The short version
- No special license, but real requirements. We found no Washington or Idaho license specific to cleaning or janitorial businesses beyond general business registration. The requirements come from workers comp law and from your clients' contracts.
- The janitorial bond is a client requirement, not a legal one. It is third-party crime coverage that pays when an employee steals from a client. Property managers and offices commonly ask for it.
- General liability must fit cleaning work. A standard care, custody, or control exclusion can bar claims for damage to the very floors, fixtures, and equipment your crew is working on.
- Washington workers comp comes from L&I (or self-insurance), never a private insurer, and commercial clients usually require stop-gap employers liability on top.
- Paying cleaners as contractors is risky in Washington. RCW 51.08.195 requires all six conditions of its independent contractor test; most cleaning crews fail it.
Licensing and registration
| Requirement | Washington | Idaho |
|---|
| Cleaning-specific license | None found; general business registration (UBI) applies, and cities may require a business license | None found |
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| Contractor registration | Not for cleaning alone; required if you do construction work such as floor covering installation or repairs (RCW 18.27) | Not for cleaning alone; required for construction work over $2,000 |
|---|
| Workers comp | L&I state fund or certified self-insurance; private workers comp is not allowed | Required from the first employee; private insurers or the State Insurance Fund |
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| Janitorial bond | Not required by statute; required by many client contracts | Not required by statute; required by many client contracts |
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Washington's independent contractor test
Many cleaning businesses pay cleaners as 1099 contractors. For workers comp, Washington excludes a person from being a covered worker only if all six conditions in RCW 51.08.195 are met:
| Condition | What it means for a cleaner |
|---|
| 1. Free from control or direction over how the work is done, in the contract and in fact | You set the schedule, checklist, and supplies? Condition fails |
|---|
| 2. The work is outside your usual business, or done away from all your places of business, or the worker pays for their own principal place of business | Cleaning is your usual business, but work done only at client sites can satisfy the "away from your places of business" option; this condition rarely decides the question alone |
|---|
| 3. Customarily engaged in an independently established trade or business | Do they have other clients and their own business? |
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| 4. Files a schedule of business expenses with the IRS | Their own Schedule C |
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| 5. Has a Department of Revenue account and a UBI number | Their own registration |
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| 6. Keeps a separate set of books or records | Their own business records |
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If one condition fails, the cleaner is treated as a worker, and L&I premiums, penalties, and claims follow. A household that hires a house cleaner directly is generally excluded from mandatory coverage if it has fewer than two full-time domestic employees, but a cleaning company's crews are covered like any other employees.
What clients and property managers require
| Requirement | Typical ask |
|---|
| General liability | $1 million per occurrence, $2 million aggregate, with the client as additional insured |
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| Janitorial bond or third-party crime | A stated limit for theft by your employees from the client's premises |
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| Stop-gap employers liability (Washington) | Often $1 million |
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| Workers comp | Proof of an active L&I account in Washington, or a policy in Idaho |
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| Auto | Coverage for vehicles driven to client sites, including employees' cars |
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| Umbrella | For larger buildings, schools, and medical facilities |
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The coverage program for a cleaning business
| Coverage | Why |
|---|
| General liability written for janitorial work | Slip-and-falls on wet floors, damage to client property, including limited care, custody, or control coverage |
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| Janitorial bond or third-party crime | Theft by employees from clients, which general liability excludes |
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| Workers comp and stop-gap (Washington) | L&I for employees, stop-gap for lawsuits L&I does not cover |
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| Workers comp (Idaho) | Required from the first employee |
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| Employment practices liability | High turnover and overnight shifts; add third-party harassment coverage when crews work around client staff |
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| Commercial auto and hired and non-owned auto | Vans, and employees driving their own cars between sites |
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| Commercial umbrella | Contract requirements and serious injury claims |
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Where cleaning businesses get caught
| Gap | What happens |
|---|
| Care, custody, or control exclusion | Damage to a floor during stripping and waxing, or to equipment you were cleaning, is excluded |
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| No third-party crime | A client's theft claim is not covered by general liability |
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| Lost keys and access cards | Rekeying a building can be expensive; some janitorial programs add lost key coverage |
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| 1099 cleaners | L&I treats them as workers, with premiums and penalties at audit |
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| Wrong L&I risk classification | Janitorial work has specific classifications; misclassification is a common audit finding |
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| Chemical injuries | Fumes or burns to client employees or visitors, which needs GL that does not exclude them |
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For how one Washington janitorial company met property manager requirements, see the cleaning company story.
Sources
This page is general information. Rules were checked against the statutes in October 2026; city licensing varies, so confirm with your city.