Liability insurance

How a cleaning firm protects against client damage

Key points

  • What to insure

    Liability to client for property damage (broken equipment, flooding, scratched floor) — the core cleaning risk.

  • Limits & deductible

    Per-event limit should cover expensive sites (office with equipment — from 100k); a deductible lowers premium.

  • Exclusions

    Typical exclusions: staff theft (separate fidelity cover), wear-and-tear, work without PPE.

  • Without cover

    Without insurance, liability sits in the contract — define liability caps and damage assessment procedure.

A liability policy costs roughly 1–3% of the limit per year. For B2B contracts (offices, retail) insurance is often a mandatory tender requirement — keep the policy current before bidding.