The customer’s car is in your care, and that is not a general liability claim.
Cover for car washes and detailers — garagekeepers for the vehicles you handle, the equipment that runs the tunnel, and the water and slip exposures of the site.
Tell us the situation.
One licensed human replies the same business day — not five agents, not an auto-responder. If the policy you have is already the right one, we will tell you.
We use this to quote and service your insurance, and we do not sell it or pass it to lead networks. Privacy policy.
What car wash businesses actually need.
Garagekeepers
Damage to customers’ vehicles while in your care, custody or control.
Without it — General liability specifically excludes property in your care.
Equipment breakdown
Conveyors, pumps, dryers, reclaim systems and control gear.
Without it — A tunnel failure stops all revenue instantly and property excludes the cause.
General liability
Slips on wet surfaces and injury on site.
Without it — A permanently wet surface with the public walking on it.
Business income
Income while the site cannot operate.
Without it — A single-site operation has nowhere to send the cars.
Pollution
Chemical and reclaim water discharge.
Without it — Both property and liability policies exclude pollution.
What car wash operators ask us.
Why is garagekeepers separate from general liability?
Because general liability excludes damage to property in your care, custody or control, and a customer’s car in your tunnel is exactly that. Garagekeepers is the cover written for it, and it comes in different forms — legal liability, which pays only when you were at fault, and direct primary or direct excess, which pay regardless. Which one you have decides whether a disputed scratch is your problem or your insurer’s, and the cheaper form is the one that leaves you arguing.
What claims actually happen?
Mostly small and frequent: mirrors, antennas, trim, wheel damage, paint marks and pre-existing damage disputed after the wash. The two things that reduce them are camera coverage at entry and exit — which settles most disputes immediately — and a documented pre-wash inspection process. Insurers ask about both, and a site with entry cameras is a materially better submission.
Does an unattended or self-service site change anything?
Yes. Self-service and unattended automatic sites have less garagekeepers exposure because you are handling fewer vehicles, and more premises and equipment exposure because nobody is there to spot a hazard, an injury or a failure. Underwriters ask about lighting, cameras, emergency stops and how quickly a fault is noticed out of hours.
Not ready to talk? The guides answer the questions this page raises in more depth. Already insured with us and need a certificate or a policy change? Ask the service team rather than starting a quote — it is faster and it goes to the people whose job it is. We also write home and auto, which is usually cheaper alongside the business policy than apart from it.