What Types Of Insurance Does A Window Cleaning Business Need?

Indoor and outdoor window cleaning is tedious work that sometimes requires ladders and special equipment. Professional window cleaning companies take the hassle out of window cleaning for customers, using equipment and expertise to get the job done quickly and safely. However, this means the window washing business takes on the risks associated with cleaning windows and needs ample insurance coverage to protect them.

 Related: Guide to starting a window cleaning business

What Are Some Risks for a Window Cleaning Business?

Some of the risks for a window cleaning business include the following:

• Employee injuries
• Customer injuries or harm
• Car accidents
• Equipment damage 

Employee Injuries

Window washing businesses will have a significant risk of employee injuries, especially for projects that require climbing on ladders, scaffolding, or roofs. Falls from heights can cause severe or lifelong injuries and can sometimes be fatal. In addition, poor weather and low visibility may increase the risk of falls and lead to other complications. For example, extreme weather may cause hypothermia, frostbite, sunburn, dehydration, and heat stroke.

The window washing equipment also poses a risk to employee safety. For example, window cleaners may experience cuts, abrasions, lacerations, and dismemberment from using power tools, lifts, or heavy machinery. 

In addition, malfunctioning, aged, and worn equipment are a risk to employee safety. For example, falls can occur when scaffolding is not assembled correctly, or ropes are frayed or weakened from repeated use. Further, malfunctioning electrical equipment may shock an employee, causing injury.

Additional injury hazards include:

• Slips, trips, and falls
• Muscle strain or back injuries from holding up water-fed pole systems 
• Electrocution from nearby power lines
• Exposure to pests 
• Exposure to fumes and chemicals

Customer Injuries or Harm

While work is taking place at a customer’s location, the customers and their property are at risk of injury or harm, putting the business at risk of expensive property damage repairs. For example, window cleaning businesses are responsible for the damage they cause to windows or surrounding property while cleaning windows.

For example, a window washer may accidentally scratch or crack a window while cleaning. Additionally, roofing, gutters, and siding may be damaged from contact with scaffolding or ladders. Further, cleaners inside the customer’s home could cause damage to flooring, window sills, or nearby furniture if the cleaning materials and water leak.

Customers and third parties are at risk of injury both on the business’s premises and at the various job sites. On-premises, the main concern is injury from slips, trips, and falls caused by cluttered or uneven walkways. At the job site, some of the main concerns for nearby passersby and customers are injuries from falling objects, contact with harmful cleaning substances, and tripping over equipment.

Car Accidents

As most window cleaning services are performed at the customer’s location, the window cleaning business will frequently be on the road between job sites. This puts the business at risk of damages, injuries, and liabilities from car accidents.

Some of the more common reasons that car accidents occur include

• Distracted driving
• Driver fatigue
• Poor weather
• Low visibility
• Pressure to meet timelines
• Traffic

Equipment and supplies present another car accident concern for window cleaning businesses. Ladders, scaffolding, poles, and other supplies may be bulky and move around while the vehicle is in motion. As a result, unsecured objects can fly off the vehicle, causing injury or damage to surrounding drivers. Additionally, unsecured objects distract the driver, increasing the risk of an accident.

Equipment Damage

Window cleaning businesses transport their equipment between job sites, which can lead to equipment loss or damage. For example, equipment may be damaged in a car accident or during loading, unloading, and usage.

Equipment loss occurs from misplacement and theft. Although locking items and etching tools help prevent loss, theft is a common concern, leading to a financial burden as the equipment is expensive to replace.

Some common causes of equipment loss include theft from

• Parked cars 
• Job sites in high-traffic areas
• Equipment left overnight at a job site

What Types of Insurance Policies Should a Window Cleaning Business Consider?

Some essential insurance policies for window cleaning businesses to consider include the following types of coverage:

• Workers’ compensation insurance
• General liability insurance
• Commercial auto insurance
• Inland marine insurance 

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

A workers’ compensation insurance policy offers coverage for claims of employee injuries. The policy protects the employee from monetary losses and having to cover all their medical bills following an accident. Some of the main benefits of a workers’ compensation policy include

• Medical expenses
• Reimbursement for lost wages
• Coverage for ongoing rehabilitation care
• Disability income
• Coverage for funeral expenses

Although a workers’ compensation policy covers employees, it also directly benefits the business by protecting them from potential lawsuits. Many states require businesses with employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance. However, even when it is not required, workers’ compensation is still essential for window washing businesses with a high likelihood of employee injuries.

General Liability Insurance

A general liability insurance policy protects business owners against claims of bodily injury or property damage. More specifically, general liability coverage will cover claims occurring on business property or due to the actions of the business. For instance, this coverage is helpful for window washing businesses to cover property damage to a customer’s home during a window washing service. It also protects against third-party injuries that occur at the job site.

In the event of a claim, a general liability policy covers 

• Third-party medical bills
• Third-party property damage repairs
• Legal fees
• Settlements

Commercial Auto Insurance

A commercial automobile insurance policy’s primary purpose is to protect the business from liability claims and physical damage to business vehicles. However, an auto policy has several coverages, including 

• Liability
• Physical damage
• Medical payments
• Uninsured motorist coverage.

Liability coverage offers protection for claims of bodily injury and property damage caused by at-fault accidents. For instance, the business is liable for at-fault accidents caused by employees or agents of the business operating a business-owned vehicle. 

Physical damage coverage is insurance for the damage caused to business-owned vehicles. Physical damage coverage includes collision coverage and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage covers at-fault damage from moving objects (i.e., other vehicles or animals) and non-moving objects (i.e., parked cars, fences, or lampposts). On the other hand, comprehensive coverage insures vehicles for damage caused by non-collision events, such as

• Falling objects
• Wind or hail
• Vandalism
• Theft
• Glass breakage

Medical payments coverage covers medical costs for the driver of the company vehicle and any passengers, regardless of fault. 

Uninsured motorist coverage offers financial protection for scenarios when the other at-fault driver does not have insurance or for hit-and-run accidents. 

Inland Marine Insurance

An inland marine insurance policy covers the business’s equipment that is transported over land for damage, loss, and theft through coverage called an equipment floater. An equipment floater is not limited to a permanent location, which is beneficial for window washing businesses with a large amount of mobile equipment.