Blog>Trade>Benefits>What’s the best insurance for carpet cleaners?
Last updated: 18 December 2024
What’s the best insurance for carpet cleaners?
Carpet cleaning insurance can protect your trade business financially against business risks you may face. Let's run through what insurance might be best for your carpet cleaning business.
In this article you'll find:
Having insurance for a carpet cleaning business makes sound commercial sense. Yes, it’s an extra expense, but think about what might happen to your business if something goes wrong at work.
Insurance for carpet cleaners provides peace of mind. The financial support it could provide might be essential to help you stay in business.
If you’re in the carpet cleaning trade, you know that it can pay well. The more profits you make, especially with plenty of leads, the more important business insurance is.
With business growth comes a greater responsibility to get the right carpet cleaning insurance. Flexing your insurance to accommodate growth is the sign of a well-run business.
How to grow a carpet cleaning business
What is business growth? Before you start trying to generate more leads and win more jobs, you need to understand that growing your carpet cleaning business involves more than just getting more work. As your carpet cleaning business grows, you’ll need to ensure that you still offer the same
What is insurance for carpet cleaners?
Let’s start with the basics of what insurance does. As with most insurance products, carpet cleaning insurance is there to offer financial protection. Insurance policies do this by paying out across a range of business risks.
How carpet cleaner insurance works
Insurance for a carpet cleaning business is similar to other mainstream insurance products. Think of property, pet or car insurance:
You pay regular premiums to the insurer, usually monthly or annually
Your policy covers a set period, usually 12 months, but it can vary according to your needs
Insurers pay out on valid claims within the terms of your insurance contract with them
Always carefully check your insurance for carpet cleaners policy before you go ahead. You want to make sure:
Your insurance covers all the things you need it to
You don’t already have the same insurance cover on another policy
Check what your insurer will do for you
With carpet cleaning insurance, you should receive:
Financial protection – payments to you on valid claims
Advice and support when you make a claim or if a claim is made against you
So, the big question is whether insurance for carpet cleaners is worth the money.
Benefits of having carpet cleaner insurance
Carpet cleaning covers a range of areas, including:
Domestic
Commercial
Vehicles
They all could expose your trade business to risks. If you’re wondering whether you need business insurance, the answer is probably yes.
What risks do carpet cleaners face?
When you’re at work, you or your colleagues could suffer from:
Slips and trips
Skin irritation or eye injury from cleaning chemicals and detergents
Dust and fumes
Injuries from using cleaning hand tools and sprayers
As a professional tradesperson, you’ll know there’s a lot you can do to avoid accidents. The Construction Industry Training Board is a useful source of information. Its health and safety advice can apply to work typically undertaken by carpet cleaners.
Who does carpet cleaner insurance protect?
Getting insurance for carpet cleaning business protects:
You
Your staff and any contractors who work for you
Your customers
Members of the public
Your vehicles, tools, plant, machinery and equipment
When might you benefit from having carpet cleaning insurance?
If you, an employee, a customer or a member of the public is injured in relation to your work
If you damage property
If a customer has issues with your work
If your vehicle, tools, machinery or equipment are damaged or stolen
If you have to take time off work
Specialist equipment like vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners and air scrubbers may be expensive to replace without insurance.
Businesses are expected to have certain types of insurance. One of the most common is public liability insurance for carpet cleaners. That also applies if you’re a carpet cleaner working in a partnership or as a limited company.
If you’re thinking of joining Checkatrade, then you’ll need public liability insurance. This type of cover should give you peace of mind if problems arise.
We monitor whether you have the right cover as part of our ongoing member checks.
Starting your Checkatrade journey
Why should tradespeople join Checkatrade? Checkatrade is making it easier for reputable tradespeople to find work and take on more projects. In 2024 alone, there were over 22 million searches for skilled trade jobs on the Checkatrade website.* It highlights how popular the service has become with British homeowners.
Choosing the best insurance for carpet cleaners
Here are the main types of insurance for a carpet cleaning business. First, carefully consider each. Next, decide whether they can protect your business if the worst happens.
Public Liability insurance (PLI)
This should probably be a priority. PLI offers cover for damages to property owned by a member of the public. It also covers accidental injuries that may occur to members of the public.
For carpet cleaners, this is important if you:
Work in public places
Use tools or equipment that could cause injuries
We help our members to save on PLI. Log in to our Member’s Area to find out how.
Checkatrade members save 20% on public liability insurance with Superscript
The right insurance is just as essential as the tools of your trade. It can protect you and your livelihood from any incidents. It can also provide cover for your clients should anything happen while you're on site. You might be thinking that "insurance is expensive!" So, to help you get covered for
Employer’s liability insurance
Employer’s liability insurance offers protection for your staff. It’s a legal requirement for many businesses. Always check whether your trade business needs this cover.
Tools, equipment and machinery
As a carpet cleaning specialist, you probably use a range of tools and equipment. Some can be expensive. Tools insurance can give financial protection if items are damaged, lost or stolen.
Protect your carpet cleaning business
Save 20% on Public Liability Insurance with Checkatrade
Vehicle insurance
If you use lots of tools and equipment, you probably rely on a vehicle to transport them to jobs. Van insurance can keep your business on the road if you have a vehicle mishap.
Stock and materials insurance
It often pays to buy stock and materials in bulk. That could include cleaning chemicals and detergents. You might also prefer to bulk-buy disposable items, like clothes and gloves.
If you do, then this type of insurance for carpet cleaners offers a financial safety net against loss or theft. Similarly, insurance can cover stock left on site with customers during jobs.
Professional indemnity insurance
We all want to do the best possible job that we can. But sometimes things go wrong. Professional indemnity insurance helps if customers have issues with:
Poor workmanship
Mistakes or errors in your work
Costs you charge
Income protection insurance
If you can’t work because of injury or other reasons, then carpet cleaning insurance can help out. Income protection insurance provides financial support if you can’t earn the money you need from your carpet cleaner business.
Your claim has to be valid, so check what your policy covers. It should pay out depending on the amount of cover you take out. This could be around two-thirds of your regular pre-tax earnings.
How much does carpet cleaner insurance cost?
Look for the right balance between how much your insurance for carpet cleaners policy costs and what you might get from it. Avoid having too much or too little insurance.
Decide what cover you need
In this article, we give you an idea of what insurance for a carpet cleaning business you may need. It’s up to you to decide what carpet cleaning insurance is best for your business.
How much you pay will depend on the insurance products you choose. This can be affected by:
The type of carpet cleaning work you do
The turnover of your trade business
How many staff or contractors you have
How much you want to be covered for
Whether you have made previous insurance claims
What to look for in insurance for carpet cleaners
Research different insurers to find one that provides exactly what you need. Areas to consider include:
Is the insurer flexible so you can increase or decrease levels of cover at any time?
Do they offer discounts for multiple insurance products?
Will they allow you to pay premiums at times that suit, such as monthly or annually?
Do they provide free information or a helpline to support you?
How quickly do they commit to settling claims?
Key takeaways
Insurance for carpet cleaners can protect you, your business assets and your staff. Cover can include accidents, if customers complain about your work or members of the public are injured
The cost of insurance for carpet cleaners will vary. It depends on how much insurance cover you request, your business size and what you insure
Insurance payments are usually paid in monthly or annual premiums covering a set period of cover
Carpet cleaner insurance offers financial protection by making payments on valid claims and can provide advice as well
You can choose from different types of insurance for a carpet cleaning business – it will depend on what’s right for you
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