Liability Insurance for Dog & Pet Groomers

Dog and pet groomers need insurance to account for the unique liability risks they face while taking care of animals. A pet grooming insurance policy should include a mix of standard commercial coverage types and specialty insurance products designed for grooming businesses.

Read below to find out what you should consider for your pet or dog grooming business insurance policy and how much you should expect to pay for pet groomers insurance.

On This Page

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  What Is Pet Grooming Insurance?

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  Why Do Pet Groomers Need Insurance?

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  What Types of Insurance Do I Need for My Pet Grooming Business?

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  What Does Pet Grooming Insurance Cover?

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  How Much Does Pet Grooming Insurance Cost?

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  FAQs

What Is Pet Grooming Insurance?

Pet grooming insurance is not a singular commercial insurance product but rather a collection of coverage types that can help dog grooming businesses insure their property and protect themselves against liability risks. Whether you work out of a salon or a van, you may need pet groomer insurance coverage for your small business.

You will likely be able to customize your pet grooming insurance policy to include some coverage types that are standard across numerous businesses and others that meet the specific needs of the dog and pet grooming industry.

Insurance carriers like The Hartford, Travelers and Chubb offer insurance products for groomers and other pet care businesses. You could also purchase coverage from a specialty insurance provider like NEXT Insurance or Pet Care Insurance.

Why Do Pet Groomers Need Insurance?

Like any other business, you may be required to purchase certain types of coverage for your pet grooming company depending on the state you operate in and the size of your business. In general, most businesses throughout the United States need to maintain workers’ compensation and commercial auto insurance if they have a dedicated motor vehicle for business purposes.^[1][2]

In addition, other optional coverage types can keep you from having to pay the full costs out of pocket anytime property belonging to you or someone else is damaged, you are held liable for a person or animal’s injury or you are sued due to some mistake or negligent act on your part.

Without groomers insurance, you may be financially on the hook for common liability claims such as:

• Broken bones after falling from a grooming table
• Cuts and infections
• Allergic reactions to grooming products
• Aggravation due to grooming techniques
• Injuries resulting from pets fighting other pets

What Types of Insurance Do I Need for My Pet Grooming Business?

General Liability

General liability coverage insures your business against claims of bodily injury, property damage or personal and advertising injury. If you are found responsible for a person’s injury or damage to their property, your general liability insurance can cover the costs of their medical treatments or property repairs.

In addition, this coverage type can cover legal defenses, settlements and judgments if either of those claims escalates into a lawsuit. It will also cover legal expenses if you are sued for defaming someone or violating copyright law.

Business Owners Policy (BOP)

Business owners policies (BOPs) are popular among small and mid-sized businesses because they conveniently combine general liability coverage and commercial property coverage. Commercial property insurance covers the building you operate out of plus equipment and other items inside in case they are damaged or destroyed by a peril like fire or theft.

BOPs also typically come with business interruption insurance, which makes up for lost income and additional expenses that arise if a covered peril forces you to shut down or relocate your business temporarily. With business interruption insurance, you can make sure your employees are still paid even if you are unable to groom pets for a short period of time.

Errors and Omissions

Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, also known as professional liability insurance, provides coverage in case you are accused of making a serious mistake or acting negligently in the performance of your professional services. If one of your customers experiences a financial loss due to an error on your end and sues you, E&O coverage can take care of your legal expenses.

Animal Bailee

Animal bailee insurance is a unique coverage type for the pet care industry that covers you if an animal is lost, injured or killed while in your care. It can pay veterinarian bills or provide a monetary reward that you can then offer to anyone who finds an animal that escaped from your salon.^[3] In this way, it effectively extends your general liability coverage to the pets you groom themselves.

Workers’ Compensation

Most businesses with multiple employees are required to maintain workers’ compensation insurance in case an employee becomes sick or gets hurt on the job.^[1] This coverage type can take care of an employee’s hospital and rehab bills, make up for their lost wages while they are out of work, pay out disability benefits or provide a final expenses payment for their beneficiaries if they die.

Commercial Auto

Commercial auto insurance is necessary to cover any injuries or property damage you cause while using a vehicle for business purposes. This is especially important if you operate a mobile grooming service since you will constantly be on the road for work.

Additional Coverages Pet Groomers Should Consider

Your dog grooming insurance policy could provide even more thorough protection if you add coverage types such as these:

• Cyber liability insurance: Cyber insurance can cover legal expenses that arise due to a data breach or some other cybercrime. This coverage type is particularly important if you digitally store any of your clients’ information such as their addresses or credit card numbers.
• Commercial umbrella insurance: Commercial umbrella insurance provides excess coverage in case you exhaust the limits on one of your liability policies. As the “umbrella” name suggests, umbrella coverage applies to multiple types of liability policies, so it could provide extra money for a large general liability, auto liability or cyber liability claim, just to name a few.
• Commercial crime insurance: Commercial crime coverage insures your business against crime-related losses that may be excluded by your commercial property insurance. This can include losses caused by forgery or alteration, theft of money and securities, burglary or robbery, employee dishonesty and computer fraud.^[4]
• Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI): EPLI can fund your legal defense or take care of other legal expenses if an employee accuses you of harassment, discrimination or a similar violation of their employee rights.
• Inland marine insurance: Inland marine insurance covers your commercial property while it is in transit. This coverage type may be necessary to insure your equipment if you operate a mobile grooming business.^[5]

What Does Pet Grooming Insurance Cover?

See below for examples of specific risks that dog groomers could face and which of the major pet groomers insurance types would cover them.

How Much Does Pet Grooming Insurance Cost?

Pet grooming insurance rates will vary based on your insurance provider and may depend on factors like the number of employees and customers you have, the kinds of services you provide, the value of your commercial property, the coverage types you purchase, the coverage limits you select and your location.

For example, most pet groomers insured by NEXT Insurance could expect to pay between $984 and $1,776 per year for a policy that includes general liability, commercial property and workers’ compensation coverage. However, some NEXT Insurance customers could have a dog grooming insurance cost of more than $3,000 for one year of coverage.^[6]