Janitorial Facility Contract Insurance Requirements: What US Clients Ask For

What to take away

Most US facility managers ask for $1,000,000 general liability per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, plus $1,000,000 auto liability and statutory workers compensation, before they countersign a janitorial contract.
Additional insured status, waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory wording are separate requests, and each needs its own ISO endorsement form on the certificate.
A certificate records coverage at a moment in time, not a promise the policy stays in force, so track renewals in the contract file.
Limits track payroll and scope, so wage data and demand signals tell you whether a limit still fits the site.
Public and federal work adds bonds, which FAR Part 28 treats separately from liability insurance.

Where the limits come from

Commercial cleaning carries risks office work rarely does: slips on wet floors, chemical exposure, and after-hours theft. Property managers convert those into dollar limits before they countersign. The usual floor is $1,000,000 per occurrence for general liability, with a $2,000,000 aggregate.

Common Insurance Limits

$1,000,000General liability per occurrence
$2,000,000General liability aggregate
$1,000,000Auto liability combined single limit
$500,000Employer's liability per accident

From there, requirements stack. Auto liability usually sits at $1,000,000 combined single limit. Workers compensation must meet the statutory limit of each state where the crew works, with employer's liability at $500,000 per accident. Umbrella or excess coverage of $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 appears on multi-tenant towers.

Janitorial-specific lines follow chemical handling. Pollution liability responds to floor stripping, disinfectant spills, and drain work. Professional liability, sold as janitorial errors and omissions, responds when a missed detail costs the client money.

Federal solicitations add a second layer. FAR Part 28 covers bonds and insurance for federal contracts and explains when a surety bond is required. That package goes to a contracting officer, not the property manager, and the deadlines differ.

The endorsements behind the number

A limit on a certificate proves little without the endorsements. Standard ISO forms do the work. CG 20 10 covers ongoing operations and CG 20 37 covers completed operations, and together they add the client as an additional insured. CG 24 04 waives the insurer's right to pursue the client after a loss.

Endorsements to Verify

CG 20 10 ongoing operations additional insured
CG 20 37 completed operations additional insured
CG 24 04 waiver of subrogation
Primary and non-contributory wording
30 days written notice of cancellation

Primary and non-contributory wording matters when two insurers could answer the same claim. A client asks for it so its own carrier does not split a loss with the cleaner's policy. Indemnity and additional insured clauses sit among the essential elements of a contract, which is why buyers attach them as an exhibit.

Thirty days written notice of cancellation is the usual ask, though several states allow ten days for non-payment of premium. Naming is another trap. A landlord, an owner LLC, and a management company can be three separate entities on one lease.

What each client type asks for

Limits vary by building type, so confirm each schedule in writing instead of copying the last contract.

Limits by Client Type

Class A office

General liability: $1M/$2M
Auto liability: $1M CSL
Endorsements: AI, waiver

Medical office

General liability: $1M/$3M
Auto liability: $1M CSL
Endorsements: AI, 30-day notice

Industrial plant

General liability: $1M/$2M
Auto liability: $1M CSL
Endorsements: AI, pollution

Municipal/federal

General liability: $1M/$2M + bond
Auto liability: $1M CSL
Endorsements: AI, surety bond

Client type	General liability	Auto liability	Endorsements commonly requested
Class A office landlord	$1,000,000 / $2,000,000	$1,000,000 CSL	Additional insured, waiver of subrogation
Medical or dental office	$1,000,000 / $3,000,000	$1,000,000 CSL	Additional insured, 30 day notice
Industrial plant	$1,000,000 / $2,000,000	$1,000,000 CSL	Additional insured, pollution liability
Municipal or federal building	$1,000,000 / $2,000,000 plus bond	$1,000,000 CSL	Additional insured, surety bond

These are common floors. Towers and hospitals sometimes ask for a $5,000,000 umbrella.

Certificate review before award

Match the named insured on the certificate to the legal name on the bid, the W-9, and the signature block.
Confirm per occurrence and aggregate limits both meet the schedule, not just the first number.
Read the endorsement forms attached to the certificate instead of the description column.
Check that the certificate holder matches the entity signing the contract, address included.
Diary the expiration date 45 days out, since most policies run 12 months.

Insurers rate janitorial payroll rather than square footage. State wage figures in the BLS data for janitors and cleaners are a fair cross-check when an insurance quote looks disconnected from the staffing plan.

Example: a rejected certificate

A certificate that lists additional insured status with no form number or edition date often comes back for correction. Ask the broker for the endorsement form itself, not the summary page.

Insurance sits beside scope, certification, and labor

Limits follow payroll, and payroll follows scope. Before renewal, check how commercial cleaning trends shape demand, because a scope change moves the insurance requirement with it.

Industrial sites price risk differently. Saskatoon plant cleaning contracts price degreasing, certification, and waste handling around production shifts, and pollution limits follow those chemicals rather than office square footage.

Coverage rules also change by jurisdiction. WorkSafeBC registration for residential cleaning is mandatory for most BC employers, and US clients apply a similar test when they ask for workers compensation proof in every state a crew works.

Certification requests arrive in the same packet as insurance. The green cleaning certifications Canadian institutional buyers request, such as EcoLogo and Green Seal, decide which chemicals a crew may use, and chemical choice drives the pollution exposure an insurer prices.

Common questions

Does a certificate of insurance make the client an additional insured?

No. A certificate records coverage that already exists. Additional insured status comes from the endorsement attached to the policy, usually CG 20 10 or CG 20 37.

What limits do most US facility managers require?

$1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate general liability, $1,000,000 auto liability, and statutory workers compensation are the usual floor. Towers often add a $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 umbrella.

Can a client require a performance bond on a janitorial contract?

Yes, and public work is where it happens most. FAR Part 28 governs bonds on federal contracts, while private clients usually accept a larger umbrella instead.

How early should insurance paperwork be submitted?

Most property managers want the certificate with the bid, then a fresh one naming the correct entity before the first shift. Allow two weeks for new endorsements.