Most building owners do not think about a cleaning contractor's insurance until something goes wrong. By that point, the coverage details that looked like administrative fine print are suddenly the most important numbers in the conversation. This guide explains what each type of coverage does and why it matters to you as a building owner or facility manager.
General liability coverage protects a contractor's clients against property damage and third-party bodily injury caused by the contractor's operations. If a cleaning crew member breaks a window, damages furniture or knocks over a piece of equipment and causes injury, the contractor's general liability policy is the first line of response — not your building's insurance.
The coverage limit matters. A $500,000 limit is technically liability insurance, but it does not go far in a commercial property damage or bodily injury claim. For commercial cleaning in the East Metro, minimum appropriate coverage starts at $1 million per occurrence. Ask for the certificate of insurance and look at the per-occurrence limit, not just whether insurance exists.
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page summary of a contractor's active coverage: the insurer, the policy number, the coverage type, the per-occurrence and aggregate limits, and the policy effective dates. It is issued by the insurer or a broker and should be dated within the last 60 days. A COI is not proof that coverage will exist if a claim is filed — it is proof that coverage existed when the certificate was issued. Ask for a new COI at each contract renewal.
A cleaning bond is a form of surety coverage that protects building owners against theft or intentional damage by crew members working inside their facility. It is not the same as liability insurance. Liability covers accidental damage; a bond covers dishonest acts. For facilities where cleaning crews have access to petty cash drawers, medication samples, confidential physical records or high-value portable equipment, bonding provides a specific layer of protection that general liability does not.
Workers' compensation is the coverage type that building owners least often think about but that most directly affects their own liability exposure. If a cleaning crew member is injured on your premises — a slip, a fall, a chemical exposure — and their employer does not carry workers' compensation coverage, the injured worker may have grounds to bring a claim against the building owner's general liability policy. This scenario is not theoretical. It happens when contractors carry minimum state coverage or classify workers incorrectly to reduce premiums.
Requiring proof of workers' compensation coverage before a cleaning contractor enters your building is not overly cautious — it is standard practice for any property manager who has been through the alternative.
What to ask every cleaning contractor before signing: Can you provide a certificate of insurance showing general liability, bonding and workers' compensation? Can you name my building as an additional insured if required by my lease? Those two questions filter out most of the risk.