How does your city measure up to the national average?
Number of businesses in the US: 30,819,176
Burglary rate per 1,000 residents in the US: 3.76
Auto theft rate per 1,000 vehicles in the US: 2.29
| City | No. of businesses | Burglaries / 1,000 people | Auto thefts / 1,000 cars |
| Auburn | 5,518 | 7.34 | 7.44 |
| Bellevue | 16,841 | 2.84 | 2.26 |
| Bellingham | 8,104 | 3.51 | 1.25 |
| Everett | 7,335 | 4.43 | 7.34 |
| Kennewick | 5,058 | 4.49 | 2.4 |
| Seattle | 83,323 | 9.44 | 4.77 |
| Spokane | 16,564 | 7.9 | 5.8 |
| Spokane Valley | 7,097 | 4.78 | 3.53 |
| Tacoma | 13,703 | 8.09 | 7.44 |
| Vancouver | 14,222 | 4.79 | 4.37 |
| Yakima | 6,286 | 4.66 | 4.44 |
Business Insurance in Washington FAQ - Quick Answers
The cost of your business insurance in Washington can only be determined by obtaining custom quotes. Here is what carriers use to rate your policies:
- Type of industry
- Number of employees
- Gross annual sales
- Location of business
- Number of company vehicles
- Safety practices in place
- Past claims reported
- Number of years in operation
In Washington, business insurance is required under the following two policies if you meet their criteria:
- Workers' compensation insurance: Required when you have 1 employee or more
- Commercial auto insurance: Required for any company-owned autos
Each policy will be specific to your operation, but foundational coverages are the same for every business owner. Here are some policies that could apply to your Washington business:
- General liability insurance: Pays for a bodily injury or property damage liability lawsuit brought against your operation
- Workers' compensation insurance: Pays for the injuries of an employee hurt on the job. Mandatory when you have 5 or more employees.
- Property insurance: Covers damage to your business property due to a covered claim
- Business income insurance: Pays for regular business expenses when a covered loss closes your operation for a period of time
- Business auto insurance: Pays for a loss resulting from an auto accident with a company-owned vehicle. Must abide by state car insurance laws.
- Professional liability insurance: Pays for a lawsuit against your business due to negligent or harmful advice
- Commercial umbrella insurance: Provides an additional limit of liability coverage over your underlying business policies
Washington general liability insurance is your primary policy from which all other coverages stem and it helps pay for the following:
- General liability insurance: Pays for a bodily injury or property damage liability lawsuit brought against your operation
You can obtain health insurance plans for your business through an independent insurance agent that has access to private carriers. In Washington, you won't be required to offer health coverage unless you have 50 employees or more.
Do You Know What Your Business Insurance Covers in Washington?
Find the Best Business Insurance in Your City
- Seattle, WA
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: In addition to damage caused by severe weather events, property crimes like theft and arson can lead to expensive losses if you do not have sufficient business property insurance. The high crime rate in Seattle can affect your coverage rates.
- Commercial auto: If your business owns a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles, you will need to cover the cars, vans, trucks, or buses with commercial auto insurance. Your rates will be based on several factors, including the number and types of vehicles you are covering and details about where and how often they will be driven.
- Coverage against liability risks
- Liability lawsuits can be extremely expensive if you do not have the right insurance coverage in place. There are several different commercial liability products available for you to include in your business insurance policy package.
- Spokane, WA
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Severe storms in the Spokane area have the potential to damage your expensive business property. Having sufficient commercial property insurance is therefore imperative. Another option is business interruption insurance so you can have a continuation of income if a particularly destructive storm forces your business to close for an extended time.
- Commercial auto: Whether you are insuring a delivery van or a fleet of semi-trucks, commercial vehicle insurance can cover your company’s increased liability risks as well as expenses related to property damage.
- Coverage against liability risks
- In addition to the general liability insurance included almost all business insurance policies, you may need to invest in other types of coverage.
- Tacoma, WA
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Theft, vandalism, and severe weather events can lead to large, costly business property losses. So can damage caused by structure fires. A fire may break out at your workplace due to a machine malfunction, employee error, or even because of a wildfire. Fortunately, when you have commercial property insurance, your company will be able to repair the damage and continue to function without experiencing a large financial loss.
- Commercial auto: You are required by law to have commercial auto insurance if your business owns a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles. Rates are based on a number of factors like the types of vehicles you are covering. It costs more to insure a 12-passenger van than a cargo van since your liability risks are greater when you have passengers. Semi-trucks, construction vehicles, and trucks used to transport hazardous materials will also need to meet certain coverage requirements as mandated by the state.
- Coverage against liability risks
- Liability lawsuits can be extremely expensive if your company does not have the right insurance coverage in place. There are several different commercial liability products available for you to include in your business insurance policy package.
- Vancouver, WA
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Having sufficient commercial property insurance can shield your company from losses related to hazards like accidental fires, property crimes, and severe weather events like high wind and hailstorms. Adding a commercial flood insurance policy to your coverage portfolio can protect your business against the hazard of overflow events at well.
- Commercial auto: If your business owns a vehicle or fleet of vehicles, you will need to cover them with commercial auto insurance. Rates for coverage can vary according to the number and types of vehicles you are covering, details about the employee who will be driving them, and the risk of collisions where these employees will be driving.
- Coverage against liability risks
- Lawsuits can be extremely expensive unless your business has the right kinds of commercial liability insurance in place. There are several different liability products available for you to choose from when covering your company’s various liability exposures.
- Bellevue, WA
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Your business has a lot of capital invested in its assets, including machinery, computers, furniture, inventory, and supplies. Business property insurance can help cover the cost of repairing or replacing this property if it is lost or damaged due to a covered event.
- Commercial auto: Many businesses in Bellevue have company-owned vehicles. If yours is among them, you will need to cover these cars, vans, buses, or trucks with a commercial auto insurance policy that meets or exceeds the state’s minimum coverage requirements. Vehicles used for interstate commerce will need to have coverage that meets federal requirements as well.
- Coverage against liability risks
- Between court costs, legal defense fees, employee time taken to testify, and damages, you are looking at a lot of financial losses if your company is on the wrong end of a liability lawsuit. This is true even if the courts ultimately rule in your favor. That is why commercial liability products are so important.