Hair Stylist Insurance

Hair stylist professional liability insurance

Also known as errors and omissions, this policy protects you in the event a client claims you made an error or were negligent. Accidents happen, and even if something isn’t “technically” your fault, you can still be held liable. 

With professional liability insurance, you can benefit from the following coverages: failure to deliver promised services, negligent services, professional errors, court costs, and legal fees. Let’s say you bleach someone’s hair, and their scalp starts bleeding. This could result in a lawsuit if the client believes the damage is severe enough.

Or, you may be perming a client’s hair. After you finish the treatment, you notice their hair is breaking off and falling out. Uh oh! Because of this professional error, your client may decide to file a claim.

If you do happen to suffer a lawsuit against you, your professional liability policy covers getting an attorney, settlements, and other court costs. 

Hair stylists pay an average of $42/month for professional liability. That’s only $504 for an annual policy.

General liability insurance for hair stylists

General liability is a great insurance policy to have, as it’s kind of like a “catchall” policy. This coverage protects you and your business against third-party bodily injury, property damage, libel, slander, and copyright infringement. Here’s how general liability insurance can protect your business:

Third-party bodily injury: You’re doing a men’s cut and the clippers nick a client’s ear, requiring a few stitches. Even though it was an accident, you could be held liable. Rather than footing the medical costs yourself, general liability would cover the bill. 

Property damage: Your client wears very expensive, light suede shoes to the appointment, and glob of black hair dye spills onto them. Your general liability insurance policy can cover replacement or repair costs.

Hair stylists might pay around $10/month for general liability insurance. That’s only $120/year!

Hair stylist workers’ comp

Whether you’re an independent contractor with no employees, or a salon owner with several stylists, workers’ comp insurance is definitely something to consider. This policy offers protection in the event you or an employee gets hurt on the job. 

More often than not, you’re required to carry workers’ comp. This may be due to your state’s regulations, or because the person hiring you dictates that you need the policy. Either way, it’s a great way to protect your employees, your business, and yourself.

If you do have employees, you’re responsible for their health and safety while on the job, regardless of if you have workers’ comp or not. So if one of your stylists suffers a severe burn from a curling iron, you would be expected to pay for the medical visit either way. If you do have workers’ comp, then those expenses would be covered. 

Should an employee claim you failed to provide a safe work environment and file a claim against you, the “employers’ liability” portion of your workers’ compensation policy would cover the costs of going to court. 

If you’re working solo, you may pay around $63/month for workers’ comp, or $750/year. If you’re with employees, you might pay $79/month for this policy, or $950/year.

Learn more about workers’ compensation costs. 

Business owner’s policies for hair stylists

If you’re looking to double down on insurance, but also want to save, you may want to consider a business owner’s policy. Also known as a BOP, this policy bundles a general liability policy with a commercial property policy, at a lesser price than purchasing each of the policies separately. 

We already went over general liability, but wondering what commercial property insurance entails? Pretty simple – it protects your business property. If your gear gets damaged due to fire, flooding, or even stolen, this policy will kick in to cover replacement or repair costs. 

Property insurance covers the building itself, even if you are just renting or leasing the space. Your equipment, supplies, and assets will be covered, as well. This means all of your electronics, furniture, color, and hair tools will be protected if something causes them damage.

On average, hair stylists pay a mere $60/month for a BOP. In total, that’s about $720/year.

Learn about how much business owner’s policies cost.

Other insurance policies for hairdressers

Business auto insurance is required when a vehicle is owned by a business. You might pay around $95/month for auto coverage.

Commercial property insurance is recommended to protect your work tools and inventory. This may average around $30/month for business property coverage.

Cyber insurance protects you against cyber-attacks and helps cover any data recovery costs or lost income. It could cost anywhere from $35 and $60 a month for cyber liability insurance.

Hair stylist insurance cost

Ultimately, commercial insurance pricing varies by policy, location, number of employees, and more. Want more information on how much insurance costs for hair stylists? Learn about business insurance costs.