Eli Porter
Yes, mobile hairdressers need insurance cover for liability, and the main factor depends on your work environment. Unlike working in a salon with its own insurance coverage, you provide your service in a customer’s home, a rental chair, or even their kitchen. Each situation brings its own risks – a chemical burn, carpet stains, or a slip that turns into a claim against you personally after a single occurrence. In this article, you will learn why mobile hairdressers have to be insured, what can happen without insurance, and which insurance policy can work best for you.
Table of Contents
What Is Liability Insurance for a Mobile Hairdresser?
Liability insurance comes into action when someone or property is injured or damaged because of your professional act, e.g., a client or a third party. Most of the time, in the case of a mobile hairdresser, it is about the insurance covering chemical burns, a client being cut, a fire accident, etc., as well as any unintentional damage to a client’s home or belongings.
Your risk evaluation will be unique as compared to a salon-based stylist because you are going to different clients. You have to get an insurance contract that reflects your work.
Do Mobile Hairdressers Really Need It?
The majority of customers, as you may think, will also expect professionals to have insurance at least. Some planners and venue owners may demand an insurance certificate before accepting your offer of service or even getting you to their venue. An accident without insurance may be extremely costly, in the sense of you being left without any compensation. And in the case that the client gets injured and requires a doctor’s attention, that cost would definitely climb higher.
In fact, there are several places (States, Countries) where you legally have to show proof of liability insurance before running a mobile hairdressing business. Go to your local licensing board and check what requirements they will put on you.
What Can Go Wrong Without Coverage?
Hair stylist businesses done outside of the salon setting can bring forth a whole different set of problems and risks with them. They are so numerous that many of them will catch newly started mobile hairdressers unaware.
- Use of a dye or a chemical causes reactions on skin or burning on bald spots.
- Razor or clipper accident cuts during the service
- Bottle leakage that creates a stain on a client’s rug, piece of furniture, or outfit
- Your client, in his house, stumbles over your equipment bag or cord
These are just a few of the situations to mention, yet if any of them happen and you are not covered by insurance, then you will have the full financial weight on your own.
Types of Insurance a Mobile Hairdresser Should Consider
Liability insurance is only part of a full coverage plan. The table below breaks down what each type protects.
| Insurance Type | What It Covers |
| General liability | Client injury or property damage during a service |
| Professional liability | Claims tied to a bad outcome, such as hair damage from a treatment |
| Product liability | Harm caused by a product you used or sold |
| Equipment coverage | Theft or damage to your tools, chairs, or kit |
| Commercial auto | Accidents while driving to appointments in a work vehicle |
What Does a Standard Policy Cover?
Most of the time, a mobile hairdresser’s general liability insurance will cover medical bills, attorney fees, and any settlement expenses that may be involved in a claim you are responsible for. This includes defending you, even if there is no liability.
Client Injury Claims
Your policy will cover the medical expenses related to the burn, cut, or allergic reaction that your client might suffer while your service is going on, and also any legal action that your client might take against you as a result of the injury.
Property Damage Claims
If your equipment or products damage your client’s home, furniture, or flooring, your insurance will compensate for the repair cost or replacement of that item.
How to Get Liability Insurance as a Mobile Hairdresser
You won’t have to wait for too long in order to be insured because it usually takes only a few straightforward steps. Most hair stylists manage to sort out their insurance in one go.
Research Providers Who Specialize in Beauty Businesses
Lots of beauty companies have insurance coverage that only focuses on their industry. Their policies have the specific details that work better for you as a hairdresser than a typical small business coverage plan.
Compare Coverage Limits and Exclusions
Your time in the decision-making of which insurance company and policy to cover your business needs should be spent studying what is not covered in each plan.
Bundle Coverage Where It Makes Sense
We find that some companies are not afraid to bundle various forms of coverage such as general liability, equipment protection, and professional liability into one package that they price at a more affordable overall sum than if each coverage was to be bought separately.
Renew and Update Your Policy Yearly
Your business is a changing one that your insurance policy should mirror in terms of change too. Whenever you have a new service, you have hired new people, or even the case where you have bought some new tools, update your policy accordingly with the insurance company.
What Affects the Cost of Your Policy
A few factors influence the cost of your insurance annually:
- Depending on how varied your service package may be, you might be seen as higher risk (e.g. chemical treatments)
- Claims you have experienced plus the number of years that you’ve been practicing
- Your chosen level of coverage as well as the deductible
- The insurance cover is in addition to the one for liability, e.g. for equipment and motor
- Your area and the accident rates there
Common Mistakes Mobile Hairdressers Make
There is a pattern of mistakes that new mobile hairdressers will often make.
- Believing that a client’s home insurance will protect against a mishap during a hairdressing session
- Saving money at the expense of insurance when it comes to mobile hairdressing, only to face a claim with no insurance
- Purchasing a small business-type insurance policy that does not cover hairdressers
- Being negligent in updating insurance coverage even after launching a new haircut technique
Each mistake may look like a minor one until, of course, the claim turns up, and at that moment the missing cover in the insurance is nothing but a severe financial blow.
Related: Does Renters Insurance Cover Lost Jewelry?
Protect Your Business Today
Running a mobile hair styling service means that you’re essentially moving your business around with every cut or coloring session, and this definitely comes with its hazards. You can lose your income, your customers, and even your standing in the industry if you’re not insured against the unexpected. Get your hands on liability coverage that covers the scope of your services and protects your business from the consequences of accidents.
Head over to Insurancheck.com to get liability insurance quotes that are specifically tailored to meet the insurance needs of freelance hair stylists and get the right insurance today.
