Home Decorator Business Insurance
Every home decorator business needs insurance. Knowing which type of insurance you need and the best place to get it is the next step.
This article will cover the main types of business insurance and help you find the best home decorator business insurance.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Home Decorator Business
The most common and comprehensive type of home decorator business insurance is general liability insurance. We recommend general liability insurance as your first line of defense against a variety of the most general and commonly occurring claims.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
While a home decorator business isn’t legally required to carry general liability insurance, operating without it is extremely risky. If your home decorator business is sued, you could face fees totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more).
Let's Find the Coverage You Need
The best insurers design exactly the coverage you need at the most affordable price.
Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, home decorators in America spend between $400 - $1500 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a home decorator business to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
Find the Best Rate
Discover the best coverage at the lowest rate in our affordable business insurance review.
Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Home Decorator Business
Example 1: You are testing out different decorating ideas in a client’s home. One of your ideas includes candles. A candle ignites a curtain, causing a fire that destroys an entire room. Your general liability insurance covers damage to customer property, so you can file a claim and get help paying for the damages.
Example 2: A client is visiting your office to look at some of the materials you are considering for her home. She slips in the bathroom and breaks her hip. She later decides to sue your business. The general liability insurance you carry will pay for your legal defense, including the cost of a settlement if one is required.
Example 3: While you are showing a client around your office, he trips over a stack of boxes and sustains a concussion. He asks that you pay for his medical treatment. Your general liability insurance will likely cover this cost.
Other Types of Coverage Home Decorator Businesses Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Commercial Property Insurance
All of the equipment and supplies you have invested in to operate your business would be costly to replace if destroyed in an unexpected event like a fire. But with commercial property insurance, you can get help with replacement costs as long as the damage was caused by a covered event.
Professional Liability Insurance
While you strive to do your best for every client, there is always a possibility that one of them will decide that your services caused him or her injury. Professional liability insurance protects against negligence claims due to mistakes or failure to perform. So, if you are sued over such issues, your policy will pay for your legal fees and potential settlement costs.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
When the limits of your general liability insurance policy are exceeded—which can happen in certain circumstances, like if you lose a major lawsuit—then you are left paying the remaining damages out of pocket. But if you have a commercial umbrella policy, it will kick in and cover excess costs.
Commercial Auto Insurance
If you have a vehicle that you use primarily for business, you need commercial auto insurance to protect your business and meet your legal obligations. Commercial auto insurance will cover the cost of damages to your vehicle in the event of an accident, as well as the cost of damages to the other vehicle if you cause the accident. The policy will also pay for medical treatment for the injured.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your home decorator business:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Home Decorator Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
You should invest in business insurance coverage for your business before your first interaction with a customer. Although the cost of insurance may seem high for a brand new business, it’s best to be proactive when it comes to protecting your assets. After all, you can’t buy insurance to cover a loss that has already occurred.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your home decorator business insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
A general liability insurance policy covers only liability losses. A business owner's policy covers both liability and property losses.
The best general liability coverage for your business really depends on the amount of coverage you’re comfortable with and how often you expect to file a claim. A relatively safe business with a very low risk of accident or legal liability could opt for lower premiums with higher deductibles.
However, if you are in an accident or injury-prone industry or are making advertising claims about the effectiveness of your service or product, you may wish to consider more extensive coverage. We recommend using a digital insurance provider like Next Insurance.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.