Pet sitter insurance costs between $159 and $400 per year for a solo sitter, depending on coverage limits and add-ons. But the number that matters more than the price is this: in one insurer's claims data, 56% of claims were not covered by general liability — they were only covered by pet protection (care, custody, and control) coverage. Buy the cheap GL-only policy and you may be insured for the claims you're least likely to have.
What the policies cost (2026, US)
| Provider | Annual cost | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Pet Sitters Associates (PSA) | from ~$159–220 | $2M GL + bonding |
| Business Insurers of the Carolinas | ~$179 | $1M GL + bonding |
| Pet Sitters International (PSI) | ~$280 (bundled with membership) | $1M GL + bonding |
| Pet Care Insurance (PCI) | ~$194–332 by business class | $1M+ GL, modular add-ons |
| Hiscox / general small-business | $300–500+ | Higher limits, customizable |
Figures are published rates as of 2026 from the providers' own sites and industry roundups; confirm current pricing before you buy. Pet Sitters Associates publishes a $220/year basic membership covering sitting, walking, and pet taxi, and Pet Care Insurance lists sitting-in-the-owner's-home coverage at $332/year with itemized add-ons.
The coverage gap nobody mentions until it's too late
General liability covers damage to other people and their property — the neighbor's kid, the escaped dog that causes a car accident. It generally does not cover the animal in your care. That's what "care, custody, and control" (sometimes called Animal Bailee) coverage is for, and the claims data is blunt about how much it matters: one pet-care insurer reports 56% of claims fell outside general liability but were covered by pet protection coverage, and another 25% were only covered by veterinarian reimbursement add-ons.
So when comparing policies, the questions that matter are:
- Does it cover the pet in my care, not just third-party injury? (Injuries to the pet itself are usually a separate coverage.)
- Does it cover grooming, boarding, or daycare? Many base policies exclude these and sell them as optional add-ons — check before you add services.
- Does it cover overnight and in-home work? House sitting without pets present sometimes requires a separate add-on.
- What are the limits? $1M vs $2M per occurrence matters more in a worst-case claim than a $50 premium difference.
What about platform coverage?
If you take bookings through Rover or Wag, confirmed bookings carry some platform-provided protection — but the coverage has gaps around the edges of bookings, and it doesn't follow you when a client takes you private (which is exactly what happens as an independent business grows). If you're building your own client base, you need your own policy. Industry guides put solo coverage at $150–400 per year depending on provider and limits.
Insurance is a fixed cost — price it in
At $159–400 per year, insurance is one of the smallest fixed costs in a pet care business: $13–33 a month. It belongs in your monthly expense line next to software and fuel when you set your rates — if you haven't run that math, our free rate calculator takes about two minutes.
Two housekeeping notes once you're covered: put the fact that you're insured in your contract and client materials, and check whether your policy requires add-ons for any service you offer — boarding, daycare, grooming, and training frequently need optional coverage even on pet-sitting policies.
The paperwork side
Insurance and your client contract work together: the contract tells clients what you're responsible for, the policy pays when something outside your control happens. Get both before your first overnight — insurers see claims denied every year because the incident happened before coverage started.
Once the business side is protected, the rest is operations: scheduling, visit logs, and invoicing. That's the part PetAmigo handles — $19/month flat, no per-seat fees — so the fixed costs of running a professional business stay boring and predictable.