vehicles.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Pressure washing is physically demanding and creates slippery environments. If you hire employees, most states require you to carry workers’ compensation. This covers medical bills and lost wages if a worker gets hurt on the job. It also protects you from being sued by the injured employee.

Example: An employee slips on a soapy deck and fractures their wrist. Workers’ compensation pays for their emergency room visit and covers a portion of their income while they heal.

Professional Liability Insurance

Also known as Errors and Omissions (E&O), this covers financial losses caused by negligence or mistakes in your service. Even if you do not cause physical damage, a client might claim you failed to do the job correctly or offered bad advice that cost them money.

Example: You use the wrong chemical mixture on a client’s vinyl siding, causing it to discolor over time. The client sues you for the cost of replacing the siding. A professional liability policy covers your legal defense.

The average premium is around $74 per month.

Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)

A BOP is a cost-effective way to get broad coverage. It bundles General Liability and Commercial Property insurance into a single package. This is often cheaper than buying the policies separately and is great for small to mid-sized operations.

Example: A pipe bursts in your storage unit, damaging your office furniture and flooding your inventory of cleaning chemicals. The BOP helps cover the cleanup and replacement costs.

Umbrella Insurance

Sometimes a standard policy limit is not enough. Umbrella insurance provides an extra layer of liability protection. It sits on top of your general liability or auto insurance and kicks in once those limits are exhausted.

Example: A major accident involving your work truck results in a lawsuit for $1.5 million. If your auto policy only covers up to $1 million, umbrella insurance covers the remaining $500,000.

Hired And Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) Insurance

If your employees drive their own cars for work tasks, your business could be liable for accidents they cause. HNOA covers liability for vehicles the business uses but does not own.

Example: You send an employee to the hardware store to buy a replacement nozzle in their personal sedan. On the way, they cause a fender bender. HNOA protects your business from liability claims.

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance protects the physical assets at your primary business location. Whether you own a building or lease a garage, this covers the structure and its contents against risks like fire, theft, and vandalism.

Example: A severe storm tears the roof off your equipment garage, causing water damage to the structure. This policy pays for the repairs to the building.

Business Personal Property (BPP) Insurance

BPP specifically covers movable items located at your business premises. This includes office computers, furniture, and inventory. It focuses on replacing these items if they are destroyed by a covered event, like a fire.

Example: A fire breaks out in your office, melting your computer and destroying your filing cabinets. BPP covers the cost of buying new office equipment.

Cyber Liability Insurance

If you store customer data, such as credit card numbers, email addresses, or home codes, you are at risk of a data breach. Cyber liability covers the costs of notifying clients, legal fees, and credit monitoring if your digital records are compromised.

Example: Hackers break into your scheduling software and steal your client list and payment information. This insurance helps manage the legal and reputational fallout.

Cheapest Pressure Washing Workers’ Compensation Insurance

For Workers’ Compensation, the cheapest carrier is biBERK, with average annual premiums around $935 for a small team.

Note: These estimates are based on a small business with one full-time employee and a $50,000 payroll in a state with average rates. Workers’ Compensation is highly regulated by the state and will vary significantly based on your exact payroll, state, and safety record.

Cheapest Pressure Washing General Liability Insurance

Based on industry data, Hiscox often provides the cheapest General Liability coverage, with an estimated average cost of $645 per year.

Note: These estimates are based on a standard $1M/$2M General Liability policy for a sole proprietor pressure washer with a clean claims history. Actual premiums will vary based on your state, services offered (e.g., residential vs. commercial), and policy limits.

Cheapest Pressure Washing Business Owner’s Policy

For a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP), Hiscox is frequently the cheapest option, with an estimated average premium of $920 per year.

Note: These estimates are for a BOP that bundles General Liability with a basic Commercial Property policy (e.g., $10,000 in tool/equipment coverage). The final cost will depend on the amount of property and equipment you need to insure.

How Much Does Pressure Washing Business Insurance Cost?

Pressure washing business insurance typically costs around an average of $75 to $300 per month, depending on many factors, particularly the size of your business, where you are working, and the type of service you provide.

For example, residential pressure washing comes with slightly lower business insurance costs compared to those that handle specialized equipment for construction machinery or commercial buildings, just the same as areas with a higher risk profile can come with higher insurance costs.

Several other factors influence the cost of coverage, including the number of employees, the types of services you offer, the records you keep, your claims history, and whether you transport expensive tools.

Insurers also consider the amount of coverage you choose and whether you package policies together. While it may be tempting to go with the cheapest option, it’s important to choose a plan that truly protects your business from its most likely risks.

Note: These figures are estimates for a small U.S. pressure washing business with standard coverage limits and a limited number of employees. Actual premiums will vary significantly based on your specific location, business size, payroll, vehicle types, driving records, equipment value, coverage limits, and claims history.

How Is Your Pressure Washing Business Insurance Cost Calculated?

Insurers use a specific set of criteria to determine the price of your policy. They look closely at the unique risks associated with your pressure washing operations. The type of work you perform is a primary factor in this calculation.

Washing heavy industrial machinery is generally considered riskier than cleaning residential homes or fences. Because the potential for damage or injury is higher with industrial equipment, the cost to insure these projects is usually more expensive than standard residential work.

Providers also review your track record. If you have filed insurance claims in the past, they might view you as a higher risk. This can increase your monthly payments. They also consider the total value of your pressure washers and surface cleaners. Whether you own or rent business vehicles impacts the rate as well. Finally, the amount of coverage you buy and your legal structure, such as being an LLC versus a sole proprietorship, will change the final price.