Hair Salon Insurance

An expert guide to hair salon insurance

Running a busy hair salon means juggling the needs of clients, and staff, looking after your salon premises and also keeping your suppliers happy, so getting your insurance coverage sorted is often not seen as a priority.

Hair salon insurance is a vital part of running a business though. To protect you financially from lots of different things which could go wrong, it makes sense to have the right cover in place from day one.

Here’s what you need to know about hair salon insurance

Why do I need insurance for my hair salon?

Picture the scene:

• Your top stylist has just spilt bleach on their client’s brand-new handbag and it is ruined.

• Or, a client trips over a loose flex and falls down the stairs, hurting their back.

• Or, a junior stylist leaves a treatment on for too long, causing chemical damage to a client’s hair.

All these things could leave you facing a hefty claim for compensation. Hair salon insurance is designed specifically with these types of risks in mind and will cover you financially against all eventualities.

What type of cover do hair salons need?

Public liability cover

Most businesses take out public liability cover, as it will protect you financially if someone is injured on your premises, or their property is damaged.

Public liability insurance is available at different levels, with the minimum usually being £ 1 million. If you need greater cover, you could extend this to £2m £3m or even £5m if you choose.

Business premises cover

No doubt you’ve spent time and money getting your hair salon to look exactly the way you want it. From the flooring down to the fixtures and fittings, it’s important to have insurance so that if anything is damaged, you’re not left out of pocket to replace it.

Treatment liability cover

While not required by law, many hair salons take out treatment liability insurance. This protects you if a treatment goes wrong. For example, a client may claim that you burned their scalp, or made their hair fall out altogether! The cost of defending the claim and any compensation ordered is covered by the policy.

Employers’ liability cover for hair salons

If you have any staff members, you must make sure you take out employers’ liability cover. It’s a legal requirement in the UK. Employers liability insurance is there to cover any costs if a staff member is hurt or injured while at work.

You will need this type of cover even if you only have trainees or student hairdressers in your salon.

Frequently asked questions

Do mobile hairdressers need insurance?

Even if you don’t work in a hairdresser’s salon, you should still make sure you are covered. Things can go wrong in every business, and if you damage a client’s home or belongings whilst working, you could be facing an expensive claim.

How much does hair salon insurance cost?

There is no one set cost for hair salon insurance. The exact amount you pay will depend on the amount of coverage you need, the size of your business, and how long you have been operating.

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