General liability limits
Contracts often specify per-occurrence and aggregate limits the client wants to see before work begins.
Cleaning business insurance
The contract is yours — once they have your proof of insurance.
Offices, property managers, and facilities almost always require insurance before a cleaning company can sign a contract or get keys to the building. Redoubt helps you line up the coverage the contract asks for and deliver a clean certificate of insurance.
Common contract requirements
What cleaning contracts usually ask for
The insurance section of a cleaning contract tends to ask for the same handful of items. Knowing them up front keeps a contract from stalling at the last step.
Additional insured
Clients and property managers frequently ask to be named as an additional insured on your policy.
Certificate of insurance
A COI is the document that proves coverage to the client, often required before you can access the building.
A bond, in some cases
Some janitorial contracts ask for a bond in addition to liability coverage. These are different protections.
Coverage for claims against you
General liability
General liability generally responds to certain third-party bodily injury or property damage claims connected to your work — for example, accidental damage at a client site. It is the coverage most cleaning contracts ask about first.
Protection against employee theft
Janitorial / fidelity bond
A janitorial or fidelity bond is a different product. It is designed to address losses such as theft by an employee while cleaning a client’s property. A contract can ask for a bond in addition to liability coverage, not instead of it.
In short: general liability and a bond solve different problems. Reading the contract carefully — or sending it to us — is the best way to know which one is being requested.
Also worth reviewing
Workers comp and business vehicles
Beyond liability and bonding, two areas commonly come up for cleaning businesses as they grow.
Workers compensation
If you have employees cleaning client sites, workers comp may be required by law and by the contract. The answer depends on your team and payroll.
Business vehicles
Driving between client locations with supplies is business use. Commercial auto addresses exposures a personal policy often will not.
Client property
Cleaning means working around a client’s property and keys. General liability and bonding can address different parts of that risk.
Getting to a quote
What Redoubt needs to review or quote your business
The fastest path is to send the contract’s insurance section along with a few details about your business. With the actual requirement in hand, we can work toward the right coverage and a certificate your client will accept.
Contract insurance intake
Step 1 of 425%
What type of cleaning work do you do?
Frequently asked questions
Cleaning business insurance FAQ
My client contract asks for a certificate of insurance. What is that?+
A certificate of insurance, or COI, is a one-page summary showing that your business has coverage in force. Clients use it as proof before granting building access or signing a contract. The certificate summarizes your policy; it is not the full policy itself.
What is the difference between general liability and a janitorial bond?+
General liability generally responds to certain third-party bodily injury or property damage claims. A janitorial or fidelity bond is different — it is designed to address losses such as theft by an employee while working at a client site. Some contracts ask for one, the other, or both.
Do I need workers compensation for my cleaning business?+
It depends on whether you have employees and on the requirements that apply to your business. Many cleaning contracts also ask for proof of workers comp. We can review your team setup and the contract language to see what applies.
Can you name my client as an additional insured?+
Many contracts require the client or property manager to be added as an additional insured. Whether and how that can be done depends on the policy and carrier. Send us the contract wording and we can review what is needed.
How quickly can I get a COI to win a contract?+
If you already have an active policy, a certificate can often be issued quickly. If coverage is not in place yet, the policy generally needs to be bound first. Share the deadline and the contract requirements so we can work toward them.