Business Insurance in Washington (WA) (2024)

Choose The Hartford for Your Washington Business Insurance Needs

The Evergreen State is home to more than 644,000 small businesses.¹ These small businesses make up nearly every company in Washington and employ 1.4 million people.² If you run your own business, chances are you know why having business insuranceis so important. It helps business owners run successful companies by protecting them from different risks.

When it comes to business insurance, Washington companies can work with us to get the right coverage. Whether you need a quote or help filing a claim, we've got your back.

How Much Does Business Insurance in Washington Cost?

Our small business customers in Washington paid an average of $942 a year, or about $78 a month, for a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP).³

It's important to remember that business insurance costs vary. Some of the factors insurers can include in your insurance premium are:

Industry type
Number of employees
Coverage levels
Location

The best way to find out your specific cost in Washington is to get a quote. Our specialists can work with you to get the coverage you need to protect your business.

Types of Business Insurance in Washington State

Washington Business Owner’s Policy

Many small businesses in Washington have a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). It combines three essential coverages into one:

General liability insurance, which helps cover claims of bodily injury or property damage.
Commercial property insuranceto help protect your business’ owned or rented building and tools.
Business income insurance, which helps replace your lost income if you can’t open because of covered property damage.

It’s a good idea to get a BOP if your Washington business has:

A physical location or business equipment that’s rented or owned
The potential to get sued by a customer for an injury or property damage
Assets, like furniture or customer data, that can be stolen, damaged or destroyed

Washington Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Washington is one of four monopolistic states. This means businesses can't get workers' compensation insurancefrom private carriers and can only get coverage through a state fund or through self-insurance.

Washington workers’ compensation insurance, also known as workers’ comp, gives benefits to your employees to help them recover from a work-related injury or illness. These benefits include:

General Liability Insurance in Washington State

General liability insurance helps protect you from claims of bodily injury and property damage. It also helps protect businesses from claims of:

Advertising injury
Libel
Slander

For example, one of your employees accidentally puts a hole in the wall and scratches the wood floors while delivering an item to a client’s home in Seattle, Washington. This coverage can help pay the repair bills to fix the hole. Without coverage, your business would have to pay these costs out of pocket.

For higher liability risks, we also offer Specialty General Liability coverage. Our underwriters, risk engineering consultants and liability claims specialists have experience in hard-to-place products and premises risks.

Washington Data Breach Insurance

Washington businesses may store sensitive or confidential customer information, such as:

Social Security numbers
Credit or debit card numbers
Names, phone numbers and addresses

This type of information puts businesses at risk of a cyberattack or data breach. Data breach insurance, which some insurers may call cyber insurance, helps cover the costs for your business to respond to a cyberattack or breach. Depending on the level of coverage you choose, this insurance can help pay for:

Public relations
Crisis communications support
Legal counsel
Credit monitoring services to impacted customers

Our cyber insurance can help your Washington business:

Prepare for a data breach before any data gets compromised. Our team can advise your business on security measures and policies to put in place before there’s an incident.
Quickly respond to a data breach. An immediate response can reduce the impact to your customers and business.

Washington Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions insurance, helps your Washington business if a customer or client sues you for a mistake in the professional services given. It can help cover your legal costs and any judgments or settlements. If your business provides a service to customers, it’s a good idea to get this type of insurance.

Washington Minimum Business Insurance Requirements

Any business in Washington with employees must have workers’ comp insurance. Most businesses get coverage through a state fund, but if your company has at least $25 million in assets or is a government entity, you may qualify for self-insurance.⁴

Get a Washington Business Insurance Quote

It’s important to work with an insurance company that you can rely on. We’re backed by more than 200 years of experience and know that every business is unique. We can help you get the right Washington business insurance coverages to meet your business’ needs. Get a quoteand start protecting your business today.

Additional Washington Business Insurance Links

Commercial Auto Insurance
Business Income Insurance
Commercial Flood Insurance
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
Surety Bonds
Home-Based Business Insurance
Employment Practices Liability

Last Updated: July 1, 2024

^1,2Small Business Administration, “2023 Small Business Profile: Washington.”

³ Premium amounts presented are based on monthly premium paid by The Hartford’s Small Business customers between 1/1/22 and 9/14/23 for 12-month policies. Premium is derived from a number of factors specific to your business and may vary.

⁴Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, “Employers’ Guide to Self-Insurance in Washington State.”

⁵Washington Small Business Guidance, “Start Your Business.”

Additional disclosures below.

Links to Washington Workers' Compensation Insurance Pages

Washington Workers' Compensation Insurance

All States Workers' Compensation Insurance