You're washing a house and a window cracks. Or you blast a loose piece of siding off the wall. Or the pressure strips paint off wood trim that was already failing. Now what? How you handle property damage claims will either protect your business or end it. Here's exactly what to do.

The Quick Answer

If you cause damage on a job:

Stop work. Document the damage with photos immediately.
Tell the customer before you leave the property.
Contact your insurance company and report the claim.
Get a repair estimate in writing within 48 hours.

This protects you, your customer, and your reputation. The worst thing you can do is finish the job and say nothing.

Document Before You Start -- Every Single Job

This is the most important habit you can build. Before you touch your machine, walk the property and photograph everything that's already damaged:

Cracked concrete or existing chips in the driveway
Broken or loose siding panels
Cracked window caulk or damaged screens
Peeling paint on fascia, trim, or shutters
Existing stains or discoloration you can't fix

Take time-stamped, geo-tagged photos on your phone. This takes 5 -- 10 minutes per job. It has saved contractors from five-figure disputes.

Without a "before" record, the homeowner can blame you for pre-existing damage. With photos, there's no argument. You have proof.

What Your Insurance Covers

General liability (GL) insurance is what pays when you break something that wasn't yours to begin with. A window you crack while washing siding, a planter you knock over, a fence section you dent with your hose reel -- that's what GL is for.

Most insurers recommend a $1 million per-occurrence policy for pressure washing businesses. The average window replacement runs $200 -- $700. Your policy deductible is usually $500 -- $1,000, so for small claims you may be better off paying out of pocket to protect your rate.

What GL typically does NOT cover

Damage to the surface you're cleaning. If you strip the paint off siding while washing it, that's considered "work product" damage -- usually excluded from standard GL.
Chemical overspray damage to plants or landscaping. This falls under pollution liability, which requires a separate endorsement.
Pre-existing damage you made worse. If the paint was already peeling and your pressure finished the job, that's a gray area most insurers won't cover.

Read your policy. Know what's excluded before the claim happens, not after.

How to Handle a Claim When Damage Happens

Step-by-step:

Stop work and document. Take photos of the damage from multiple angles before anything gets moved or cleaned up.
Tell the customer before you leave. Do not finish the job and disappear. That looks like you're hiding something, and it makes the whole situation worse.
Acknowledge it, don't argue. Say "I see this happened and I'm going to make it right." Don't tell them the paint was already bad or the window was weak. That's a fight you lose every time.
Get a repair estimate. Contact a local contractor for a written estimate within 48 hours. Send the homeowner a copy.
Report to your insurance. Even if you decide to pay out of pocket, let your insurer know. Many policies require timely notice even on claims you don't pursue.

Contract Language That Protects You

A good service contract does two things: it sets expectations and it creates a paper trail. Every pressure washing contract should include:

A pre-existing damage disclosure. Ask the customer to identify known damage before you start. Put it in writing. "Customer has disclosed the following pre-existing conditions: [list]."
An exclusion for pre-existing conditions. Example: "Contractor is not responsible for damage to surfaces already failing, including peeling paint, loose siding, or cracked caulk."
A limitation of liability clause. Caps your exposure to the job value or the repair cost of the specific item -- not an open-ended lawsuit.
A photo authorization. Lets you use before/after photos for documentation and, with permission, for marketing.

A waiver is not bulletproof. Courts don't enforce terms that protect contractors from their own negligence. But a contract with clear language reduces disputes and makes the conversation easier when something goes wrong.

Common Damage Scenarios and How to Handle Each

Broken window

Stop work. Document. Tell the customer. Get a glass replacement estimate same day. This is exactly what GL insurance is designed for -- a $200 -- $700 fix that your policy covers after the deductible.

Stripped or peeling paint

This is trickier. If the paint was already failing, your pre-job photos will show it. If the paint was solid and your pressure caused it to peel, that's a GL gray area -- most standard policies exclude damage to the surface being cleaned. Know your policy before the job.

Chemical overspray on plants or landscaping

Cover plants before applying chemicals. This is a standard step in soft washing. If overspray happens anyway, water down affected plants immediately after the job. Chemical damage is often excluded from standard GL -- it requires a pollution endorsement.

Bottom Line

Photo document every job before you start. Carry GL insurance with at least $1M coverage. Have a contract with pre-existing damage disclosure. And when damage happens -- tell the customer immediately, get it fixed, and move on. How you handle problems is what customers remember, and what they tell their neighbors.

If you want to look more professional from the first touchpoint, try QuoteSnap for free. It gives customers an instant quote on your website and captures their info as a lead -- before the first phone call.

How to Handle Property Damage Claims in Pressure Washing