6 Best Beauty Salon Insurance Companies 2023
Beauty salons need a wide range of coverage: general liability, professional liability, property, and workers’ compensation if you have employees. The best beauty salon insurance companies can provide all of the necessary policies, with endorsements and custom coverages to match your particular business. We evaluated 16 different providers to find the six best beauty salon insurance companies.
- The Hartford: The best overall salon insurance provider
- Nationwide: Best for claims and customer service
- Next: Best for estheticians and cosmetologists
- Hiscox: Best for home-based beauty professionals
- Beauty & Bodywork Insurance: Best for affordability and quick purchase
- CoverWallet: Best for helping find the right coverage
Top Salon Insurance Providers Compared
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Overall |
Online |
24/7 call center |
✓ |
A+ (Superior) |
Get a Quote | |||||
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Claims and customer service |
Online |
24/7 call center |
✕ |
A+ (Superior) |
Get a Quote | |||||
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Estheticians and cosmetologists |
Online |
Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time |
✓ |
A- (Excellent) |
Get a Quote | |||||
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Home-based beauty professionals |
Online |
Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time |
✓ |
A (Excellent) |
Get a Quote | |||||
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Affordability and quick purchase |
Online |
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mountain time |
✓ |
A+ (Superior) |
Get a Quote | |||||
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Helping find the right coverage |
Online |
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET |
✓ |
A (Excellent) |
Get a Quote |
The Hartford: Best Overall Provider for Salon Insurance
The Hartford
What We Like
- Quick, online quote
- Instant access to policy
- 24/7 claims services
What We Didn’t Like
- No app for commercial policy management
- Slightly higher average cost for premiums
Deciding Factors
- Policies: Has every policy your salon needs
- In-house claims: Claims are handled directly by The Hartford
- Responsive: Customer service to policy questions
- Independent agents: Available to discuss policy options
Small business insurer The Hartford offers a wide range of solutions for salon insurance, including general liability, professional liability, business owner’s policy (BOP) and workers’ compensation. The BOP has endorsements that can help tailor the policy for your business, and it offers a combination policy of general liability and professional liability for salons.
Its range of available policies, 24/7 availability, and nationwide coverage is why The Hartford is our overall best provider for salon insurance. It’s also our leading small business insurance company.
Cost & Coverage
We received a quote for a specialized liability policy that cost $1,085 annually. If you pay in full, you save $93—or there is the option for four payments. The policy had limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. The quote was for a policy that combined general liability and professional liability using the same limits.
The Hartford has customized salon insurance by offering a liability policy that combines general liability and professional liability insurance.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
Complaints filed with state departments of insurance are tracked by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The Hartford has lower-than-average complaints, meaning customers are overall satisfied.
This matches with user reviews of The Hartford. When it comes to the claim experience, reviewers have given it an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars with over 15,000 reviews.
For most policies, including ones for a beauty salon, you can get a quote and purchase the policy online. The process takes under 10 minutes. If you have questions about what coverage is right, you can call The Hartford and speak with an agent or reach out to a local independent agent.
Financial Stability
The Hartford has been paying claims for more than 200 years. It has the financial resources to handle claims and has a rating of A+ (Superior) from AM Best.
Nationwide: Best for Customer Service & Claims
Nationwide
What We Like
- Policies offered
- Independent agents
- 24/7 availability for claims and customer service
What We Didn’t Like
- No coverage for spas and tanning salons
- No clear method for obtaining a COI online
Deciding Factors
- Account portal: Online access to manage your policy
- Revenue: Coverage for businesses with up to $5 million in revenue
- Account portal: Online access to manage your policy
- Customer service: Ranked third in J.D. Power’s 2022 Customer Satisfaction Survey
Nationwide Insurance has coast-to-coast availability and policies for every small business need. It also has strong customer and claims service. It’s ranked third in J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction survey and has zero commercial complaints through the NAIC. It has experienced, in-house adjusters and a 24/7 call center for claims reporting.
Cost & Coverage
We received a quote for a BOP that cost $916 annually. You can purchase the policy online or call to finalize the details of the coverage. The policy carried general liability with $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate limits and $15,000 in property coverage. It also had $1 million total coverage for professional liability.
Nationwide offers insurance for beauty salons with up to $5 million in revenue. The space must be less than 50,000 square feet. However, it doesn’t offer coverage for day spas, electrolysis, tanning, acupuncture, and waxing services.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
Nationwide maintains a 24/7 call center for customer service and first notice of loss. It has experienced adjusters across the country to contact you quickly and walk you through the claims process.
Quotes for most insurance policies are available online. Sometimes, depending on the industry or risk, you’ll have to call Nationwide or a local agent to obtain a quote.
While it does offer an online account for managing your policy, filing a claim, and paying your bill, information on other capabilities aren’t readily available.
Financial Stability
Nationwide was founded in 1926 and has a proven track record of having the financial strength to handle claims. It has a rating of A+ (Superior).
Next Insurance: Best for Estheticians & Cosmetologists
Next Insurance
What We Like
- Policy package options
- Online purchase
- 24/7 access to policy
What We Didn’t Like
- Unavailable in every state
- No 24/7 availability
Deciding Factors
- App: User-friendly app for your policy and claim needs
- Policy: Policy and COI available online or in the app instantly
- Tech-forward: Emphasis on the app and online experience
- Direct to consumer: Helps keep premium costs lower
Whether you’re a cosmetologist who owns your business or an esthetician contracting inside of a salon, Next Insurance has great options for you. It offers commercial property, general liability, professional liability, and workers’ compensation. In some states, employee practices liability insurance is available. For both estheticians and cosmetologists, it offers three policy packages, so you can buy one policy and get all of the coverage you need.
Cost & Coverage
We received a quote for the deluxe coverage package that cost $100 annually or only $8.34 monthly. The policy was for a combination of general liability and professional liability. Each coverage carried the same limit of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. The quote was for an independent esthetician working in a business owned by a business.
Next is a direct-to-consumer insurance company, meaning you can purchase policies directly from it. As such, it states you save up to 25% on business insurance through it. While this was the lowest quote received while researching the article, that doesn’t mean every business will receive the same quote.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
As a newer company, Next Insurance only has a few years of data with the NAIC, but its complaints are lower than the national average. It also has 4.9 out of 5 stars with more than 100 reviews on third-party site feefo.
Convenience is where Next really shines. You can get a quote and a policy in minutes. Once you purchase a policy, you have access to the documents and can instantly create COIs. It has a mobile app, where you can also access your policy and use the app or your account to manage claims.
Financial Stability
While Next is new to the insurance field, having been founded in 2015, it has established itself financially. It has a rating of A- (Excellent) from AM Best.
Hiscox: Best for Home-based Beauty Professionals
Hiscox
What We Like
- Partner with multiple online brokerages
- Online account management
- Policies offered
What We Didn’t Like
- Complaints slightly higher than national average
- No 24/7 availability
- Unavailable in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming
Deciding Factors
- 24/7 availability: Claims services are there for you all the time
- Global company: Has a history of insuring small businesses
- Online quotes: Available quickly
- Payment options: Flexible options to meet your business needs
Hiscox is a global insurer committed to small business insurance. It offers the policies your salon business needs, with the claim service you want when a loss is filed. It also provides discounts for home-based businesses and insurance for small business beauty salons with less than $1 million in revenue. If you’re a home-based hairstylist or starting your business, Hiscox is a good insurer to grow with.
Cost & Coverage
We received a quote for general liability and professional liability. It cost $1,262 annually or $105.13 monthly. Hiscox doesn’t charge extra for monthly payment plans. The professional liability carried a limit of $1 million and a $500 deductible. The general liability had a total limit of $2 million.
For beauty salons, Hiscox automatically includes $200,000 in sexual misconduct coverage. Coverage is available for claims made or occurrence-based forms, giving you the flexibility to pick which is best for your business.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
Online, you can get a quote, purchase a policy, and obtain instant COIs. Hiscox has online access to policy documents and filing a claim 24/7. But if you need to speak with someone, its hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
Its complaints are slightly higher than the national average with the NAIC. But on third-party site feefo, it does have positive ratings with 4.7 out of 5 stars from over 1,000 reviews.
Financial Stability
Hiscox is a global insurer with more than a century of experience. It has a rating of A (Excellent) by the financial rating corporation AM Best.
Beauty & Bodyworks Insurance: Best for Affordability & Quick Purchase
Beauty & Bodyworks Insurance
What We Like
- Nationwide coverage
- Financial rating
- Online experience
What We Didn’t Like
- Acts as broker, so doesn’t handle claims directly
- No 24/7 availability
Deciding Factors
- Affordable: Policies with high limits
- Student coverage: Available for students in cosmetology school
- Instant COI: Available online
- Online portal: Access to policy documents instantly
Beauty & Bodyworks Insurance has the most affordable and quickest policies you can purchase for your beauty salon of any of the providers we reviewed. It offers general and professional liability with high limits of $3 million and the option to add equipment coverage. This policy is best for an independent stylist who rents a chair in a salon.
Cost & Coverage
The policy offered by Beauty & Bodyworks is the most affordable policy we found, but you don’t sacrifice coverage for the price. You can purchase the base policy for $96 annually—the price can increase from there as you add coverage, but even with additions, it still stays low. The policy has general and professional liability aggregate limits of $3 million. It also includes products and completed operations with an aggregate limit of $3 million.
We received a quote for $139 a year. This included the above coverage with additional coverage to fit our needs: $2,000 for equipment, dry-cupping coverage, and unlimited additional insureds.
Worth noting is that this is the only provider that advertised a dedicated policy for students in beauty or massage school. A student policy costs just $67 annually and is available to numerous health and bodywork professionals.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
The purchase process takes less than 10 minutes and coverage is available in all 50 states. Once you have purchased a policy, you have access to your documents, including a COI, and can file a claim through the online dashboard.
If you do need to speak with someone, you can call Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. MT, to speak with a licensed agent.
Since this isn’t a carrier, it isn’t subject to NAIC complaints. However, its reviews online are positive. It has 4.8 out of 5 stars on feefo.
Financial Stability
The policies offered for this program are underwritten by the Great American Insurance Group. It has a rating of A+ (Superior) by AM Best.
CoverWallet: Best Helping Find the Right Coverage
CoverWallet
What We Like
- Instant COI
- Ease of use
- Policy financing
What We Didn’t Like
- No 24/7 availability
- Doesn’t handle claims directly
Deciding Factors
- One-stop shop: Insurance available from different providers
- Dedicated agent: Can help you manage your policy
- Online quotes: Available quickly
- Support services: Available for your policy needs
Finding insurance can be overwhelming, which is why it makes sense to use online brokerage CoverWallet to help you find the right coverage from different providers. It offers advice on what type of coverage you need and can provide quotes from multiple carriers, letting you compare prices and coverage for your salon insurance.
Cost & Coverage
We received five quotes for a hair salon. Two for general liability and three for a BOP. The general liability quotes were both for a policy with limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. One was from Liberty Mutual ($650 annually) and the other was from Chubb ($746 annually).
The BOP quotes were fairly similar. All had the same liability limits (listed above), and two had $15,000 in property coverage with a deductible of $1,000. The most expensive quote from Chubb included $20,000 in property coverage with a $500 deductible. It costs $933 annually.
To finish the purchase, you may need to call.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
CoverWallet is available in all 50 states. It allows you to get quotes for most businesses and coverages online and compare them from multiple providers. Once the policy is purchased, you’ll have access to its online account management system, which it calls your Wallet. There, you can manage your policy, make payments, file a claim, and obtain an instant COI.
On the third-party review site eKomi, CoverWallet has 4.7 out of 5 stars from almost 800 reviews.
Financial Stability
CoverWallet is owned by Aon, an international corporation with a rating of A (Excellent) from AM Best.
Methodology
We determined the best beauty salon insurance companies using our in-house proprietary evaluation system. In evaluating them, we focused on the customer’s needs. We paid particular interest to convenience, financial ratings (AM Best), customer service, types of policies offered, and the overall experience as a policyholder for a specific provider.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does beauty salon insurance cost?
The cost of salon insurance depends on many factors—including what services you provide, claims history, revenue, and number of employees. In our research, we found liability policies running from $96 annually to over $1,000 and BOP policies ranging from $500 to over $900.
What is salon insurance?
Salon insurance is a combination of policies that provide protection for your beauty salon business:
- General liability covers third-party property damage and bodily injury claims
- Professional liability covers claims your service caused damage or harm
- Commercial property protects your physical assets: building, contents, and equipment
- Workers’ compensation helps employees injured on the job by covering their medical bills and providing for some wage loss
Is beauty salon insurance required?
If you have one or more employees, you will likely need workers’ compensation insurance as it is required in nearly every state. Beyond that, it depends on if your state requires some form of insurance for licensing. If you have a loan or rent property, the landlord or lending institution may require some form of insurance. Ultimately, the cost of not having insurance can be much more than making sure you’re covered.
Bottom Line
When purchasing insurance for your beauty salon, it’s convenient if the provider offers all of the policies you need, handles the claims, and is available when you need it so that you have one point of contact for all of your claim needs. The Hartford can do all of that for your salon business. Visit the provider, get a quote, and purchase a policy in 10 minutes or less.