# Janitorial insurance: what commercial accounts demand, limits, COIs and costs

> Janitorial insurance is the set of policies commercial accounts ask to see before you can clean their building: general liability (usually $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate), workers’ compensation, auto liability, often an umbrella and a janitorial bond, all proven with a certificate of insurance that names the client as additional insured. Janitorial companies pay a median of $60 a month for general liability through Insureon.

Published 2026-10-28, updated 2026-10-29 by Broombook · Licenses and insurance · 13 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/janitorial-insurance

## Key takeaways

- Public janitorial bids in Ohio (2026) and Michigan (2015) ask for $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate general liability, $1 million auto liability, an umbrella layer and the client named as additional insured.
- A certificate of insurance (ACORD 25) is a one-page summary of your policies; most buyers want it before the first shift, and some want it with the bid itself.
- Commercial umbrella coverage adds limits in $1 million steps; Insureon reports an average of $86 a month across its small business customers and a median of $87 for janitorial companies.
- Insureon’s janitorial customers pay medians of $60 a month for general liability, $114 for workers’ comp, $10 for a janitorial bond and $234 for commercial auto.
- Additional insured endorsements, primary and noncontributory wording and waivers of subrogation are contract terms, so read them before you sign and price them into the bid.

## What does janitorial insurance include?

Janitorial insurance is not one policy. It is a bundle built around general liability, with workers’ compensation, commercial auto, a janitorial bond and an umbrella added as your contracts require them. The policies are the same ones any cleaning business buys; what changes for commercial work is who asks for proof, how high the limits must be, and how fast you need a certificate. If you are still sorting out the terms, see [what janitorial services are](https://broombook.com/guides/what-is-janitorial-services) and how they differ from other commercial cleaning.

| Policy | What it pays for | Who asks for it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General liability | Injuries to non-employees and damage to a client’s property, plus legal defense | Nearly every commercial account, usually at $1 million per occurrence |
| Workers’ compensation | Medical bills and lost wages for a cleaner hurt on the job | Most states once you have employees; many bids want proof even from small firms |
| Commercial auto (and hired and non-owned auto) | Accidents in company vehicles, and in personal cars driven for work | Accounts where your crew drives between buildings; public bids almost always |
| Janitorial bond | Pays the client back if an employee steals from them | Property managers, banks, medical offices, many government buyers |
| Commercial umbrella | Extra limits above general liability, auto and employer’s liability | Larger buildings, hospitals, schools and public bids that want $2 million or more |
| Tools and equipment (inland marine) | Floor machines, vacuums and supplies stolen or damaged in transit or on site | Nobody asks; you buy it to protect your own gear |

Insureon’s [janitorial services page](https://www.insureon.com/cleaning-business-insurance/janitorial-services) describes two add-ons worth knowing by name: lost key coverage, which pays for rekeying when a client’s key goes missing, and hired and non-owned auto, for cleaners who drive their own cars between buildings.

For what each policy covers and excludes in detail, including the care, custody or control exclusion that matters when you handle a client’s belongings, read the [cleaning business insurance guide](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-insurance). This page focuses on what commercial accounts demand and how to meet it. It is general information, not insurance or legal advice; confirm the details with a licensed agent.

## What do commercial accounts actually require?

Most commercial accounts require general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, auto liability of $1 million, proof of workers’ compensation, and their name on your policy as an additional insured. Public buyers write it into the bid; private property managers put it in the service agreement.

Two public bids, a 2026 RFP and an older 2015 ITB, show the pattern has held for a decade. Both documents are on the buyers’ own sites.

| Requirement | [Mifflin Township, Ohio (2026 janitorial RFP)](https://mifflin-oh.gov/site/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Janitorial-Services-RFP-2026-1.pdf) | [City of Ann Arbor, Michigan (2015 janitorial ITB)](https://a2gov.org/media/lkbfgyr3/itb_4412_addendum2.pdf) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate | $1,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 per-job general aggregate, $2,000,000 products and completed operations aggregate, $1,000,000 personal and advertising injury |
| Auto liability | $1,000,000 combined single limit, owned, non-owned and hired | $1,000,000 each occurrence, all owned, non-owned and hired vehicles, with Michigan no-fault coverage |
| Workers’ compensation | A current Ohio BWC certificate, submitted with the proposal, or the bid is non-responsive | Required, with employer’s liability of $500,000 each employee for disease |
| Umbrella or excess | $2,000,000 each occurrence | $1,000,000 each occurrence and aggregate, over general liability, employer’s liability and auto |
| Additional insured | The Township, on applicable policies; certificates before start | The City, on general liability and auto, with no added exclusions (including pollution) |
| Primary and waiver | Not stated in the RFP | General liability and auto primary and noncontributory to the City’s insurance; waiver of the insurer’s right of recovery against the City |

Three details in those documents trip up new bidders. First, Mifflin wants the workers’ comp certificate inside the proposal, not after award. Second, Ann Arbor names the policy form it expects (ISO CG 00 01) and bans limiting endorsements, so a bargain policy with a pollution or completed-operations exclusion fails the bid even at the right limits. Third, both want the buyer as additional insured, which is an endorsement your insurer has to issue, not a line you type on the certificate.

Private accounts ask for less paperwork but the same shape. A property manager’s vendor agreement typically lists minimum limits, additional insured status and a certificate before the first shift. Read that section before you price the job; the guide to [commercial cleaning contracts](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-contracts) covers where these bids are posted and how the rest of the bid works.

## Which limits should you carry, and when do you need an umbrella?

Carry at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate on general liability, because that is the floor most accounts write into their contracts. Add a commercial umbrella when a contract asks for more than your base policies provide, which usually means hospitals, schools, large office portfolios and public bids like Mifflin’s $2 million excess requirement or Ann Arbor’s $1 million umbrella.

Per occurrence is the most the policy pays for one claim; aggregate is the most it pays for all claims in the policy year. Insureon’s janitorial medians below are for $1 million / $2 million policies, so quoting at those limits costs nothing extra over what most owners already buy.

### How umbrella coverage works

An umbrella sits on top of your general liability, commercial auto and employer’s liability and pays once one of those limits is used up. According to [Insureon](https://www.insureon.com/small-business-insurance/commercial-umbrella), it is sold in $1 million increments, insurers require you to carry minimum limits on the underlying policies first, and business owners most often buy it to meet contract requirements above what a standard policy provides. Insureon’s small business customers pay an average of $86 a month, with 54% paying under $100 a month. [The Hartford](https://www.thehartford.com/commercial-umbrella-insurance) writes umbrella policies with aggregate limits from $1 million to $15 million and notes you cannot buy one without an underlying general liability policy.

A hypothetical example: a visitor slips on a freshly mopped lobby, the claim settles at $1.4 million, and your general liability limit is $1 million. A $1 million umbrella pays the remaining $400,000. Without it, that balance is yours. When a building owner asks for $3 million, that is one $1 million base policy plus a $2 million umbrella, not a $3 million general liability policy.

## How do certificates of insurance (COIs) work?

A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary of your policies that your insurer or agent issues to a specific client, called the certificate holder. It proves coverage exists on the date it was issued; it does not change the policy, and typing a client’s name on it does not make them an additional insured.

[The Hartford](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/certificate-of-insurance-coi) lists what a standard COI contains: the insured’s name and address, the insurer, each policy type and number, effective and expiration dates, and coverage amounts. It also notes that once a client requests a COI they become the certificate holder, and the insurer must notify them if the policy is cancelled. That notice is why buyers insist on being the certificate holder rather than accepting a copy you forward.

Most insurers use the standard ACORD forms. [Insureon](https://www.insureon.com/small-business-insurance/certificate-of-liability-insurance) explains that one ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance can list general liability, workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, umbrella and commercial auto when the same broker placed them, while commercial property goes on a separate ACORD 28. Insureon says most of its customers receive their certificate within a couple of hours of starting a quote, and harder-to-place businesses within 48 hours. [NEXT Insurance](https://www.nextinsurance.com/business/janitorial-insurance/) gives janitorial policyholders unlimited certificates at no extra cost from its app, and lets you add an additional insured yourself.

### What to check before you send one

- The certificate holder box shows the client’s exact legal name and address from the contract.
- Every policy the contract requires appears, with limits at or above the minimums.
- The additional insured box is ticked only if the endorsement actually exists on the policy.
- Expiration dates are more than 30 days out, or you will be asked for a new one at renewal anyway.

Keep a dated copy of every certificate you issue. Property managers lose them, buildings change hands, and an auditor will ask who was covered when.

## What do additional insured, primary and noncontributory, and waiver of subrogation mean?

These three terms appear in most commercial cleaning agreements. An additional insured is a client you add to your policy so your insurer defends them if they are sued over your work. Primary and noncontributory means your policy pays first, before the client’s own. A waiver of subrogation means your insurer agrees not to chase the client for money after paying a claim.

[Insureon’s glossary](https://www.insureon.com/insurance-glossary/additional-insured) explains that the additional insured benefits from the policy but does not manage it, that an endorsement form is typically required, and that contracts requiring additional insured status often also mandate a primary and noncontributory endorsement, which clarifies which insurer pays first. A blanket additional insured endorsement covers a whole group (for example, anyone you have a written contract with) without naming each one, which is the practical choice once you have more than a few accounts. NEXT’s [glossary](https://www.nextinsurance.com/glossary/additional-insured/) notes that commercial clients of cleaners may require being added as an additional insured on the cleaner’s general liability policy.

### What each one costs you

- **Additional insured endorsement.** Some insurers include a blanket endorsement; others charge per certificate holder. Insureon’s janitorial page lists additional insured requirements among the factors that raise a janitorial premium, so ask before you commit to a bid.
- **Primary and noncontributory.** Usually an endorsement with a small or no charge, but not every carrier offers it. If the contract demands it and your policy cannot provide it, you need a different policy before you sign.
- **Waiver of subrogation.** Common on workers’ comp for public bids. It can be a flat fee or a percentage of premium; it also shifts risk to you, so price it in.

Send the contract’s insurance section to your agent before you bid. The question to ask is not “are we insured?” but “can this policy issue every endorsement on page six, and what will each cost?”

## Do accounts need a bond and workers’ comp proof too?

Often, yes. A janitorial bond reassures buildings whose staff you clean around after hours, and proof of workers’ compensation protects the building owner from being treated as your crew’s employer if someone is hurt. Both are cheap compared with losing the account.

Insureon’s janitorial page puts it plainly: clients, especially government entities and larger companies, might ask your company to carry a bond or provide a certificate of insurance before they let your employees on their premises, and its specialist describes general liability, a bond when required, and a COI as the minimum combination needed to win commercial contracts. A janitorial bond costs Insureon’s janitorial customers a median of $10 a month. What it covers, how much bond to buy and how to get one are in the [janitorial bond guide](https://broombook.com/guides/janitorial-bond).

For workers’ compensation, the Mifflin RFP shows how strict public buyers can be: the Ohio BWC certificate must show your legal name as registered, the policy number, the coverage period and confirmation that premiums are paid, and it goes in with the proposal. If you pay cleaners as contractors, expect the buyer to ask how they are covered. The guide to [W-2 or 1099 cleaners](https://broombook.com/guides/independent-contractor-vs-employee-cleaners) explains why most janitorial crews are employees in the eyes of the state, and the [cleaning business insurance guide](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-insurance) covers which states require coverage and when.

## How much does janitorial insurance cost?

Janitorial companies pay a median of $60 a month for general liability, $114 for workers’ compensation, $10 for a janitorial bond, $234 for commercial auto, $77 for a business owner’s policy and $87 for a commercial umbrella, according to Insureon. A small company carrying general liability, workers’ comp and a bond therefore budgets roughly $185 a month; add a vehicle and an umbrella and it is closer to $500.

The figures come from Insureon’s [janitorial insurance cost page](https://www.insureon.com/cleaning-business-insurance/janitorial-services/cost), updated September 3, 2026. They are median premiums for janitorial businesses that bought policies through Insureon, most of them with fewer than five employees, and the general liability figure is for $1 million / $2 million limits. A median means half paid more and half paid less.

| Policy | Median monthly premium (janitorial companies) | Per year |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General liability ($1M / $2M) | $60 | $725 |
| Workers’ compensation | $114 | about $1,370 |
| Janitorial bond | $10 | $120 |
| Business owner’s policy (GL plus property) | $77 | about $925 |
| Commercial auto | $234 | about $2,800 |
| Commercial umbrella | $87 | $1,040 |

Insurers that sell online publish packages rather than medians. NEXT’s [janitorial page](https://www.nextinsurance.com/business/janitorial-insurance/) shows three tiers: a Basic package with $300,000 general liability per occurrence, $3,000 tools and equipment and $100,000 workers’ comp per accident; a Pro package with $5,000 tools and $500,000 workers’ comp; and a Pro Plus package with $1 million general liability per occurrence, $1 million auto combined single limit, $10,000 tools and $1 million workers’ comp per accident. Only the top tier reaches the $1 million per occurrence that commercial contracts expect, so compare packages on limits, not just price.

### What moves a janitorial premium

- Payroll and headcount, because workers’ comp is priced per $100 of payroll.
- Revenue and the kinds of buildings you clean; medical and industrial sites cost more than offices.
- Limits, deductibles and additional insured requirements, which Insureon lists specifically for janitorial contracts.
- Claims history and years in business.
- The value of floor machines and other equipment you want covered.

## How do you price insurance into a janitorial bid?

Treat insurance as overhead and spread it across every billable hour, then add any contract-specific extras (an umbrella, a waiver of subrogation, a larger bond) to that account alone. A bid that ignores insurance looks cheap for a year and loses money when the renewal arrives.

### A worked example (hypothetical numbers)

1. Your base coverage is general liability, workers’ comp, a bond and one van: about $60 + $114 + $10 + $234 = $418 a month, or $5,016 a year at the medians above.
2. Your crews bill about 6,000 hours a year. Base insurance adds $5,016 ÷ 6,000 = $0.84 to every billable hour.
3. A new office building demands a $1 million umbrella. At the $87 median that is $1,044 a year, charged to this account only.
4. The building needs 25 hours a week, about 1,300 hours a year. The umbrella adds $1,044 ÷ 1,300 = $0.80 an hour for that building.
5. So this account carries about $1.64 an hour of insurance before labor, supplies and profit.

The [commercial cleaning calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/commercial-cleaning-calculator) turns square footage and frequency into hours and a monthly price, and the [office cleaning rates guide](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-prices) shows what buildings pay per square foot and per hour so you can check that your loaded hourly rate is still competitive.

## How do you buy a janitorial insurance program and stay compliant?

Buy through an agent or online marketplace that can place every policy a contract may require, ask for a blanket additional insured endorsement up front, and set a renewal calendar so no certificate expires mid-contract. A “janitorial insurance program” is simply a carrier’s packaged set of these policies for cleaning contractors; the label matters less than whether the package can issue the endorsements your contracts name.

1. **Collect the insurance sections from your three biggest contracts or target bids.** They tell your agent the limits and endorsements to quote.
2. **Get quotes at $1 million / $2 million for general liability**, plus workers’ comp, auto and a bond, from at least two sources. Insureon places policies with several carriers; NEXT and The Hartford sell direct.
3. **Ask four questions on every quote:** does it cover janitorial work as listed operations, can it add a blanket additional insured, does it offer primary and noncontributory wording, and what does a waiver of subrogation cost.
4. **Set up certificate issuing** so you can send a COI the same day a buyer asks. Speed wins small accounts.
5. **Diary every renewal 45 days ahead** and reissue certificates to all active certificate holders.
6. **Keep payroll clean for the audit.** Workers’ comp premiums are audited against actual payroll at year end; good records avoid surprise bills.

Scheduling software helps with the operational side: when every building, crew and visit lives in one place, you can show an auditor who worked where, and you can keep insurance and bond costs inside the prices you quote. See [Broombook’s features](https://broombook.com/features) and [pricing](https://broombook.com/pricing) for what it covers.

## Frequently asked questions

### What insurance does a janitorial business need?

General liability first, then workers’ compensation once you have employees (most states require it), commercial auto for any vehicle used for work, a janitorial bond when clients ask, and an umbrella when a contract wants limits above $1 million per occurrence. Commercial accounts prove all of it with a certificate of insurance.

### How much does janitorial insurance cost per month?

Insureon reports median premiums for janitorial companies of $60 a month for general liability, $114 for workers’ compensation, $10 for a janitorial bond, $77 for a business owner’s policy, $234 for commercial auto and $87 for a commercial umbrella, as of September 2026. Your price depends on payroll, limits, claims history and the buildings you clean.

### What limits do commercial cleaning contracts require?

The common floor is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate for general liability, with $1 million auto liability and proof of workers’ compensation. Public bids add an umbrella or excess layer ($2 million in Mifflin Township’s 2026 janitorial RFP, $1 million in Ann Arbor’s 2015 ITB) and require the buyer to be named as additional insured.

### What is a certificate of insurance for a cleaning company?

It is a one-page summary, usually on the ACORD 25 form, listing your insurer, policy types and numbers, limits and dates, issued to a specific client as certificate holder. It proves coverage on the day it is issued and the insurer must notify the holder if the policy is cancelled. It does not itself add the client as an additional insured; that takes an endorsement.

### Does a janitorial business need to be bonded and insured?

Insured, almost always; bonded, whenever the client asks. A janitorial bond pays the client back if your employee steals from them, costs a median of about $10 a month, and is a routine requirement from property managers, banks, medical offices and government buyers.

### What is a janitorial insurance program?

It is a carrier’s or broker’s packaged set of policies for cleaning contractors, typically general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, tools and equipment and a bond, sold with certificates on demand. Judge a program by its limits and the endorsements it can issue, such as blanket additional insured and primary and noncontributory, not by the name.

### Can I add a client as additional insured myself?

Only if your policy already carries a blanket additional insured endorsement or your insurer lets you issue one from your account, as NEXT does. Otherwise your agent must request the endorsement from the carrier. Writing the client’s name on a certificate without the endorsement gives them nothing and can be treated as misrepresentation.

## Sources

- [Insureon: janitorial insurance cost (updated September 3, 2026)](https://www.insureon.com/cleaning-business-insurance/janitorial-services/cost)
- [Mifflin Township, Ohio: janitorial services RFP 2026 (insurance requirements)](https://mifflin-oh.gov/site/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Janitorial-Services-RFP-2026-1.pdf)
- [City of Ann Arbor: janitorial ITB 4412, addendum 2 (insurance requirements)](https://a2gov.org/media/lkbfgyr3/itb_4412_addendum2.pdf)
- [The Hartford: what is a certificate of insurance (COI)?](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/certificate-of-insurance-coi)
- [Insureon: commercial umbrella insurance](https://www.insureon.com/small-business-insurance/commercial-umbrella)
- [Insureon glossary: additional insured](https://www.insureon.com/insurance-glossary/additional-insured)

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