How to Insure Profitability at your Car Wash

Whether someone is seeking insurance for a single car wash or a chain of locations, there are various types of coverage available. Learning the industry’s basic terms and developing a set of insurance best practices are some of the first steps for operators looking to select or upgrade their business coverage.

When people think about insurance for their business, they tend to focus on protecting their property and minimizing liability. In a recent article, our Car Wash Insurance Program super-agent, Peter Beames of NBT-Mang, discussed these “must-have” coverage options, like Property coverage at replacement cost, Liability coverage at a minimum of $1 million underlying, and Garage Keepers coverage with a minimum of $75,000.

Often an afterthought for car wash operators is the need to safeguard against loss of income, Peter says. With Business Income coverage, generally written on a 12-month Actual Loss sustained basis, an owner can receive replacement income to continue to meet financial obligations following a property loss.

Battling Losses at the Car Wash

Having the right insurance coverage for your wash is one side to the “Insuring Profitability” coin. The other side is implementing preventative risk management measures to make sure you stop losses before they happen.

Some of the steps Peter Beames says you can take are fully training employees on all safety procedures, keeping cameras in good working order and making sure all equipment is well maintained. Many of these are simple steps that you can take today to protect both people and profits.

You can read the full article in the February issue of Professional Carwashing & Detailing Magazine. Visit their website at www.carwash.com for more information on the car wash industry.

Want to learn more about our Car Wash Insurance Program? Check out our brochure and give us a call at 1-800-822-3747.