Insurance, Bonding and Why It Matters for Your Building

The three types of coverage that matter

General liability insurance

General liability protects your facility against property damage caused by the cleaning crew. A broken window, a damaged floor finish, a knocked-over piece of equipment — general liability is what covers those claims. It also covers bodily injury to third parties. A cleaning company without general liability is operating without a safety net, and when something goes wrong, the claim lands on your building owner's policy instead.

What to ask for: a certificate of insurance naming your company or building as an additional insured. A reputable cleaning company provides this with the written quote, without being asked twice.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation covers the cleaning crew if they're injured while working in your facility. In Minnesota, employers with one or more employees are required by law to carry workers' compensation. A cleaning company that doesn't carry it is violating state law and leaving you exposed: if a crew member is injured without coverage, the injured worker may have grounds to file a claim against the property owner.

This is not a theoretical risk. It happens when smaller cleaning operations try to cut costs by treating employees as independent contractors without the coverage to back it up. Ask for written confirmation that workers' comp is in place.

Bonding

A surety bond provides compensation if a cleaning crew member steals from your facility. The bond amount varies, but the existence of the bond matters most — it tells you the cleaning company has been vetted by a bonding agency, which requires a background check process. Uninsured and unbonded cleaning companies are common at the low end of the price range, and theft claims from facility managers dealing with these companies are more common than the industry publicly acknowledges.

How to verify coverage

Ask for a certificate of insurance before signing any cleaning contract. The certificate should list the cleaning company as the named insured, show current policy dates, and include the coverage types (general liability, workers' compensation). If the cleaning company can't provide a certificate within a business day, take that as a data point.

We provide a certificate of insurance with every written quote. Our coverage details are here.

What this means in practice

The price difference between an insured and an uninsured cleaning company is usually 15–25 percent. On a $600/month cleaning contract, that's $90–150 per month. The first time you file a workers' comp or property damage claim against an uninsured company, you'll understand why that premium exists.

Request a quote or call (866) 958-8773.