Hiscox vs Simply Business for a 5-person cleaning company

If you run a five-person cleaning company, you've outgrown the "do I even need insurance?" stage. Clients now ask for a certificate of insurance before they'll let your crew through the door, and once you have employees on payroll, workers' compensation stops being optional in most states. The real question is how you should buy coverage: directly from a single insurer like Hiscox, or through a marketplace like Simply Business that quotes several carriers at once.

This comparison breaks down both options for a small cleaning crew that needs general liability (GL) plus workers' comp — based on published pricing, coverage details, and user reviews, not a hands-on test. The short version: the better choice depends on whether you want one tidy policy bought fast, or you want to shop carriers to get workers' comp at the best rate.

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What a 5-person cleaning company actually needs

Based on public industry guidance, a small cleaning operation typically carries:

• General liability (GL): Covers third-party injury and property damage — a client slips on a wet floor, or a crew member knocks over an expensive vase. It's the line most client contracts require and the one cleaning businesses buy first.
• Workers' compensation: Once you have W-2 employees, comp is often legally required (confirm your state's rules — thresholds vary, and some states require it from the first employee). It pays medical bills and lost wages if a worker is hurt on the job.
• A Business Owner's Policy (BOP): Bundles GL with commercial property (supplies, equipment, a small office), often cheaper than buying the pieces separately.
• Optional add-ons: Janitorial bond for theft protection, commercial auto if crews drive to sites, and tools coverage.

Why this matters for the Hiscox-vs-Simply Business choice: both handle GL easily, but workers' comp is the line where shopping multiple carriers usually pays off — and that's the structural difference between a direct insurer and a marketplace.

Hiscox: the direct-insurer option

Hiscox (Featured partner) is a direct insurer known for fast online quoting and strong liability coverage, particularly for lower-risk and professional trades. For a cleaning company, the appeal is simplicity: quote online in minutes, buy a GL or BOP policy directly, and pay month-to-month rather than in a lump sum.

FTC disclosure: CoverBench may earn a commission if you get a quote or buy through this link, at no extra cost to you, and commissions never affect our rankings. This is general information, not insurance advice — check current terms with the insurer.

Based on published information and user reviews, where Hiscox tends to fit a cleaning business:

• Fast, self-serve GL and BOP — reported quoting is quick and online-first, suiting an owner who wants coverage handled in one sitting.
• Monthly payment options that make a small premium manageable rather than a big annual hit.
• Strong liability footing — Hiscox is well known for professional and general liability, the exact lines a cleaning contract demands.

Where it can fall short for this profile: Hiscox's online product set is liability- and property-focused, and workers' comp is not always its strongest or most flexible line for small employers. Some users note online quotes can carry eligibility limits for certain profiles, nudging you toward an agent or another carrier for the comp piece. For a solo cleaner buying GL only, that's a non-issue. For a 5-person crew that needs comp too, it's the first thing to check.

Simply Business: the marketplace option

Simply Business (Featured partner) takes a different approach. Instead of being one insurer, it's a marketplace that collects your business details once and returns quotes from multiple carriers — so you're comparing several options side by side rather than taking a single insurer's number.

For a cleaning company that needs both GL and workers' comp, that structure is the headline advantage. Comp pricing varies a lot between carriers because each one rates a cleaning crew's risk differently, so Simply Business fits the "I want to see who's cheapest for comp" shopper. Its reported strengths:

• Multi-carrier quotes in one pass — useful when comp rates differ widely by insurer.
• Coverage breadth (GL, BOP, workers' comp, and trade-specific options) since it pulls from several carriers.
• A guided online flow that translates your trade into the right coverage lines.

The trade-offs reported by users: as a broker-style marketplace it can involve more follow-up than a one-click direct buy, and the final policy is serviced by the underlying carrier — so claims and service quality depend on which carrier you land with, not on Simply Business itself.

Hiscox vs Simply Business: side-by-side

The table below compares both on the dimensions that actually decide this for a small cleaning crew. Premium figures are illustrative monthly bands based on public industry averages — not quotes, binding offers, or insurance advice. Your real number depends on your revenue, payroll, location, and claims history. Check current terms with each provider.

Check current options: Hiscox Small Business Insurance — Simply Business Marketplace

(Both providers are CJ partners and pending program approval; links are where to compare and apply, not live-rate guarantees. Rates and plans change — confirm current terms directly.)

Which should a 5-person cleaning company pick?

There isn't a single winner here — and any comparison that names one without caveats is overselling. The honest split, based on the structure of each option:

Lean toward Hiscox if:

• Your priority is getting a GL or BOP policy in place fast, in one online session.
• A client contract requires proof of insurance this week and you want the simplest path.
• You prefer dealing with one insurer for billing and renewals, and you'll handle workers' comp separately (or your comp need is small).

Lean toward Simply Business if:

• Workers' comp is a real cost driver — with 5 employees doing physical work, comp can be a meaningful share of your premium, and comparing carriers is where you save.
• You want to see several quotes side by side before committing rather than trusting one insurer's number.
• You'd rather buy GL and comp shopped from the same place.

A practical move many owners make: get a fast GL/BOP quote from Hiscox as your baseline, then run the same profile through Simply Business to see whether a marketplace carrier beats it — especially on workers' comp. Because both are no-cost quotes, comparing them is the cheapest due diligence you can do.

If you're not yet sure which coverage lines your crew is legally required to carry versus what's just recommended, run your trade, headcount, and contract situation through CoverBench's Coverage Fit Estimator first. It flags which lines (GL, BOP, workers' comp, cyber) are required, recommended, or optional for a cleaning business your size and shows an illustrative monthly band before you request real quotes. Remember: that output is an illustrative estimate based on public averages — not a quote, binding offer, or insurance advice.

The bottom line

For a 5-person cleaning company, the Hiscox-vs-Simply Business choice is really direct simplicity vs marketplace shopping. Hiscox wins on speed and a clean single-policy experience for GL and BOP. Simply Business wins when workers' comp is in play and you want to compare carriers to control that cost. Quoting both is free, so the smartest play is to baseline with one and price-check with the other — then verify the final terms directly with whichever carrier you choose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a 5-person cleaning company legally need workers' comp?

In most states, once you have W-2 employees you are required to carry workers' compensation, and cleaning is a physical trade where this matters. Thresholds vary — some states require comp from the very first employee, others have small exemptions — so confirm your state's specific rules. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice; verify with your state's labor or insurance department.

Is it cheaper to buy direct from Hiscox or shop through Simply Business?

It depends on the line. For straightforward general liability, a direct insurer like Hiscox can be both fast and competitive. For workers' comp, where carriers rate a cleaning crew's risk very differently, a marketplace like Simply Business that returns multiple quotes often surfaces a lower rate. Because both quotes are free, the only reliable answer is to price the same business profile through each and compare current terms.

How much does general liability insurance cost for a cleaning business?

Based on public industry averages, GL for a small cleaning business is often illustrated in the rough range of $30–$60 per month, with the exact figure driven by your revenue, number of employees, services offered, and location. These are illustrative ranges from public averages, not quotes — your actual premium can fall outside this band, so get a real quote to know your number.

Can I get both GL and workers' comp from the same place?

Yes. A marketplace like Simply Business can quote both general liability and workers' comp across carriers in one flow, which is convenient when you need the full stack. A direct insurer like Hiscox is strongest on GL and BOP; depending on your profile you may buy comp from it as well or place that line with a different carrier. Confirm what each can cover for your specific business before you buy.

What's the difference between general liability and a BOP for a cleaning company?

General liability covers third-party injury and property damage claims. A Business Owner's Policy (BOP) bundles that same GL with commercial property coverage for your supplies, equipment, or office — usually at a lower combined price than buying the two separately. If your cleaning business owns equipment or leases space, a BOP is often the more cost-effective starting point; if you're lean with few physical assets, GL alone may be enough. An estimator or a real quote can show which fits.