What Insurance Your Window Cleaning Business Needs
Clean windows with no streaks. That’s your job Professional window cleaning, though, can be a risky business for you and your employees.
Whether your window cleaning business is residential, commercial, or office tower, you need a customized window cleaning insurance package to protect the business you’ve built.
How will a window cleaning insurance package protect my business?
You need to protect your window cleaning business from the potential risks you and your employees face when on the job.
Without insurance, you would have to cover these costs out of your own pocket. Can you take that kind of risk?
A window cleaning insurance package can help protect you from these 3 common claims:
1. An employee falls and is injured when cleaning exterior windows on a high-rise building. Commercial General Liability insurance may pay for your injured employee’s medical expenses.
2. Your system is hacked and your customer data is stolen. Cyber Liability insurance would help protect you in this case.
3. One of your employees gets in a car accident with one of your business vehicles. Commercial Auto insurance would help pay damages to your vehicle.
Did you know that Edmonton has 23 buildings taller than 100 metres?
As a window cleaning business owner, here’s an insurance check list:
- Do you have the best business insurance rate for your window cleaning business?
- Do you have the right amount for your deductible and regularly review it to make sure it’s the right amount?
- Is your number of employees up to date?
- Do you know the value of your equipment and is it properly insured?
Note that if you have a full-time sales team, your window cleaning insurance policy will give them coverage.
Usually, most insurers consider part-time employees and subcontractors as independent employees and they will need to get their own insurance policies.
What’s in a window cleaning insurance package?
Commercial General Liability insurance: CGL protects against third-party bodily injury or property damage claims.
CGL can help pay legal and medical costs if an employee is injured on the job when cleaning windows.
It may also help pay costs if a customer or employee slips on wet floor or on an icy patch on your window cleaning headquarters. This type of insurance is also known as slip and fall insurance.
Without commercial liability insurance, you would be responsible for paying any liability costs out of your own pocket.
Your CGL policy also can help protect you from libel, slander, copyright infringement, and false advertising allegations.
How much CGL insurance do I need?
It’s not uncommon that a window cleaning business would carry $2 million in CGL coverage. Depending on the size of your operation, you may be required to have more CGL coverage.
The size of your window cleaning business, number of employees, and claims history will be factors in how much liability insurance you need.
Equipment and Tools Insurance: This type of coverage replaces or repairs damaged, stolen, or lost equipment and tools, accessories, or other property that you use in your window cleaning business. This would include such things as squeegees, hoses, ladders, ropes, safety gear, and aerial lifts.
Anything valued at less than $1,500 is considered a tool and anything above that limit is considered equipment.
Commercial Property Insurance: It can help keep your business’s office protected from property losses, such as theft or vandalism. You can also add earthquake insurance, sewer backup, or flood coverage extensions.
Commercial property insurance protects your window repair business and its contents.
Property you may need to insure:
- Building
- Furniture, equipment, supplies
- Inventory and computers
- Documents such as payroll, accounts receivable
Pollution Liability Insurance: Your window cleaning business may use products that could be harmful to the environment or people, even though they get the windows squeaky clean. This type of insurance protects your window cleaning business from third-party bodily injury and property damage claims and environmental liabilities associated with exposure to those products. It also helps cover any cleanup costs.
Business Interruption Insurance: If there is an insured loss at your window cleaning business that’s severe enough to prevent it from being open, the expenses associated with getting your business running again will be covered.
Business Interruption insurance usually covers vandalism, fire, wind, flooding, and other risks. It’s important to make sure to understand what this policy covers. This type of insurance will help compensate you for lost income and expenses that you will need to continue paying even when your business is unable to operate.
Commercial Vehicle Insurance: If you have vehicles that you use as part of your window cleaning business, then you need to be covered by commercial auto insurance. Your personal car insurance usually won’t cover your business.
Cyber Liability Insurance: If you store your customers’ names, addresses, and credit card numbers, this information could be stolen if your computer system is hacked by cybercriminals.
Without cyber insurance, you will have to pay for the cost of restoring your system on your own.
You may also be liable for damages to third parties whose information has been stolen and you may have to pay for notification expenses to inform customers affected by a breach.
How much window cleaning insurance do I need?
It will depend on the size of your window cleaning company and the kind work that you do.
That means it’s unlikely that all window cleaning businesses would pay the same rates monthly or annually.
Ask your Western business insurance expert to determine the right level of coverage for your window cleaning business.
What do I do if my window cleaning company has an insurance claim?
- Contact your broker immediately after any business-related mishap. Waiting to file a claim can confuse insurers about the severity of the damages to your business.
- Know your policy so that when you contact your broker you are familiar with what will be covered or not.
- Document the damage. Take photos right away and write down what happened.
- Do not throw away damaged goods after taking photos. Keep any physical evidence so that your adjustor can see it.
- Do not invite lawsuits. Don’t say anything that could be used against you, especially if you aren’t sure what happened.
- Be honest about what your damaged property is worth. Damaged commercial property is generally valued according to its actual cash value or replacement value.
Western Insurance has licensed BUSINESS INSURANCE EXPERTS to get your window cleaning business the right insurance package. Our experts are available now to help you navigate the business insurance journey to protect your business.
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