The Hartford doesn’t offer auto detailing insurance online, but a local agency or Tivly may be able to help you find the coverage you need. The following content includes information from various sources and can change over time.
What Is Auto Detailing Insurance?
Auto detailing insurance is made up of different types of business insurance coverages designed to help protect you from the risks you might face as you clean, polish and restore vehicles. Whether you run your business from a fixed location or provide mobile detailing services, insurance for auto detailers can help protect you from property damage, accidental injuries, equipment theft and more.
An auto detailing insurance package can include these common types of coverage:
- Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Commercial property insurance
- General liability insurance
- Professional liability insurance
Why Might You Need Auto Detailing Insurance?
Auto detailing insurance is a collection of coverages designed to help you handle the risks you could face during normal operations. Without the right protection, everyday challenges could put a financial strain on your business.
Auto detailing insurance can help protect your business from many potential risks, like:
- Bodily Injury: An employee slips on a wet floor at your shop and files a claim for medical expenses.
- Equipment Theft: Someone breaks into your mobile detailing van and steals your pressure washer and buffer.
- Property Damage: A cleaning product discolors a client’s leather seats, leading to a costly repair bill.
Who May Need Auto Detailing Insurance Coverage?
Many businesses that work on cars can benefit from insurance coverage, such as:
- Mobile auto detailers
- Brick-and-mortar detailing shops
- Car dealerships
What Detailing Business Insurance Coverages Might I Need?
When it comes to protecting your auto detailing business, you’ll want protection that matches your potential risks. Many auto detailers start with a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) because of the peace of mind it can provide.
A BOP combines three types of coverage to help protect auto detailers from common claims:
General liability insurance helps protect your detailing business from claims that it caused property damage or bodily injury.
General liability insurance helps protect your detailing business from claims that it caused property damage or bodily injury.
Commercial property insurance helps protect the owned or rented building you operate your detailing business from, as well as the tools, equipment and inventory you rely on. These can include your:
- Brushes
- Buckets
- Soaps and wax
- Pressure washer
- Towels
- Buffer
Business income insurance helps replace your lost wages if you can’t operate temporarily because of covered property damage caused by fire, theft or wind.
It’s important to remember that a BOP won’t cover every kind of claim. You’ll need to get other types of insurance to have well-rounded coverage, including:
Workers’ compensation insurance to give your employees benefits to help them recover from a work-related injury or illness.
Commercial auto insurance to help cover bodily injury or property damage claims from an auto accident your business causes while you or an employee drives a company-owned vehicle for work.
How Much Does Auto Detail Insurance Cost?
Although The Hartford doesn’t offer coverage for detailers, here are the average costs our small business customers pay for common coverages. You can use these amounts to help estimate your insurance costs:**
- BOP: $1,687 a year, or about $141 a month
- Stand-alone general liability insurance: $810 a year, or about $68 a month
- Workers’ compensation insurance: $1,032 a year, or $86 a month
- Professional liability insurance: $744 a year, or $62 a month1
Keep in mind that the cost of insurance for car detailing businesses varies because every shop has unique risks. Insurance companies consider several factors when determining your coverage cost, including:
- Number of employees
- Location of your business
- Type of coverage
- Your claims history
- The limits you select for your coverage
To find out your specific auto detailing business insurance costs, get a free quote online through Tivly.
General Liability Insurance
“A customer claimed we ruined their paint job when removing their vinyl wrap.”
General liability insurance helps cover claims that your business caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else.
Business Income Insurance
“A fire next door flooded our shop with smoke. We had to shut down for weeks to clean and get rid of the smell.”
Business income insurance can help you continue paying ongoing expenses like rent, payroll and utilities when your business can’t operate due to covered reasons.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
“One of my detailers was washing and detailing a car when he slipped on soapy water. He hurt his back and needed to take time off from work.”
Workers’ compensation insurance gives your team benefits to help them recover from work-related injuries or illnesses. It can help pay their medical bills and replace lost wages.
Professional Liability Insurance
“A customer sued my detailer, claiming the spray she used on the seats stained and damaged the leather.”
Professional liability insurance can help cover claims that your business made a mistake in the services given to a customer. It can help cover your legal costs, such as attorney fees, judgments and settlements.
Commercial Property Insurance
“A storm broke a window, and the rain ruined a ton of our tools.”
Commercial property insurance helps protect your business' equipment, furniture and inventory from loss or damage caused by events like storms, fires or vandalism.
Commercial Auto Insurance
“I was on my way to a customer’s house to provide a full detailing job for their cars. I accidentally backed the business van onto their lawn, ripping up their grass and damaging the walkway.”
Commercial auto insurance helps protect you if you cause bodily injury or property damage when using a company-owned vehicle for work.
Get Insurance for Auto Detailing Shops Like Yours
Get the coverage you need to keep your business shining. Get a free quote today from Tivly.
Last Updated: April 28, 2026
1 What you pay for professional liability insurance will vary by product, limits chosen and risk class or hazard group associated with your business.
2 National Fire Prevention Association, “Fire Loss in the U.S.,” viewed March 2026.
3 American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), "Why Ergonomics Should Be at the Forefront of Worker Safety and Well-Being," viewed March 2026.
4 Insurance Information Institute, "Commercial Property Insurance Shows Signs of Improvement, Stable Growth," viewed March 2026.
** Costs, premiums, and coverages mentioned are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual cost, premium, and coverage are determined at the time of quote or issue and are specific to an individual risk. Premiums are based on information provided to The Hartford, including, but not limited to, underwriting and rating criteria. All examples included on this website or in an advertisement are intended for informational purposes only and are not an offer or a guarantee of premium or coverage. Coverage and products described are subject to the terms and conditions found in the policy contract. Any educational information provided about available coverages does not modify the policy language or imply that any claim is covered. Products are not available in all states or for all businesses.
The Hartford does not currently have a product available to provide the coverage described on this page. You are being referred to Tivly in an effort to connect you with a carrier who may provide this coverage. This link will redirect you to a third-party website, owned and operated by an independent party ("Tivly"). Any link you make to or from the Tivly website will be at your own risk. Any use of the Tivly website will be subject to and any information you provide will be governed by the terms of the Tivly website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy and security. The Hartford and its affiliates (collectively "The Hartford") do not endorse or approve and make no warranties, representations or undertakings relating to the content of the Tivly website. The Hartford assumes no liability for loss, damage and any other consequence resulting directly or indirectly from your access to the Tivly website or any information that you may provide on the Tivly website.
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