How much does cleaner insurance cost for a solo operator?

Most solo cleaners with no employees pay between $350 and $800 a year for general liability. Adding a janitorial bond typically brings the total to $450–$1,000 depending on the bond amount.

Does commercial cleaning cost more to insure than residential?

Generally yes. Commercial work carries higher exposure — larger properties, more third parties, higher potential damages. If you do both residential and commercial, your carrier will blend the rate.

Can I get monthly payments instead of paying annually?

Yes — most carriers offer monthly payment plans. You may pay slightly more over the course of the year versus paying upfront, but many cleaners prefer to spread the cost.

Does adding employees significantly increase my premium?

Yes, adding employees increases your premium because it increases exposure. The exact increase depends on your payroll size and the type of work your employees do.

Does the bond amount a client requires actually change my premium?

Yes, meaningfully. A $10,000 bond requirement and a $25,000 bond requirement can carry noticeably different premiums even for the same business. Ask your client what bond amount they need before you request a quote so we can price it accurately.

How Much Does Cleaner Insurance Cost?

The Real Range: $350 to $2,800+

Ask ten cleaning business owners what they pay and you'll get ten different numbers, because cleaner insurance pricing swings harder than most trades based on one thing: whether you touch commercial contracts. Here's the honest breakdown:

Solo, residential-only, GL alone: $350–$800/year
Add a janitorial bond for a commercial account: $450–$1,000/year
Crew with W-2 employees and payroll: $1,000–$2,800+/year

Why Bonding Amount Moves Your Price More Than Revenue Does

This is the part that catches new cleaning business owners off guard: for most trades, revenue is the single biggest rating factor. For cleaners chasing commercial contracts, the bond amount a client demands often matters just as much. A property manager asking for a $10,000 janitorial bond costs you meaningfully less than one requiring $25,000 — regardless of whether your revenue is identical. Before you bid on a contract, ask what bond amount is required — our step-by-step guide to getting bonded covers the actual process and typical cost. It changes your premium math before you've cleaned a single square foot.

The Background-Check Discount

Carriers underwriting employee dishonesty and janitorial bond coverage look at one thing painters, plumbers, and electricians never get asked about: whether you background-check your crew before sending them into a client's home or office unsupervised. Cleaning businesses that run consistent background checks and document it often qualify for better dishonesty coverage rates — because the carrier's real exposure on this coverage is theft and property damage by an employee no one was watching. If you're not already screening hires, it's worth starting before you request a quote.

What Actually Moves the Number

Residential vs. Commercial Mix

Commercial and janitorial contracts rate higher than residential because you're working around more third parties, bigger properties, and higher-value contents. A cleaner doing 100% residential homes pays meaningfully less than one splitting time between homes and office buildings.

Crew Size and Payroll

Every employee you add increases exposure — both for GL and for workers comp if your state requires it. Subcontractors shift some of this exposure depending on how much of your revenue flows through them. If you're about to bring on your first hire, see our checklist for what changes when you go from solo to employer before the numbers surprise you.

Coverage Limits

$1M/$2M is the common floor. Larger commercial and government contracts frequently require $2M/$4M, which costs more but is often non-negotiable for the bid.

Your State

Rates shift by state based on regulatory environment and claim history in that market — this is true across every trade, cleaning included.

Annual Policies Beat Per-Job Coverage

One annual policy covering every client you work with all year is almost always cheaper — and dramatically simpler for certificate production — than buying coverage job by job. We write annual policies for exactly this reason.

Get Your Actual Number

The ranges above are starting points, not your quote. Tell our licensed agents about your mix of residential and commercial work, your crew size, and any bonding a client is requiring, and they'll shop multiple carriers for your real number — typically back to you the same business day.