Hair and beauty salon insurance policies address the risks commonly faced by owners of hair and beauty salons. Hair and beauty salon insurance can be customized to cover the risks unique to any particular salon business operation. If you own one or more salons, it is critical to get the coverage you need to ensure you are not exposed to any potential risks or liabilities.
Insurance Coverage for Hair and Beauty Salons
Every salon needs basic insurance coverage to protect them against accidents and injuries in the salon facility. Additionally, large salons with several employees have insurance needs that differ from sole proprietors who operate a home-based salon.
Below is a description of the various types of coverage that your salon may need, depending on the salon’s size and the services it offers.
General Liability Coverage
In most states, proof of general liability insurance is required to get a business license.
General liability insurance protects salon owners if one of the salon customers suffers an injury or property damage while on your salon premises. Salon premises include the interior of the salon and the exterior parking lots, sidewalks, courtyards, and patios.
On-premises customer injuries can occur even when the salon owners take extra precautions to make the premises safe. Common accidents that result in customer injuries are slip and fall incidents. If a customer falls and needs medical treatment, the salon’s general liability insurance covers her medical costs, additional damages, and the salon owner’s legal expense. It is recommended that salon owners buy as much hair and beauty salon insurance they can afford.
Commercial Property Insurance
Salon owners should buy insurance for the facilities that house their salons. This insurance covers damage and loss to the building. Commercial property insurance is necessary regardless of whether you own or rent the building. Coverages extend to natural disasters, as well as vandalism and other forms of crime resulting in damage or destruction.
Fire Insurance
Salons use flammable chemicals and materials. Accordingly, all salons should have insurance against fire and other common perils. This insurance would protect you if a fire or other common peril damages or destroys your salon business.
Plate Glass Coverage
Suppose your salon has an extensive glass storefront. In that case, you may want to consider buying a separate policy for plate glass coverage if the property insurance coverage will not cover all of the cost of replacing it.
Business Property Insurance
This insurance covers the salon’s business equipment, including desks, chairs, counters, and other special salon equipment (hairdryers, nail dryers, tanning beds, electrolysis machinery, and so forth). If your salon provides services to customers off-premises, such as in the customers’ own homes or offices, you may need an inland marine policy to cover damage to your equipment while using it off-site or during transportation.
Equipment Breakdown Coverage
Salon equipment is critical to running a profitable salon. Equipment breakdowns happen, and sometimes the cost to repair or replace it is expensive. Your salon should protect itself against those inevitable breakdowns with equipment breakdown coverage. With that coverage, your salon will minimize or avoid any financial loss resulting from an equipment failure.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance
Under state law, your salon business may be required to have workers compensation insurance if you have a certain number of employees. It protects employees who become injured or ill on the job and helps pay for the salon owner’s legal defense if needed. Common injuries include cuts and puncture wounds from scissors, burns to skin, eyes and lungs from chemicals, and repetitive motion injuries and injuries due to standing for long periods without resting.
Salon Booth Renters Coverage
As a salon owner, you may want to require anyone who rents a booth or chair from you to have salon booth renters coverage. That insurance will protect the booth renters against claims for their professional mistakes, bodily injuries, and property damage so that you do not have exposure for their missteps.
Professional Liability Insurance
This insurance protects your business against claims resulting from an injury to a customer that is caused by one of your salon employees. An accidental cut or burn can lead to a lawsuit against the salon. Pricing may consider your stylists’ training, experience, and background.
The extent and nature of the services your salon provides will factor into the pricing. Basic wash, cut and dry services have normal risk exposures.
For salons that offer other types of services such as manicures, facials, tanning services, and so forth, they will have higher risk exposures. Also, due to close contact with many people, salons have a high risk of disease transmission and the spread of lice and similar vermin.
Professional liability coverage will help pay for the legal defense and any damages awarded to the customer.
Drain/Sewer Backup Insurance
Make sure your salon is protected against water damage resulting from a drain or sewer backup. That kind of damage is costly to repair. Insurance against a drain or sewer backup is a wise choice for salon owners.
Contact Southern States Insurance For More Information
Make sure your salon is fully insured against the types of risks many salon businesses face regularly. Consult with the insurance professionals at Southern States Insurance for help with the insurance coverage specially tailored to your salon’s needs. Whether you own a hair salon or beauty salon, the team at SSI has you covered. Call us at 888.971.6304 or request a quote online to get started with hair and beauty salon insurance today.