Most house cleaners need three things: general liability insurance for the guest who slips on the floor you just mopped, a janitorial bond so you can honestly say you're bonded, and workers' compensation the day you put a cleaner on W-2 payroll. Insureon's house cleaner data, updated September 1, 2026, puts the median at $51 a month for general liability and $9 for a bond. What most cleaners learn only after a claim: plenty of liability policies won't pay for damage to the rug or countertop you were cleaning, and a bond doesn't pay a client just because something went missing. This guide covers residential work (solo cleaners, small teams and owner-run maid services in clients' homes). For offices and commercial buildings, read the janitorial business insurance guide.
This is an independent guide from QuoteSweep, which maps the modern commercial insurance landscape. QuoteSweep does not compete with any company named here, and none pays for placement.
TL;DR: Buy general liability at $1 million per occurrence, and first ask whether it covers damage to property you're actively working on. Add a janitorial bond for the "bonded and insured" line clients look for, and a lost-key endorsement if you hold keys. Once you hire, workers' comp is typically required, and 1099 cleaners without their own coverage can land on your payroll at audit. A car used mainly for work may need commercial auto; employees driving their own cars call for hired and non-owned auto. For the "thing I was cleaning" gap, look at Thimble; for a one-stop online buy, ERGO NEXT; for a flat price with a bond, Insurance Canopy; for liability only, Hiscox.
What insurance does a house cleaner need?
Cleaning a home is a different risk from cleaning an office at night. You're usually alone in a house full of someone else's things, the owner's kids and dog may cross the floor you just mopped, you may hold a key or a door code, and you probably drive to three or four homes a day. Each of those facts points to a specific policy or endorsement.
General liability, the policy clients ask for
General liability (GL) pays for injuries and property damage you cause to other people, plus the cost of defending the claim. Thimble's house cleaner page gives two examples that match real days on the job: a non-employee slips on the wet kitchen floor and hurts their back, and your vacuum cord catches a dining chair, topples it and snaps the oak frame. Thimble adds that GL pays for investigation and legal defense even if you turn out not to be responsible. A client with a sore back and a lawyer costs money to answer even when the wet-floor sign was out.
GL does not cover your own injuries (workers' comp), your own vacuum and supplies (tools and equipment coverage) or theft (the bond). The usual limit is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, which is what Insureon lists for its average house cleaner policy. Watch the cheapest tiers: on ERGO NEXT's house cleaning page, the Basic plan shows GL at $300,000 per occurrence against $1 million on Pro. If a property manager's contract says $1 million, a $300,000 policy fails the check no matter how cheap it is.
Damage to the thing you're cleaning
Ask about this before you pay for anything. Thimble says many cleaning GL policies exclude property in your "care, custody, or control" (the CCC exclusion), and its example is a Persian rug you damage while cleaning it, damage it calls "typically not included under general liability insurance." Thimble's own house cleaner policy drops that exclusion and covers property you're working on up to a limit you pick.
The standard commercial GL form has two more exclusions that land on cleaners. As CLM Magazine explains, exclusion j(5) removes coverage for damage to "that particular part of real property on which you...are performing operations," and j(6) removes it for "that particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired or replaced because 'your work'...was incorrectly performed on it." Read those as a cleaner. The countertop you were scrubbing and the shower glass you were descaling are "that particular part." The lamp across the room you bumped is not.
So put one question to the insurer in writing: "If I damage the item or surface I'm cleaning, does this policy pay?" If the answer is no, ask for a care, custody or control endorsement or buy from a carrier that doesn't use the exclusion.
Cleaning products that damage surfaces
Chemical damage is the claim residential cleaners underestimate. The Natural Stone Institute warns that products "containing lemon, vinegar or other acids may dull or etch calcareous stones," and a restorer quoted on Use Natural Stone names marble, travertine and limestone as stones that react badly to vinegar. The same article says etched stone has to be honed and restored by a professional, and it tells homeowners to make sure any outside cleaning service uses stone-safe products. ERGO NEXT also lists a cleaning solution that stains a customer's carpet as a typical claim.
Because this damage sits on the surface you were working on, it runs straight into the CCC and "particular part" wording above. Two habits cut these claims down: ask about stone, natural wood and specialty finishes at the first walkthrough, and take dated photos of existing etching or scratches before you start.
Keys, codes and lost-key coverage
Recurring clients hand over keys, garage codes and lockbox combinations, and losing one is rarely a GL claim. ERGO NEXT's lost key coverage explainer says standard policies typically exclude property in your temporary possession, so a client's re-keying claim "could be denied." Its answer is an optional GL endorsement that pays to re-key locks, install new cylinders, issue new master keys or replace hardware. In its example, a lost master key for a 20-unit apartment building costs $1,500 to $5,000 once emergency locksmith labor and cylinders are counted. A single house is cheaper, but a condo building on a master key or fob looks a lot like that example. Lost car keys, the page notes, belong under commercial auto or garagekeepers coverage.
One free fix: label keys with a code, never an address. A lost ring that says "K-14" is an inconvenience. A lost ring with house numbers on it is a security problem.
Workers' comp, solo cleaner vs a team
Insureon frames the legal requirement around employees, but calls workers' comp "also recommended for sole proprietors" because health plans can deny claims when an injury is work-related. Cleaning means ladders, wet tile and lifting all day. Our guide to workers' comp for the self-employed covers when it's worth buying for yourself.
Once you have employees, Insureon says state laws typically require house cleaning businesses to carry it, and most policies include employer's liability for the injured cleaner who sues. Rules and exemptions vary, so check our state-by-state requirements guide.
The 1099 question trips up a lot of maid services. The IRS decides worker status on the degree of control, weighing behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship. If you set the schedule, supply the products, train cleaners on your checklist and send them out in your branded shirt, that looks like control. Carriers check too: Insureon's audit guide says auditors ask for certificates from subcontractors who worked for you in the past year, and if those subcontractors lack workers' comp, "they'll be included as part of your payroll." The cheap 1099 model can come back as a premium audit bill.
It cuts the other way as well. If you're a solo cleaner subcontracting for a bigger cleaning company, ERGO NEXT notes its liability policy may not cover you because you aren't its employee.
Driving between homes
Personal auto is the solo cleaner's biggest blind spot. The Insurance Information Institute says "if a vehicle is used primarily in business, there is likely no coverage under a personal auto policy," and your personal insurer "will not defend or pay damages on behalf of your business" (III). A car that hauls a caddy and a vacuum to four clients every weekday is arguably used primarily in business. Tell your auto insurer how you use it. Insureon's median for house cleaners who buy commercial auto is $268 a month, the priciest line on its list.
If your cleaners drive their own cars between jobs, the exposure moves to the business. III describes adding liability for "non-owned autos," which covers the business when employees drive their own vehicles on business: that's hired and non-owned auto coverage.
Tools, supplies and the smaller lines
- A commercial vacuum, steam cleaner and trunk of supplies can walk away from a parked car. Inland marine, usually sold as tools and equipment coverage, covers gear that travels. ERGO NEXT sells it for house cleaners, and Insurance Canopy offers it as an add-on.
- A business owner's policy bundles GL with property coverage once you have an office or storage unit. Insureon's median for house cleaners is $79 a month.
- A commercial umbrella adds limits over GL, auto and employer's liability when a contract asks for more than $1 million. Insureon's median is $72 a month.
- Your scheduling app holds addresses, alarm codes and door codes, and Thimble lists cyber liability among the coverages house cleaners should consider. Low priority for a solo cleaner; less so for a maid service with hundreds of client files.
If you get clients through Taskrabbit, Handy or Thumbtack
App platforms advertise protection, and it's easy to assume it covers you. Their own terms say otherwise:
- Taskrabbit's Taskprotect terms say it "may, in its sole discretion, offer up to $1,000" for damage or injury claims and "does not provide insurance against losses sustained by Users." Theft claims need a police report and cash is excluded, and its insurance FAQ says clients must claim on their own homeowner's or renter's insurance first. For Taskers, its July 2026 announcement offers up to $1,000 for eligible injuries caused by a client's negligence.
- Handy says "bookings made and paid for directly on the Handy platform are insured" (Handy Happiness Guarantee). A client you've moved to Venmo and a text thread is no longer that kind of booking.
- Thumbtack tells pros its Guarantee "doesn't replace your insurance or change any legal insurance requirements" (Thumbtack pro guide). Its Money-Back Guarantee covers up to $2,500 when a project wasn't finished as expected.
Two of the three say plainly their program isn't insurance, and the third ties protection to the booking. None gives you a policy in your own name to show a property manager, so carry your own GL.
What clients and property managers ask to see
Expect three requests. The first is a certificate of insurance. ERGO NEXT offers unlimited certificates at no extra cost, and Thimble says its certificates arrive "instantly, in most cases." The second, common with property managers and rental hosts, is to be named an additional insured, which Thimble says you can add "at little or no extra cost." The third is the phrase bonded and insured: Insureon notes many homeowners and business owners, "such as Airbnb hosts," will only hire cleaners who are bonded and insured. ERGO NEXT also names property managers among those who want subcontractors carrying lost-key coverage.
Bonding: what a janitorial bond does and doesn't do
A janitorial bond, also sold as a business service bond, pays your client if your cleaner steals from their home. Insureon's bond page says it covers a house cleaner stealing items or money, reimburses the client directly, and "doesn't cover damage to a client's property, only theft." Insureon also says you aren't required to carry one. It's a trust credential, and for many clients "bonded" is the reason they call you back.
What it doesn't do surprises people:
- You pay it back. Insureon says that after the surety reimburses a client, "you must pay this amount back to the insurer," and Surety Bonds Direct describes the same arrangement.
- An accusation isn't a claim. Surety Bonds Direct says business service bonds typically contain a "conviction clause": the surety won't pay unless the accused employee is convicted in court, and it sells janitorial bonds only with that clause. That shields you from a fake claim. It also means a client missing a ring won't see a quick check, so your key logs, photos and cooperation with police carry the weight.
- It protects your client, not you. If an employee skims cash payments or walks off with your supplies, you need employee dishonesty coverage or commercial crime insurance, which covers the business's own money and property. The labels blur (Insureon's cost page calls janitorial bonds "employee dishonesty coverage"), so ask which party the form pays.
- Check who it names. Surety Bonds Direct describes a business service bond as covering theft by "the business owner or his/her employees," but forms vary. If you work solo, confirm it covers you and not just employees you don't have.
Bond size is a separate choice from price. Surety Bonds Direct's comparison table lists common janitorial bond amounts of $5,000 to $100,000, priced at $100 to $350 for a five-employee company. "Licensed and bonded" is a different phrase with a license component; see the licensed and bonded entry, and our surety bond explainer for how bonds differ from insurance.
How much does house cleaning insurance cost?
Insureon publishes the most specific numbers for this trade. Its house cleaner cost page, updated September 1, 2026, reports the median premium for house cleaning businesses that apply for quotes through Insureon:
| Coverage | Median monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | $51 | $608 |
| Janitorial bond | $9 | $112 |
| Workers' compensation | $100 | $1,204 |
| Business owner's policy | $79 | $945 |
| Commercial umbrella | $72 | $859 |
| Commercial auto | $268 | $3,218 |
The sample fits this audience. Insureon says most of these customers have fewer than five employees, revenue from around $50,000 to more than $200,000, and five years or less in business. A solo cleaner buying GL plus a bond lands around $60 a month at the median. A three-person team adds workers' comp, which scales with payroll and location, and a company van adds the biggest line on the table. For drivers and ways to lower the bill, see our house cleaner insurance cost breakdown.
Published entry prices run below the medians. Thimble says its GL for cleaners averages $6 per hour to $38 per month, sold by the job, month or year, which suits occasional move-out work. Insurance Canopy lists house cleaning coverage from $39 a month, or $425 a year paid annually, with a janitorial bond from $131 a year.
If you're shopping for the cheapest house cleaning insurance, check three things before price: the per-occurrence limit (remember the $300,000 Basic tier), whether damage to property in your care is covered, and excluded activities. Insurance Canopy's policy, for example, excludes post-construction initial cleaning, water removal and mold remediation, floor waxing above 30% of operations, and property management. A cheap policy that excludes your Saturday post-construction job isn't cheap. Insureon lists what moves premiums: number of employees, location, services, limits and deductibles, revenue, equipment value, claims history and experience.
Best insurers for house cleaners
These four fit different kinds of cleaning businesses. Quote at least two on the same limits.
Thimble: best for damage to what you're cleaning
Thimble says outright on its house cleaner page that it doesn't use the care, custody or control exclusion; its policy pays for damage to property you're working on, up to the value you choose. When your likeliest claim is a bleached rug or an etched counter, that line matters more than a few dollars of premium. Thimble sells by the job, month or year, lets you add employees as crew members, and lets you add or change additional insureds in its app as often as you like. It also offers a BOP, workers' comp and cyber.
Best for: solo cleaners and small teams whose realistic claims involve the item being cleaned, and cleaners who work in bursts.
ERGO NEXT: best one-stop online buy
ERGO NEXT, formerly NEXT and now part of the ERGO Group, a Munich Re company, lists general liability, commercial auto, workers' comp and tools and equipment for house cleaners, bought online in about 10 minutes with unlimited certificates at no extra cost. It also sells the lost key endorsement as a GL add-on. Check the tier: Basic shows GL at $300,000 per occurrence, Pro and Pro Plus at $1 million. It isn't available in all states.
Best for: a cleaner who drives to jobs, carries expensive gear, holds keys and plans to hire, and wants one carrier for all of it.
Insurance Canopy: best flat price with a bond add-on
Insurance Canopy shows its price up front: from $39 a month or $425 a year for GL at $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, through an A-rated carrier. Add-ons include a janitorial bond from $131 a year, tools and equipment coverage and additional insureds, and it says coverage starts immediately after purchase. Read the excluded-activities list if you do post-construction cleans, water extraction or heavy floor waxing.
Best for: a solo residential cleaner who wants a known price and GL plus a bond, nothing complicated.
Hiscox: best for liability-only buyers
Hiscox is narrower here. Its cleaning services page lists general liability as the policy for cleaners of residences or businesses. The pitch is service: monthly payments with no added fees, a dedicated claims representative assigned when a covered claim comes in, and coverage for work anywhere in the world as long as the claim is filed in the U.S., a U.S. territory or Canada. Buy the bond, workers' comp and auto elsewhere.
Best for: a cleaner who only needs GL and puts claims handling ahead of bundling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is house cleaning insurance required by law?
Usually not for general liability. Thimble notes GL often isn't required by state or federal law for a cleaning business, though clients usually want proof before they hire you. Workers' comp is different: Thimble says that with even a single employee, it usually is required. Insureon calls commercial auto for company vehicles required in almost every state, and Insurance Canopy notes some states or municipalities set their own insurance or bonding rules for cleaners, so check locally.
What does "bonded and insured" mean for a house cleaner?
You carry a janitorial bond, which reimburses a client if your cleaner steals from them, plus insurance, typically general liability and workers' comp once you have employees. The bond protects the client, you repay the surety after a paid claim, and many bond forms require a conviction before paying.
What happens if a client accuses me of stealing?
General liability doesn't cover theft, and a bond with a conviction clause won't pay the client on an accusation alone. Tell your bond company, cooperate with any police report, and hand over your records: key logs, arrival and departure times, photos. Don't pay the client out of pocket before you've talked to the surety.
Does Taskrabbit, Handy or Thumbtack insurance cover me?
Not as a policy in your name. Taskrabbit's Taskprotect offers up to $1,000 at its discretion and says it isn't insurance, Handy covers bookings made and paid for on Handy, and Thumbtack says its Guarantee doesn't replace your insurance. None of it covers clients you book directly.
How much is house cleaning insurance per month?
Insureon's September 2026 medians for house cleaning businesses are $51 a month for general liability, $9 for a janitorial bond and $100 for workers' comp, so a solo cleaner with GL and a bond pays about $60 a month. Published entry prices run lower: Thimble cites $6 per hour to $38 per month for cleaners' GL, and Insurance Canopy starts at $39 a month.
The bottom line
For most house cleaners, the right first purchase is general liability at $1 million per occurrence that covers damage to what you're cleaning, plus a janitorial bond. Add a lost-key endorsement if you hold keys, workers' comp the moment someone joins payroll, and a straight answer from your auto insurer about business use. Price comes last: a $38 policy that excludes the rug you're cleaning, or caps you at $300,000, is the expensive one. Thimble handles the care, custody or control gap head-on, ERGO NEXT bundles the most lines for a growing team, Insurance Canopy gives a solo cleaner a flat price with a bond, and Hiscox suits a liability-only buyer.
