Best Insurance Options for Mobile Pet Grooming Businesses

Mobile pet groomers are businesses that have unique insurance policy needs. As they serve pets, they do so from a mobile van or truck and need to ensure that their “location” is insured just the same as any other small business with a static location. Pet groomers will do well to have a number of policies that ensure they have the coverage needed should a claim arise. Here are some facts about mobile pet groomers’ insurance. 

Introduction to Insurance for Mobile Pet Grooming Businesses

Mobile pet groomers work with risk every day. This may be a dog getting loose or a dog biting an employee. There are real risks that they deal with and must be prepared for. If they don’t have insurance, they must deal with the losses out of pocket and pay clients and bystanders from revenues or savings. As a small business, this is likely not possible where margins are thin and savings may be limited. The types of commercial insurance that a dog groomer should get are commercial auto, general liability, and workers’ compensation, among others. Here are five types of mobile pet groomers’ insurance to be considered: 

1. General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance pays third parties for losses due to the operations of the mobile pet grooming small business. This may be for physical damage to property or bodily injury. It may be a client or a bystander to the business. This is important as animals are unpredictable and may be destructive or lash out and bite someone when in unfamiliar circumstances. This is probably the first policy that a mobile pet groomer should get along with commercial auto insurance to properly protect their small business from unexpected claims.  

2. Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability insurance pays claims where the mobile pet groomer may not have done their job professionally. For example, a dog groomer may botch a grooming for a show dog that can not compete due to the error and is left unable to gain prize money or earn best in show, limiting its breeding ability. This could result in a substantial claim from a client who expects the dog groomer to perform a professional service. It may also cover the loss of an animal that unexpectedly dies while in their care during grooming. 

3. Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance is an essential insurance policy since the mobile pet grooming business uses a truck or van to get from location to location with its equipment. If there is a car accident that the groomer is responsible for, the commercial auto insurance policy will kick in and pay for damages to other vehicles and injuries to other parties. If there is the right coverage on the vehicle, it also pays to repair the pet groomer’s vehicle. It’s important to note that the equipment (unless permanently attached to the vehicle) is not covered by commercial auto insurance. 

4. Property Insurance

Property insurance pays to repair or replace the belongings of the pet groomer. This includes dryers and other equipment that the dog groomer uses in his practice that are stored in the truck or van. It protects the groomer if the items are damaged in an accident or lost due to theft. It is important to ensure that you can replace items to get back to work sooner rather than later. 

5. Workers’ Compensation Insurance

If the mobile pet groomer has employees, they will need workers’ compensation insurance. This is state law in all but one state, so do check with your insurance agent to ensure you have adequate coverage based on state laws. This policy pays for injuries to workers on the job. This would be the policy that covers you if a worker is bitten by a dog during a grooming and needs medical attention. 

Tips for Selecting the Right Insurance Options

Every mobile pet groomer should evaluate their business needs to see what policies are necessary and how much coverage to get. As a general rule of thumb, the more business you do, the more risk you have and should get more liability coverage. You also want to ensure that the property is covered adequately to get you back up and running in the event of a total loss. Get as much coverage as you can afford and compare insurance providers to see who can offer you the best price on your policies. Understand the exclusions of policies and ask insurance agents about getting a discount for bundling policies together.