Pest Control Company Insurance
Getting insurance for your pest control company is essential.
pest control companies need to be protected against things like breaches of contract, professional negligence, and property damage.
For example, if an employee improperly uses chemicals on a customer’s property, which leads to damage, your business can be sued and held financially responsible for this.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Pest Control Company
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for pest control companies.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
While general liability is an excellent base policy, for more comprehensive protection, your pest control company may want to look into some of the following options:
- Commercial property insurance: Provides protection to the equipment, supplies, and property of your pest control company that has been damaged by specified events (e.g., fires and storms).
- Commercial auto insurance: Protects your business vehicles and their drivers if they are involved in a road accident.
- Workers’ compensation insurance: Covers your employees’ medical costs and lost wages if they injure themselves or fall ill at work.
Shopping for business coverage can seem challenging initially, but when you divide your options into the following two categories, the process becomes a little simpler:
- Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — Providers such as Nationwide and The Hartford, which rent a storefront and often hire insurance agents.
- Online insurers — Providers such as Tivly and Next, which have no physical presence and operate entirely online by using their website and powerful AI to suggest policies.
Due to their lower-cost approach to selling insurance, online insurers are typically favored by most businesses as they are a far more affordable option.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
The average pest control company in America spends between $400-$700 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a pest control company 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.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Pest Control Company
Example 1: While treating the home of a customer, your employee accidentally spills pesticide all over an expensive entertainment system. With a general liability insurance policy, you are able to cover the costs of replacing the customer’s equipment without needing to pay for the replacement costs yourself.
Example 2: Your employee fails to provide information about the dangers of pesticides to a customer, and her dog gets sick from them. The dog requires expensive veterinarian care, which the customer demands that you pay for. A general liability insurance policy will cover the costs of treating the dog, as well as any potential lawsuits that arise.
Example 3: While searching for the source of a pest problem in a customer’s home, you accidentally knock over a china cabinet filled with heirloom china. Most of the dishware shatters, and the cabinet breaks. Your general liability insurance policy will cover the costs of these damages, up to the limits of your policy.
Other Types of Coverage Pest Control Companies 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
Commercial property insurance is there to provide protection for your commercial property, such as your pest control equipment and supplies. If you were to lose your property in a fire, storm, or another covered event, your policy would pay for you to replace that property up to the limits of your policy. Commercial property insurance can provide much-needed assistance when you want to get your business up and running again after a disaster.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Your pest control vehicle is used primarily for business, which means it should be covered by a commercial auto insurance policy. The policy requirements vary by state, but all commercial auto policies are designed to protect your vehicle and those who are driving it, whether it be you or an employee. If the vehicle is involved in an accident, the policy will pay for medical care for the injured as well as property damage to the vehicle or damage to other property caused by your truck.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
If you have employees you need workers’ compensation insurance. The workers’ compensation insurance you carry will pay for the medical care of workers who are injured while performing the duties required by their jobs. The insurance will also pay for lost wages when an employee is unable to work for a period of time due to a work-related injury. Whether the employee suffers pesticide poisoning, slips and falls while treating a home, or suffers any other work-related injury, your policy has you covered.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
Sometimes the expense of paying for property damage, medical care, or a lost lawsuit exceeds the policy limits of your general liability insurance policy. When this happens, you are left holding the bill unless you have commercial umbrella insurance. Umbrella policies pick up where your general liability insurance policy leaves off.
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 pest control company:
- 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.
Pest Control Company 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.
Yes. It is wise to proactively seek out business insurance for your pest control company as it will be exposed to the many inherent risks of this industry from day one.
Neglecting insurance can not only open you up to a greater risk of financial loss but also legal liability if specific policies (such as commercial auto or workers’ compensation insurance) are a requisite to legitimate operation.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your pest control company insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
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.