Insurance for Hair Salons and Stylists in Pennsylvania
Find insurance for hair salons in Pennsylvania
Learn about business insurance requirements and the most common policies for hair stylists and salon owners in Pennsylvania.
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What are the most common policies for Pennsylvania hair salons?
Hair stylists may need different types of insurance depending on the services they offer. These are the most popular insurance policies for Pennsylvania hair styling businesses and beauticians, which protect against financial losses from accidents and lawsuits.
General liability insurance
General liability coverage handles basic hair salon risks, such as spilling dye on a customer’s expensive clothing. Bundle with commercial property insurance for savings in a BOP.
- Customer bodily injury
- Customer property damage
- Product liability insurance
Business owner’s policy
A BOP bundles general liability insurance and commercial property insurance at a discount. This is often one of the most cost-effective salon insurance policies.
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Business property damage
- Business interruption coverage
Professional liability insurance
This policy covers lawsuits related to your professional services, such as dissatisfaction over a client's hair dye or styling. This policy is also called errors and omissions insurance (E&O).
- Lawsuits from dissatisfied customers
- Harm caused by a treatment
- Mistakes, such as using the wrong dye
Workers’ compensation insurance
Pennsylvania requires workers' comp for salons that have employees. It also protects sole proprietors from work injury costs and legal fees that health insurance might deny.
- Employee medical expenses
- Disability benefits
- Employee injury lawsuits
Cyber insurance
Cyber insurance covers costs related to data breaches and cyberattacks. It's strongly recommended for hair salons that handle credit card numbers and other personal information.
- Data breach notification costs
- Fraud monitoring services
- Cyber incident investigations
Commercial auto insurance
Commercial auto insurance covers the cost of accidents involving a vehicle owned by a hair salon. Pennsylvania requires this coverage for vehicles owned by a business.
- Property damage caused by your vehicle
- Legal costs from auto accidents
- Vehicle theft and vandalism
Which policies are required for hair salons and stylists in Pennsylvania?
Whether you're in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, or elsewhere in the state, hair salons in Pennsylvania often must carry the following types of beauty salon insurance coverage to comply with laws:
Workers' compensation insurance
Pennsylvania state law requires hair and beauty salons with employees to provide workers’ compensation insurance, which covers medical bills for work-related injuries and occupational diseases. This policy is also recommended for sole proprietors, as health insurance can deny claims for injuries related to your job.
Workers' comp provides disability benefits to offset lost wages for Pennsylvania workers who are disabled or recovering from a job-related injury, such as if you slip and break an arm in your salon. Policies usually include employer's liability insurance, which covers legal expenses if an employee sues their employer over an injury.
Commercial auto insurance
State law requires commercial auto insurance for any vehicle owned by a business, including hair stylists and salons. This policy covers property damage and medical costs resulting from an accident. It can help pay for vehicle theft, weather damage, and vandalism, depending on the coverage options you choose.
All Pennsylvania vehicles must have the following car insurance, at a minimum:
- Bodily injury liability: $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $5,000 per accident
- Personal injury protection (PIP): $5,000
If you or your hair stylists drive personal vehicles for salon work, you'll need a different policy. Because personal auto insurance won't cover work-related driving, you'll need hired and non-owned auto insurance (HNOA) in this situation, or if you rent or lease a vehicle used for business. You can often add this coverage to your general liability policy as an endorsement.
Do I need a hair salon or stylist license in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, anyone who provides cosmetology services—such as hair cutting, coloring, styling, or chemical treatments—must hold a valid license from the State Board of Cosmetology of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Depending on your role, this could be a cosmetologist, hairstylist, esthetician, manicurist, or teacher of cosmetology. The cosmetologist license requires completing a minimum of 1,250 hours of instruction or 2,000 hours through apprenticeship, as well as passing state exams. Working without a required license may subject you to civil penalties or disciplinary actions under state law.
If you plan to operate a salon or barber shop, you must also obtain a Salon License issued by the Board. Your salon cannot serve customers until the license is issued and passes the facility inspection. If you move location or change ownership, a new application and an updated inspection are required.
Home-based salons and mobile operations must also meet similar requirements. For example, salons must maintain physical facility, equipment, sanitation and floor space requirements as stated under Chapter 7 of Title 49 of the Pennsylvania Code.
Beyond licensing, salon owners should ensure the business is properly registered, comply with local zoning and building codes, obtain any relevant city or county business permits if selling retail products, and maintain health and safety standards as outlined by the Board’s regulations.
What do hair salons in Pennsylvania pay for insurance?
Hair salons in Pennsylvania that buy policies from Insureon pay an average of:
General liability: $27 per month
Business owner's policy: $102 per month
Workers' compensation: $48 per month
Factors that affect hair salon insurance costs during underwriting include:
- Services offered, such as haircuts, hair color, and waxing
- Value of business property
- Business income and size
- Location
- Types of business insurance purchased
- Policy limits, deductibles, and exclusions
- Add-ons, such as additional insureds
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How do I get Pennsylvania hair salon and stylist insurance?
Insureon’s industry-leading technology helps hair salons in Pennsylvania save time and money shopping for insurance by comparing policies from top U.S. carriers.
Start a free online application to review quotes for the policies that best fit your salon business. Our insurance agents are licensed in Pennsylvania and can answer your questions as you consider coverage.
To make the application go quicker, have this information ready:
- Workforce details, such as the number and types of employees
- Current and projected revenue
- Business partnerships
- Insurance history and prior liability claims
- Commercial lease insurance requirements
Apply for free insurance quotes today to find cheap hairstylist insurance that fits your business needs. Most small business owners receive a certificate of insurance (COI) for proof of insurance the same day.