Window Cleaning Business Insurance

Window cleaning companies can use Insuranceopedia to look at business insurance policies from top insurance brands. This site makes it easy to find the right plan for general liability, property risks, and protecting your staff.

Why Do Window Cleaning Businesses Need Insurance?

Window cleaning companies need to shield themselves from distinct hazards like workplace injuries and property damage. This industry faces higher risks than most because crews often work on ladders or high-rise commercial structures. Lacking proper coverage means your business must pay out of pocket for accidents or legal battles.

You also face liability issues if a worker or bystander gets hurt. General liability insurance defends your company against claims involving physical injury, property damage, and lawsuits.

Beyond protection, insurance builds trust. Many commercial and residential clients insist on seeing proof of coverage before signing a contract. Whether you are a solo operator or run a team of cleaners, holding the right policy gives you the peace of mind to work safely.

What Insurance Do Window Cleaning Companies Need?

Window cleaning is a high-risk profession that involves ladders, chemicals, and fragile glass. To safeguard your company against lawsuits, injuries, or property damage, you need a robust risk management strategy. Here is a guide to the specific types of business insurance policies that keep window cleaners protected.

General Liability Insurance

This is the starting point for most window cleaning companies. It covers third-party bodily injuries and property damage caused by your operations. If a homeowner trips over your bucket or a ladder falls on a client’s car, this policy pays for the repairs, medical bills, and legal defense fees.

Example: You are washing windows at a retail store, and a customer slips on water that dripped onto the sidewalk. They sue for medical costs. General liability would cover the settlement and legal expenses.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Personal car insurance policies usually exclude accidents that happen while you are working. If your business owns vans or trucks to transport ladders and crews, you need commercial auto insurance. It pays for damages and injuries if you or your staff get into an accident while driving to a job.

Example: Your crew is driving the company van to a residential job and rear-ends another vehicle. This policy covers the damage to both vehicles and any medical needs for the other driver.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Window cleaning is physically demanding and often requires working at heights. If an employee falls, gets cut, or suffers a repetitive strain injury, this insurance covers their medical bills and a portion of their lost wages. Most states require this coverage as soon as you hire your first employee.

Example: An employee slips off a ladder while cleaning second-story windows and breaks a leg. Workers’ comp pays for the hospital visit and provides income while they are unable to work.

Inland Marine Insurance

Standard property insurance generally does not cover equipment once it leaves your office. Inland marine insurance floats with your gear. It protects your squeegees, water-fed poles, pressure washers, and generators against theft or damage while they are in transit or at a job site.

Example: You park your truck at a job site, and someone breaks in, stealing your expensive water purification system. This policy provides the funds to replace the stolen gear.

Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions)

This coverage handles claims related to the quality of your work or advice. Even if you are careful, accidents happen. If you use the wrong chemical mixture or scratch a window pane, a client could sue you for the cost of replacement. The average cost for this type of protection is roughly $62 per month.

Example: You use a scraper to remove debris from a window, but accidentally scratch the tinting film on the glass. The client demands that you replace the entire window. Professional liability insurance covers the cost of the mistake.

Surety Bonds

Bonding is vital for building trust, especially when you work inside people’s homes or private offices. If a client accuses one of your employees of theft, the surety bond acts as a guarantee that they will be reimbursed.

Example: A homeowner claims an expensive watch went missing from the windowsill while your team was working inside. The bond pays the client for the loss, protecting your business reputation.

Umbrella Insurance

Sometimes a claim is so large that it exceeds the limits of your primary insurance policies. Umbrella insurance provides an extra layer of liability protection that sits on top of your general liability or auto policies. It kicks in once the underlying limits are exhausted.

Example: You cause significant water damage to a luxury commercial building, resulting in a $1.2 million lawsuit. If your general liability caps at $1 million, umbrella insurance covers the remaining $200,000.

Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)

A BOP is a cost-effective way to get multiple coverages in one package. It typically combines general liability and commercial property insurance. Insurers often offer this bundle at a rate lower than purchasing the policies individually.

Example: A small fire breaks out in your equipment storage room, damaging your inventory and the building structure. The BOP helps pay for the structural repairs and the lost supplies.

Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) Insurance

This insurance is necessary if you or your employees drive personal vehicles for work tasks. It provides liability coverage if someone causes an accident while using a vehicle the business does not own, such as an employee’s personal sedan or a rented truck.

Example: You run out of cleaning solution and send an employee to the store in their own car to buy more. On the way, they cause a minor accident. HNOA steps in to cover the liability costs.

Commercial Property Insurance

If you own a shop, warehouse, or office space, commercial property insurance protects the physical building and its contents. It covers losses from events like fire, vandalism, windstorms, and theft that occur at your primary business location.

Example: A severe storm blows a tree onto the roof of your office, causing a leak that ruins the ceiling and walls. This policy pays for the repairs to the building.

Business Personal Property (BPP) Insurance

This covers the movable assets located inside your business premises. While commercial property covers the structure, BPP covers the “stuff” inside, such as office furniture, computers, and cleaning inventory stored on-site.

Example: A burst pipe floods your office and ruins your scheduling computer and office chairs. BPP covers the cost to replace these items.

Cyber Liability Insurance

Window cleaners often store client addresses, alarm codes, and credit card numbers digitally. If your computer system is hacked or you suffer a data breach, this insurance helps pay for legal fees, notifying customers, and credit monitoring services.

Example: Your billing software is compromised, exposing the credit card details of your recurring clients. Cyber liability insurance helps manage the legal fallout and notification costs.

Cheapest Window Cleaning Professional Liability Insurance

The Hartford is the cheapest option for professional liability coverage for window cleaners, with an average estimated cost of approximately $655 per year.

Note: These estimates are based on 2025 market analysis for a small window cleaning business with revenue under $150,000. Professional Liability covers claims regarding negligence, such as using the wrong cleaning solution that permanently damages a client’s tinted windows. Actual premiums will vary based on your claims history and specific coverage limits.

Cheapest Window Cleaning Business General Liability Insurance

NEXT Insurance is the cheapest option for general liability coverage, with policies starting as low as $220 per year for qualified low-risk businesses.

Note: Estimates are derived from provider “starting at” rates for standard $1M/$2M liability limits. General Liability covers third-party bodily injury (e.g., a client tripping over your ladder) and property damage. Actual premiums will vary depending on the height at which you work (ground level vs. high-rise) and your location.

Cheapest Window Cleaning Business Business Owner’s Policy

Thimble is the cheapest option for a Business Owners Policy (bundling General Liability and Commercial Property), with average costs around $768 per year.

Note: These figures are based on a standard BOP package including general liability and equipment coverage for a two-person crew. A BOP is cost-effective for protecting your physical assets (squeegees, water-fed pole systems, vans) alongside liability. Actual premiums will vary based on the value of the equipment you need to insure and your deductible choice.

How Much Does Window Cleaning Business Insurance Cost?

On average, window cleaning businesses spend about $62 per month for general liability insurance. The specific risks involved in your daily work play a major role in determining business insurance costs. For instance, washing windows on a single-story home is much safer than working on a tall commercial building near a busy highway.

Insurance providers calculate your premium based on several key details. These include your business location, the size of your staff, the specific services you provide, and your history of prior claims. They also look at business records and whether you transport valuable equipment to job sites.

Your final rate also depends on the coverage limits you select and if you choose to bundle multiple policies. While it is natural to look for the lowest price, the most important goal is finding a policy that adequately covers the specific hazards your window cleaning business faces.

Note: These estimates are based on current U.S. market data for small to medium-sized window cleaning businesses (typically with annual revenues under $150,000 and fewer than 3 employees). Actual premiums will vary significantly depending on your specific location, crew size, claims history, policy limits, and the insurance carrier you choose.

How Is Your Window Cleaning Business Insurance Cost Calculated?

Underwriters review several details to figure out your premium. The biggest factor is usually the type of window cleaning you do. Working on large commercial buildings is riskier than washing windows at private homes. Because of this, commercial policies often cost more than residential coverage.

Your claims history is important too. If you have filed for insurance payouts before, companies might see you as high risk. The value of your gear and your work vehicles also impacts the price. Finally, your coverage limits and business structure help determine the final cost.

Following these steps helps ensure you’re properly insured and set up to handle risks confidently and professionally.