Beauty Salon Insurance: Best Companies, Costs and Coverage

Beauty salons need insurance in case a client is injured, the business is sued or the salon is damaged. At minimum, they should purchase:

General liability insurance. This covers injury or property damage your salon inadvertently causes to others.

Professional liability insurance. This pays for alleged skills-based mistakes you or employees make that injure customers.

Commercial property insurance. This covers damage to your physical storefront, and is a must whether you lease or own your salon’s space.

Salon owners may also need coverage for employees, equipment and other business expenses. And if you simply rent a booth at a salon, you’ll need your own business insurance as well.

Here are our picks for companies, coverage descriptions and how to shop.

Best insurance companies for beauty salons

How many complaints policyholders make to state insurance regulators.

How financially strong insurance companies are, indicating their ability to pay claims.

How easy it is to get a quote and buy a policy online.

Whether the insurer offers policies tailored for beauty salons or the beauty industry.

Here are some top companies that serve beauty salon owners. We recommend comparing multiple quotes to find the best coverage at the best price.

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4.5

NerdWallet rating

If you own a larger salon with staff or travel to clients, The Hartford may be a good choice. It offers a business owner’s policy, worker’s comp, equipment coverage and commercial auto insurance. You can get a quote online, but you’ll need to talk to an agent to purchase a policy. Read our review of The Hartford.

4.5

NerdWallet rating

With a specialty in personal services, Travelers is a good choice for growing salon businesses. Its business owner’s policy includes professional liability and data breach coverages, both of which are add-ons with other BOPs. You can add most other business coverages, but you can’t get a quote online. Read the Travelers review.

4.0

NerdWallet rating

Ergo Next makes the list for quick quotes, easy buying and beauty-tailored policies. Its salon coverage includes general and professional liability, plus optional property, business vehicle and equipment coverage. Once you buy a policy, you can list additional insureds for free and get proof of coverage online. Read our Ergo Next review.

Speciality insurers for beauty salons

Some companies focus on salon and beauty insurance. Opting for a provider that caters solely to your industry is understandably tempting. But their knowledge doesn’t make them a better choice by default.

Make sure you compare their costs and coverage against traditional insurers. Also, check out the performance of the actual underwriter of your policy. Here are some options to consider. (Note: NerdWallet hasn’t rated these providers.)

Beauty & Bodywork Insurance. This specialty agency offers general and professional liability policies as long as you don’t own the salon property itself. You can add on coverage for tools and supplies or workers’ comp. However, policies exclude high‑risk procedures, like laser treatments or any service that breaks the skin. Read more at the BBI website.

Elite Beauty Society. This group offers general and professional liability packages to booth renters and salon owners. Policyholders can also access health, dental and vision benefits, making it a potential fit for independent contractors. Coverage for some high‑risk procedures like microblading is available. Read more at the Elite Beauty Society website.

Professional Program Insurance Brokerage. If you specialize in or may expand into higher-risk procedures, PPIB is worth a look. It offers professional and general liability coverage for microblading, piercing and permanent makeup. You can also purchase cyber insurance and property coverage. Read more at the PPIB website.

What is beauty salon insurance?

Beauty salon insurance is a combination of policies that protects your business financially from common risks. If you rent a stall as a sole proprietor hairstylist, your risks will be lower than a full-service salon with multiple employees. But you still need coverage .

Beauty salon business insurance can help pay if:

A customer is injured accidentally, such as a slip-and-fall.

One of your treatments causes a chemical burn or allergic reaction.

Your salon is vandalized, burgled or damaged in a weather event.

One of your employees is hurt or sickened on the job.

Your computer system is hacked, exposing customers’ personal information.

What types of insurance do beauty salons need?

Anyone working in the beauty industry needs at least general and professional liability insurance. Salon owners will need commercial property insurance as well. Depending on your business, you may need more.

General liability insurance

If someone says your business caused them injury, illness or other damage, general liability insurance can help pay. You may be required to purchase this policy to rent out a salon booth or storefront. It includes coverage for:

Injuries or illness your business accidentally causes.

Property damage your business is found responsible for.

Advertising injury, such as libel or slander against a competitor.

Say a customer trips on your area rug on her way out the door and gets hurt. Or perhaps a technician spills nail polish on a customer’s designer purse. General liability would pay for the damages, as well as costs to defend you in court.

Professional liability insurance

If you or an employee is accused of making a professional mistake in your work, professional liability insurance can come to your defense. Even if you did nothing wrong, professional liability can cover claims like:

Chemical burns from hair treatments.

Infections from unsterilized tools.

Allergic reactions to dyes or treatments.

Client dissatisfaction with results.

Say your eyelash extension customer gets pinkeye. Or maybe you switch to a new hair dye and a longtime client has a reaction. Professional liability would pay to settle these claims.

Some beauty insurers include professional liability with general liability, but not all do. These policies are different, and you need both.

General liability covers injuries that could happen at any business, like a slip-and-fall. These policies typically exclude injuries from professional services you provide. The hands-on work required to be a beautician (not to mention the sharp tools and chemicals) make this policy a must.

Workers’ compensation insurance

Worker’s comp pays lost income and medical bills for employees who are injured on the job.

Say you drop your shears and they land pointy-side down, piercing your foot, for instance. You have to go to urgent care and take a week off work to let it heal. Workers’s compensation would pay for the urgent care bill and a portion of the lost income.

Most states require workers’ comp if you have at least one employee, but it can be a good choice for sole proprietors too. Health insurance often denies work‑related claims and never covers lost income.

Even if you staff your salon with independent contractors, you may still need workers’ comp. Check your state guidelines. New York, for example, defines “employees” based on factors like if you set their schedules or payment terms.

Commercial property insurance

If you rent, lease or own the salon space itself, you’ll want commercial property coverage. It pays for damage to your property due to weather events, disasters or other covered incidents.

For example, say your salon is broken into, and your front bay window was shattered. This coverage pays to fix the window and any other damage.

Other types of insurance salon owners may need

Policy

Coverage details

Pays to replace lost revenue when a covered property loss forces your salon to close temporarily. Typically, commercial property coverage and business owners’ policies include this coverage.

For example, say your salon catches fire and you can’t open while it’s being repaired. Business interruption helps replace your lost income.

Business income off-premises utility coverage

Business interruption insurance excludes off-site factors that affect your business, like utility outages. This variation fills that gap.

For instance, a water main breaks and your blow-out bar can’t operate for multiple days. An off-premises utility policy can cover lost income.

Combines general liability, property and business interruption coverage. Specialty policies for beauty professionals may include professional liability coverage.

Tools and equipment coverage

Pays costs to repair or replace broken or damaged salon equipment. That can include salon chairs and professional-grade styling tools or stock like hair dye or makeup.

If you have property coverage, you don’t need separate tools and equipment insurance.

Covers expenses from data breaches and cyberattacks on your booking or payment systems.

Cover vehicles you use for business purposes, including accidents while driving for work. Pays for injuries or damage you cause, plus any damage to the vehicle.

If you drive to clients to perform services like wedding glam, you might need this coverage. Personal auto policies may deny claims for accidents arising from work use of your vehicle.

If your general or professional liability limits are exhausted in a big lawsuit, umbrella extends the coverage. Also called excess liability, you may need this if you have a large or high‑traffic salon, or if you own many locations.

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What insurance do beauty salon contractors need?

Independent beauticians need general and professional liability insurance, at minimum. Even if you work in someone else’s salon, don’t expect their insurance to cover you.

In addition to liability coverage, you may also want your own:

Commercial auto insurance if you drive to clients for work.

Tools coverage if you have expensive equipment.

Workers’ compensation, as it’s very likely your health insurance won’t pay if you get hurt on the job.

If you rent a booth in a salon, the owner may also require you to buy property coverage to insure the building around your booth. If that’s the case, consider a business owner’s policy.

How much does beauty salon insurance cost?

Beauty salon owners pay a median of $650 per year for general liability coverage, according to data provided to NerdWallet by online brokerage Coverdash. They pay a median of $800 per year for professional liability coverage and $1,400 for a business owner’s policy.

Your costs will depend on your salon’s size and location, how many employees you have, the services you offer and more. The larger your salon and the riskier your services, the higher your insurance costs are likely to be.

How to shop for beauty salon insurance

NerdWallet recommends getting multiple business insurance quotes before buying a policy. Take these steps to ensure your coverage is sufficient and you aren’t overpaying.

1. Identify the coverages you need

Based on your risks, write down the coverages you need. If those are relatively simple, such as needing only a BOP, you may be able to buy a policy online.

Insurers will ask about your revenue, number of stations or chairs, service menu and the value of your equipment. If you have employees, have a roster and payroll information handy.

3. Get quotes from multiple insurers

There are three common ways to shop, depending on your business insurance needs.

Online marketplace. You can compare quotes and policies from multiple companies side-by-side, and possibly get insured in minutes. You’re limited to the marketplace’s network, but this option is likely the quickest and easiest if your needs are simple.

Get quotes directly. You can get quotes from individual providers online or by phone. This method is best if you have a shortlist of carriers you want to work with, such as your personal insurer or a trusted recommendation. It’ll take the longest, but you’ll have complete control of your buying journey.

Use a broker or agent. An insurance professional can walk you through insurance options and policy details, and get quotes for you. They are limited to their network and may earn a commission that motivates them to upsell you, though. Still, if you need several policies or like a personal touch, a human expert can be the best option.