Janitorial insurance for a small U.S. janitorial business is typically $50 to $70 per month for general liability insurance and a janitorial bond when you work alone. A business with employees may pay about $180 per month before commercial auto insurance. A package that includes workers' compensation and a business vehicle can cost more than $400 per month.
The figures below come from **** and are median costs, not guaranteed quotes. Your premium will depend on your location, payroll, annual revenue, cleaning services, claims history, coverage limits, employees and vehicles.
Janitorial Insurance Cost at a Glance
Insureon's median costs for janitorial businesses are:
| Coverage | Median monthly cost | Median annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| General liability insurance | $60 | $725 |
| Janitorial bond | $10 | $120 |
| Workers' compensation | $114 | $1,368 |
| Business owner's policy | $77 | $919 |
| Commercial auto insurance | $234 | $2,808 |
| Commercial umbrella insurance | $87 | $1,040 |
These are median costs for policies purchased through Insureon. They are not quotes for every janitorial business. A business owner's policy already includes general liability and commercial property coverage, so do not add the BOP cost to the general liability cost.
What Does a Typical Janitorial Insurance Package Cost?
Solo Janitorial Business: About $50 to $70 per Month
A solo cleaner with no employees may begin with:
- General liability insurance: about $60 per month
- Janitorial bond: about $10 per month
Together, those policies cost about $70 per month, or $840 per year. This estimate does not include tools, equipment, business property or commercial auto insurance.
Some insurers advertise lower starting prices. NEXT says janitorial insurance starts at $41.67 per month, and 52% of its janitorial customers pay between $38 and $50 per month for general liability coverage. A starting price is not the same as the median cost for every business.
Janitorial Business With Employees: About $180 to $200 per Month Before Auto
A janitorial business with employees generally needs workers' compensation in addition to liability insurance.
Using Insureon's median figures:
- General liability: $60 per month
- Janitorial bond: $10 per month
- Workers' compensation: $114 per month
The combined estimate is $184 per month, or about $2,208 per year, before commercial auto, property insurance or higher coverage limits.
Workers' compensation rules vary by state, employee count and business structure. Many states require coverage for certain employers. Texas generally allows employers to opt out of the state workers' compensation system under specific rules. Check your state's requirements before hiring employees.
Janitorial Business With a Vehicle: About $400 or More per Month
Commercial auto insurance can be one of the largest insurance costs for a cleaning company. Adding the median commercial auto cost to the other policies produces this estimate:
- General liability: $60 per month
- Janitorial bond: $10 per month
- Workers' compensation: $114 per month
- Commercial auto: $234 per month
Estimated total: $418 per month, or about $5,016 per year.
The premium can be higher for a business with multiple vehicles, several drivers, expensive equipment, a poor driving record or higher limits required by a client contract.
What Types of Insurance Does a Janitorial Business Need?
General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance can help protect a janitorial company against third-party claims involving:
- Bodily injury, such as a customer slipping on a wet floor
- Accidental damage to a client's property
- Certain advertising injury claims
- Legal defense costs and settlements, subject to the policy terms
A common janitorial liability limit is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, although a client may require different limits. Insureon's median cost for janitorial general liability insurance is $60 per month.
General liability does not replace workers' compensation or commercial auto insurance. It also does not automatically cover the business's own equipment.
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Workers' compensation can cover medical expenses, rehabilitation and part of an employee's lost wages after a covered work-related injury or illness.
Premiums are strongly influenced by payroll, employee count, job duties and state rating rules.
Janitorial or Fidelity Bond
A janitorial bond, often called an employee dishonesty bond, may reimburse a customer if an employee steals from that customer. A bond is different from insurance because the cleaning business may have to repay the surety after a covered loss.
Many commercial clients require proof of a janitorial bond before awarding a contract. Insureon reports an average cost of about $10 per month.
Business Owner's Policy
A business owner's policy, or BOP, combines general liability insurance with commercial property coverage. It may fit a janitorial company that owns or leases an office, stores supplies or keeps equipment at a fixed location.
Insureon reports a median janitorial BOP cost of $77 per month. The Hartford reports that its cleaning-business customers paid an average of about $129 per month for a BOP. Different insurers and customer groups can produce different prices.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Commercial auto insurance may be necessary when the business owns vehicles or regularly uses vehicles for business operations. Depending on the policy, it can cover business-use liability and damage to the vehicle.
Insureon reports a median commercial auto premium of $234 per month for janitorial businesses.
What Makes Janitorial Insurance More Expensive?
Insurers may consider:
- Number of employees and total payroll
- Annual revenue
- Residential, office, industrial or specialized cleaning work
- Use of chemicals, floor machines, ladders or other equipment
- Number of client locations
- Claims history
- Business location
- Coverage limits and deductibles
- Use of subcontractors
- Requests to add clients as additional insureds
- Company vehicles and driver records
A janitorial company serving small offices with no employees generally presents less exposure than a commercial cleaning company with multiple crews, vehicles and industrial contracts.
How to Lower the Cost Without Leaving Major Gaps
- Compare at least three quotes using identical limits. A lower price may reflect lower limits or exclusions for cleaning-related risks.
- Ask whether a BOP costs less than separate property and liability policies.
- Use accurate payroll and revenue estimates. Understating them can create audit problems or leave the business underinsured.
- Train employees on wet-floor procedures, chemical handling and key control.
- Ask about annual-payment discounts and bundled coverage.
- Confirm that subcontractors carry their own insurance.
- Request certificates of insurance and additional-insured endorsements when a contract requires them.
Bottom Line
The right insurance budget depends on the business's state, revenue, payroll, employees, services, vehicles, claims history and client contract requirements. Give the insurer those details, then compare quotes with the same limits, deductibles and endorsements.