The best insurance for cleaning businesses should be affordable and offer comprehensive coverage and reliability to protect your business from whatever risks apply. Whether you're a sole proprietor or an LLC, finding the right insurance provider ensures that you're prepared for potential liabilities like property damage, bodily injury and personal injury claims. 

Here are our top five best cleaning business insurance providers:

Why Trust MoneyGeek? 
We collected 1,229 general liability business insurance quotes and analyzed cost information alongside customer satisfaction and financial stability reports to determine the best general liability insurance for cleaning businesses.

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Coverage costs and company information were last updated in 2023.

Nationwide: Best Overall Business Insurance for Cleaners

Nationwide

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Comprehensive coverage options

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Low rate of customer complaints

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Rated highly by AM Best and the BBB

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Affordable general liability coverage

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Takes the longest time to process a quote

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Online quotes not available in some states, like Alaska and Louisiana

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

We chose Nationwide as the best overall insurance for cleaning businesses due to its comprehensive coverage and affordable general liability insurance premiums. This makes it an excellent option for small and medium-sized cleaning companies, especially those with tight budgets. Nationwide also has excellent financial stability and, on average, a low rate of customer complaints compared to other providers, which means customers are generally satisfied with their service. However, the provider has the slowest online quote time among the reviewed companies.

Hiscox: Cheapest General Liability for Sole Proprietors

Hiscox

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Affordable for sole proprietors

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Provides fast online quote process

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Excellent financial stability and customer satisfaction ratings

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A bit expensive for LLCs

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No coverage available in Alaska

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

Sole proprietors may want to consider getting cleaning service insurance through Hiscox. We found that it provides the most affordable rates for this business structure with a relatively fast online quote speed. It has few customer complaints and exceptional financial strength, providing worldwide coverage, a responsive claims team and tailored house cleaning insurance policies.

On the downside, cleaning business quotes are unavailable online in Alaska and may not be available in other states, depending on your business structure and the number of employees you have.

Next: Cheapest Overall for Cleaning Businesses With Employees

Next

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Has the most affordable rates among the providers on this list

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Wide range of policies

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Has many customer complaints

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Low financial strength rating

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Not affordable for sole proprietors

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

Next Insurance provides general liability insurance at an average monthly cost of $29 for LLCs for 20 employees, which is significantly lower than many competitors. This affordability extends to other cleaning service insurance coverages, making it cost-effective for businesses with multiple employees. For instance, its professional liability and workers' compensation policies are also priced competitively, helping businesses maintain comprehensive coverage without incurring excessive costs. However, it has relatively low financial strength and customer satisfaction ratings, meaning it may not be the most reliable insurance company.

Thimble: Best for Getting Online Quotes Fast

Thimble

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Fastest quote processing time

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Affordable for sole proprietors

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Excellent financial stability rating

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Low customer satisfaction rating

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Only provides online customer support

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

With an average online quote time of 42 seconds, Thimble provides the quickest service among all the commercial cleaning insurance companies reviewed on our list. This fast response time allows cleaning businesses to assess their insurance options swiftly and make informed decisions without delays. This makes it an ideal choice for busy professionals prioritizing speed and convenience in managing their insurance needs. While it has an impressive financial stability rating, Thimble has a higher average number of customer complaints than other carriers on our list.

The Hartford: Best for Customer Satisfaction

The Hartford

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Comprehensive coverage

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High customer satisfaction rating

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Strong financial stability rating from AM Best

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Higher premiums than most other providers

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No coverage in Alaska and Hawaii

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

The Hartford consistently earns high ratings and positive feedback from policyholders. It has excellent financial stability and customer satisfaction scores and a wide range of coverage options, including general liability, professional liability and workers' compensation insurance. However, it may not be the best option if affordability is your priority, as it offers generally higher premiums than other providers. For example, its general liability insurance product costs $68 monthly for businesses with 20 employees, as opposed to Next, which charges only $29 per month on average.

How We Evaluated the Best Cleaning Business Insurance

We evaluated and ranked cleaning business insurance by comprehensively assessing the following factors:

  • Affordability: We prioritized cleaning company insurance providers offering competitive and affordable premiums specifically tailored for cleaners, including sole proprietors and LLCs with employees.
  • Coverage options: We evaluated insurers based on the breadth and diversity of their coverage options.
  • Claims process: We looked for insurers with a reputation for handling claims promptly and fairly.
  • Customer satisfaction: We reviewed customer satisfaction ratings from trusted sites like J.D. Power.
  • Financial stability: We selected insurers with strong financial scores and reputable ratings from sources such as AM Best and Moody’s.

How Much Liability Insurance Costs for Cleaning Businesses

MoneyGeek determined that the average cost of cleaning business general liability insurance is $22,815 per year for an LLC with 20 employees and $1,007 per year for a sole proprietor without employees. The number of employees significantly impacts insurance costs for cleaning businesses.

Other factors that determine insurance for cleaning business rates include:

  • Coverage: The higher your coverage limits, the more your business is protected against high-dollar claims, but the more you’ll usually pay in insurance premiums.
  • Industry risk: Insurance companies use risk to help determine rates. If you clean in riskier settings, like a commercial building or hospital, you could pay more for cleaning business insurance.
  • Location: Providing cleaning services in areas more prone to claims, such as high-crime locations or where weather events are more common, could increase insurance premiums.
  • Payroll costs: Expect to pay more for cleaning business insurance if you have a large number of employees and high payroll costs.
  • Previous claims: Having a prior claims history can impact current and future insurance rates compared to claims-free cleaning businesses.

Additional Insurance for Cleaning Businesses

Although business liability insurance offers basic coverage, cleaners may need other business insurance policies to cover additional risks that could threaten business or personal assets. Additional insurance policies that may be beneficial for a cleaning business include:

  • Commercial property insurance: This policy covers rented or owned business equipment, tools and business locations.
  • Commercial auto insurance: A commercial auto insurance policy will provide coverage for auto accidents that cause bodily injury or property damage, regardless of who is at fault.
  • Workers’ compensation insurance: A workers’ compensation policy will cover your employees’ work-related injuries and can be tailored to state-specific requirements, if applicable.
  • Professional liability insurance: A professional liability insurance policy (also called errors and omissions insurance) will cover expenses related to any error or mistake claims made against the business for services provided.
  • Business income insurance: If the business cannot operate because of a covered loss, like a fire, business income or business interruption insurance can cover lost revenue, bills and employee wages.

Cleaning Business Insurance FAQ

Do you need insurance to start a cleaning business?

What types of insurance do I need for a cleaning Business?

How much is insurance for a small cleaning business?

Do house cleaners need insurance?

How do I get insurance for a cleaning business?

About Mandy Sleight


Mandy Sleight headshot

Mandy Sleight is a licensed property, casualty, life and health insurance agent with 20 years of experience in the industry. She has worked for major insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide, and most recently as the Operations Coordinator for a startup employee benefits company.

Sleight holds a business administration and management degree from the University of Baltimore and a master's in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She uses her vast knowledge of insurance and personal finance to create easy-to-understand and engaging content to help readers make smarter choices with their budgets and finances.