West Virginia Commercial Cleaning Insurance

West Virginia's requirements for a cleaning company: one certificate, two taxes

A West Virginia cleaning company forms its entity with the Secretary of State and gets a business registration certificate from the State Tax Commissioner before doing any business in the state (W. Va. Code §11-12-3). That certificate is the statewide requirement for every business. West Virginia doesn't license commercial cleaning as a trade.

The business registration certificate

The registration tax is $30 per certificate. The same registration sets you up to collect consumers sales and service tax, which applies to cleaning invoices. Get it before your first account, not after. The rule is in W. Va. Code §11-12-3; confirm the current process with the State Tax Department.

Sales tax on cleaning services

West Virginia's consumers sales and service tax reaches all services except professional and personal services and those regulated by the Public Service Commission (§11-15-8). "Service" covers nonprofessional work done for others for pay (§11-15-2). Building cleaning fits neither exception, so it's generally taxable at the 6% state rate (§11-15-3). Cleaning done as part of a construction contract can fall under the contracting exclusion, and the facts matter, so check with the State Tax Department or your CPA.

Many cities add a 1% municipal sales and use tax, which the State Tax Division administers. Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg and Wheeling are all on the Tax Division's current list at 1%, for 7% combined. Cities keep joining, so check the list for each building's address.

School grounds and contractor crews

We found no West Virginia statute aimed at janitorial employers. For schools, W. Va. Code §18-5-15c(e) says contractors and their employees working under a county board contract can't have direct, unaccompanied contact with students, or unaccompanied access to school grounds while students are there, until it's verified that they haven't been convicted of a qualifying offense. A county board can make you run the checks, and with written consent it may check the Central Abuse Registry.

Buying workers' comp in West Virginia's private market

Comp is required once you regularly employ even one person in West Virginia (W. Va. Code §23-2-1). The only carve-out is the casual employer, meaning a business with three or fewer people working on a short, irregular basis that doesn't stretch past 10 calendar days in any quarter. A cleaning company with a standing night crew isn't casual.

Owners can choose. A sole proprietor, partnership or corporation may elect not to cover the proprietor, partners or corporate officers. Directors and the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer can be excluded even if they also do crew work, but other officers who do ordinary employee work can't be. An LLC can exclude up to four of its managers, officers or members.

Since privatization, you buy comp from private carriers, and your coverage shows up in the state's online Coverage Verification System. You also post a notice at the workplace with your carrier's contact information (§23-2C-15). The Offices of the Insurance Commissioner oversees the market.

With the private market, West Virginia uses NCCI classes, so contract janitorial payroll generally rates under 9014, "Janitorial Services by Contractors – No Window Cleaning Above Ground Level & Drivers." Your carrier assigns the class.

West Virginia's standard purchasing terms and what they ask for

The State's purchasing exhibits use a checklist of insurance terms, and each solicitation checks the boxes that apply. One current example is the Higher Education Policy Commission's Exhibit B General Terms and Conditions, posted in May 2026. Among the boxes checked there, it asks for:

general liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate and $2,000,000 products-completed operations aggregate
auto liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence
workers' comp where the law requires it, with proof on request
the Commission or institution named as additional insured on each policy, proof of insurance before award, proof of renewal 30 days before expiration, and immediate notice of cancellation or changes

Under W. Va. Code §6D-1-4, contracts of $100,000 or more need interested-party disclosures, including a supplemental one within 30 days after the contract ends. The State also reserves the right, under §15-2D-3, to keep a service provider's employees away from sensitive information or out of a building based on background check results. That matters for night crews in state offices.

The exhibit isn't janitorial-specific and doesn't list a janitorial bond, but private building owners often ask for one. Our guide to contract insurance requirements explains each line.

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The West Virginia coverage short list

Workers' comp

Required from one regular employee, and now bought from a private market with many carriers competing. Workers' comp for cleaning companies

General liability

State terms ask for $1M per occurrence with $2M aggregates, the usual floor for public cleaning bids. General liability for cleaners

Janitorial bond

Building owners who hand over keys and alarm codes often want theft protection for their property. How janitorial bonds work

School cleaning coverage

Unaccompanied access to schools depends on verified records, and underwriters ask how you screen. School cleaning insurance

West Virginia risks for cleaning contractors

Going without comp

Let coverage lapse and you're liable to injured cleaners both for comp benefits and for damages in a lawsuit, with the state's notice of your default posted at your workplace (§23-2-5). What you owe follows you personally and attaches to your property as a lien. The state can file suit, take property to satisfy the debt or ask a court to stop your operations (§23-2-5a).

School access tied to verified records

Crews under a county board contract can't work unaccompanied while students are present until their records are verified. Unverified staff push you to after-hours-only work, and a bad placement feeds abuse and molestation exposure, which many GL policies limit or exclude.

Four West Virginia cities, four local details

Charleston

Charleston raised its municipal sales and use tax from 0.5% to 1% on July 1, 2015, putting taxable cleaning at 7% combined, and the Tax Division's current list still shows 1%. The capital's state buildings are bought under the State's standard terms, so check your office cleaning coverage limits.

Huntington

Huntington has levied a 1% municipal sales and use tax since January 1, 2012, on top of the 6% state tax on services like building cleaning. Clients compare bids after tax, so keep your liability costs visible in the bid math.

Parkersburg

Parkersburg was one of nine municipalities that started a 1% municipal sales and use tax on July 1, 2015, along with neighboring Vienna, so cleaning invoices inside city limits carry 7%. Build it into your bid package.

Wheeling

Wheeling raised its municipal sales and use tax from 0.5% to 1% on July 1, 2015, the same day as Charleston, for 7% combined. Downtown office cleaning accounts here bill at the combined rate.

West Virginia cost factors

We don't post West Virginia prices, but one state fact stands out. The Insurance Commissioner reports aggregate comp loss costs down more than 82% since 2006, with more than 350 carriers competing. Loss costs are only one input, but a competitive market means it pays to compare.

Your price depends on the payroll in each class code, your annual sales, the kinds of buildings you clean, how much specialty and chemical work you do, the vehicles your crews drive, your claims history and the limits your contracts require. Our cleaning insurance cost guide shows how each piece adds up.

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Licensed in West Virginia

Commercial Cleaning Insurance Group is a brand of The Allen Thomas Group, licensed in West Virginia (License #3004137444, NPN 7642818).

West Virginia cleaning companies can request a quote here, and our licensed team will review your payroll and contracts with you before quoting.

Licensed in West VirginiaLicense #3004137444 · NPN 7642818

West Virginia cleaning insurance questions

Do you insure commercial cleaning companies in Charleston and across West Virginia?

Our team works with janitorial contractors around the state, from Charleston and Huntington to Wheeling and the Mid-Ohio Valley. Share your buildings, crew size and contract requirements, and we'll check which markets fit.

Do I need a business registration certificate to start a cleaning business in West Virginia?

Yes. Every business needs one from the State Tax Commissioner before doing business in the state, and the registration tax is $30 per certificate. It also registers you to collect sales tax.

Is janitorial service taxable in West Virginia?

Generally, yes. West Virginia taxes all services except professional and personal services, at 6%, and many cities add 1%. Cleaning done as part of a construction contract can be treated differently, so check with the State Tax Department or your CPA.

Where do West Virginia cleaning companies buy workers' comp now that the state fund is gone?

From private carriers. Since privatization took effect in 2006, the Insurance Commissioner reports more than 350 carriers offering comp in the state, and coverage can be checked through the state's online verification system.

Commercial cleaning and janitorial insurance in West Virginia