Car Wash and Detailing Insurance in Tennessee

Common risks for car washes and detailers

• Damage to cars from wash equipment
• Chemical damage to paint
• Slips on wet surfaces
• Equipment breakdown
• Mobile detailing accidents

Coverages car washes and detailers often consider

• Garage liability and garagekeepers Covers liability from your auto operations and damage to customers’ vehicles while in your care.
• General liability Helps if your business is blamed for injuring someone or damaging their property, and usually pays for a legal defense.
• Equipment breakdown Covers sudden mechanical or electrical breakdown of things like coolers, compressors, and HVAC.
• Commercial property Covers your building (if you own it), equipment, furniture, and inventory after covered losses like fire or theft.
• Workers’ compensation Pays medical bills and lost wages if an employee is hurt on the job, and includes employer’s liability.

Not every business needs every coverage. The right mix depends on your work, your contracts, and your budget. All coverage is subject to underwriting and the terms of the policy.

What a claim could look like

For example, imagine a brush in your Murfreesboro car wash snaps off a customer’s side mirror. Garagekeepers coverage may help, subject to policy terms.

This is a hypothetical example for education only. Whether any claim is covered depends on the facts and your policy terms.

Tennessee rules to know

Workers’ comp. Most Tennessee employers outside construction and coal mining must carry workers’ compensation once they have five or more employees, full- or part-time, per the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Even below that number, many owners choose to carry it.

We can review your requirements and help you shop workers’ compensation and the other coverages above with carriers that write car washes and detailers, subject to underwriting.

Certificates of insurance

Landlords and fleet clients may require certificates.

A certificate of insurance shows your coverage on the day it’s issued. If a contract asks for additional insured status or a waiver of subrogation, the policy usually needs an endorsement, not just a line on the certificate. Our certificate of insurance checklist walks through what to check.

What affects the cost

• The type of work you do and how it’s classified
• Annual revenue and payroll
• Number of employees and any subcontractors
• Where you work and the value of your equipment or property
• The limits and deductibles you choose
• Your claims history and years in business

We can’t promise a price ahead of time, but we can compare options and explain the trade-offs in plain English.

How Eric can help car washes and detailers

Shops and service businesses near I-24, I-40, and I-65, from Antioch and La Vergne to Lebanon and Gallatin, see heavy traffic and a lot of customer cars. As an independent agent affiliated with Hutsenpiller Insurance, Eric can review what you have, read your contract requirements with you, and help you shop options with more than one carrier. See how an independent agent works for you.

Related guides

• Automotive Business Insurance in Tennessee
• All business types we can help
• Business insurance in Middle Tennessee
• General liability insurance
• Certificates and additional insureds explained
• Business interruption insurance
• Small business insurance checklist (PDF)
• Certificate of insurance checklist (PDF)