Pool Cleaning Business Insurance: What Coverage Do You Need?

As a small business in the swimming pool service industry, you provide a beautiful and relaxing environment for your customers every day. The increasing numbers of new home builds and home renovations will require more and more swimming pool service contractors like you. This is an exciting time to own a swimming pool service company. Let us help you protect your small business with the best possible pool service insurance.

Why Do You Need Pool Service Insurance?

Helping your swimming pool service clients keep their pools in tip-top shape may seem pretty straightforward, but insurance for a pool service business must cover all of your exposures–and there are a multitude of those–to fully protect your company. Whether you offer pool cleaning for commercial swimming pools or are a pool cleaner for residential homes, you need coverage.

Keeping your clients’ pools safe and enjoyable requires more than just cleaning filters and pouring chemicals. If you make repairs, offer cosmetic repair services, service heating units, or any other ancillary services, your pool service insurance plan needs to provide coverage for those risks.

It may be tempting to limit your coverage to cut costs for your small business, but providing the security your pool service company needs to continue to operate—and grow in the future—should be the foundation of your business plan.

General Liability Insurance For Your Swimming Pool Cleaning Business

General Liability Insurance (also called “slip and fall” insurance) is the #1 policy we recommend for any company. Unfortunately, life is full of unseen and unplanned events. Having general liability insurance will protect your business from a variety of claims including:

• Third-party bodily injury: If a customer is injured because of negligence on your part, a general liability policy can cover their medical bills.
• Medical expense limit: Even if your company is not at fault for an accident, a general liability policy provides coverage for medical payments up to a certain limit.
• Personal/advertising injury: If a competitor claims your pool cleaning company used a slanderous ad , they may sue you. This insurance protects your business from such claims by providing legal defense and covering settlement costs.
• Third-party property damage: If you damage a customer's swimming pool or equipment during cleaning a general liability insurance policy can cover the cost to repair the property damage.
• Products and completed operations: If you resurface a pool improperly or a cleaning chemical you recommend for maintenance causes damage, your customer could hold you liable. This policy covers completed operations that will cover the damage (and cost of repair).

Secondly, your clients may require that you obtain commercial insurance coverage before hiring you as their pool cleaner.

Example: You’re emptying and resurfacing a pool for a client. You have tools and equipment around the pool for the work. Your client comes out to see how the process is going and accidentally trips over a hose. Unfortunately, they fall into the empty pool and break their arm. Your general liability coverage should step in to cover their medical expenses. It will also provide legal defense and a settlement if they sue you.

What Other Types of Insurance Do You Need?

What other insurance do we recommend for business owners? Here are some other options:

• Commercial Property Insurance: Property insurance covers the physical assets of the business (your property, your building, products, furniture, etc.). In general, your commercial property insurance will cover you from the loss of a common risk like an accident, theft, vandalism, fire, or natural disaster.
• Business Owners Policy: A business owners' policy (or BOP) typically includes property insurance, general liability insurance, and business interruption insurance. Many insurance companies offer a multitude of additional coverage options and types of business insurance coverage tailored to the pool service industry. A BOP is bundled at a more affordable price than purchasing the insurance coverage separately. 
• Workers Compensation Insurance: If you have employees, you may be required to add workers’ comp insurance. This coverage will cover lost wages and medical costs if your employee is injured on the job. Workers’ compensation also offers protection to you against being sued for the injury.
• Commercial Auto Insurance: The transportation that gets you from pool to pool is the lifeblood of your business, and your pool service insurance must address your vehicles. Don’t let a minor fender bender shut you down–make sure your commercial auto policy protects you adequately.
• Inland Marine Insurance: Tools for servicing spas and pools aren’t cheap, and they’re necessary. This type of insurance protects you in case these tools are lost or stolen. It also covers your tools and equipment in transport and on the job site. 

How Much Does Insurance Cost for Pool Cleaners?

Several factors impact how much a business insurance policy will cost a pool cleaner: 

• Location of your business
• The cleaning services you offer
• The annual revenue of your business
• The number of employees you have
• Per-occurrence/General aggregate limit
• The coverage/deductible(s) you can afford

The average price of a $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate general liability insurance policy for a pool cleaning business ranges from $28 to $48 per month or between $500-$1,500 per year.

Get an Insurance Quote for Your Pool Cleaning Business

Even though the methods may be the same as other companies, your spa or pool servicing business is unique, and your clientele will be, too. Your insurance policy should be put together with that in mind, and ideally, your relationship with your insurance agent will allow for communication about future growth and gauging the expansion of your insurance accordingly, so that your business can thrive as new opportunities present themselves. Call us today at 1-877-907-5267 to speak with one of our specialists about your business insurance needs, or complete the form above to get a free, quick, competitive quote on insurance for your pool cleaning business.

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