When it comes to bonding and insurance for house sitting, USAA does not offer a dedicated “house sitting insurance” policy, but there are ways members can get certain types of protection through existing coverage options.
Understanding these options is important for anyone offering house-sitting services.
House sitters may be partially covered under the homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance of the homeowner, especially for liability related to accidental damage or injuries that occur on the property.
However, this coverage is meant for the homeowner’s protection, not the house sitter’s business activities. It may not cover situations where the house sitter is held personally liable.
For house sitters running their services as a business, USAA recommends exploring general liability insurance or business insurance options.
These policies can provide coverage if the house sitter damages property, loses keys, or faces legal claims from homeowners.
Business coverage may also include bonding options to give clients added confidence.
While USAA may not sell standalone bonding for house sitting, members can discuss adding business riders or obtaining bonding through third-party providers that work with USAA clients.
This approach ensures proper protection for both house sitters and homeowners.
5 Third-party Providers that USAA Refer Clients To
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Thimble
What they cover: House sitter insurance (general liability, professional liability/errors & omissions).
Cost/Premium: Flexible; you can pay by the hour, day, month, or year, depending on your needs.
The exact premium depends on your risk profile, location, how often you do the work, coverage limits, etc.
Requirements: Must apply online; declare the scope of your house sitting duties (e.g., caring for homes, pets, plants, etc.), select coverage limit (often $1 million or $2 million).
The policy doesn’t cover workplace injuries of employees (you’d need workers’ compensation for that).
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Insureon
What they cover: Marketplace for small business insurance; general liability, professional liability, business-owner policies, etc. Useful for house sitters.
Cost/Premium: General liability insurance via Insureon tends to be about $42/month ($500/year) for many independent contractors. Professional liability averages $61/month ($700+ per year).
Requirements: Business must be properly described (what you do, your scope), choose limits, and deductibles. Sometimes additional forms or certificates are needed.
Also, state matters — premiums vary by state. Having no (or few) prior claims helps.
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Pet Care Insurance (PCI)
What they cover: Liability and bonding tailored for pet sitters/animal caretakers.
Good overlap if you house sit and care for pets. They include “animal bailee” coverage, lost key coverage, etc.
Cost/Premium: Starting at about $254/year for many sitters.
Requirements: You need to declare the kinds of pets, services you offer, the value of equipment, and whether pets are in your care in transit or at home. Also, limits depend on what extras you add.
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Business Insurers of the Carolinas (BIC) via Pet Sitters International (PSI)
What they cover: General liability for pet sitters, bonding, also “care, custody, or control” coverage for property/pets in your care, including in transit. May also cover commercial auto, etc, for specialized cases.
Cost/Premium: Members of PSI can get group-rate insurance; the exact premium depends on the coverage limits, number of employees or subcontractors, and risk exposure. (I didn’t find a single fixed number from public sources.)
Requirements: Must be a PSI member or apply through their program; declare business income, services, risk, pets/property under your care, etc.
Must carry appropriate insurance limits to satisfy client or contract requirements.
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General Liability/Independent Contractor Options (various carriers via marketplaces)
Some of these are not specific to pet or house sitting, but good options for house sitters as independent contractors:
Next Insurance / Hiscox / The Hartford / BiBerk / American Family — carriers that show up in the independent contractor insurance marketplace options.
Cost/Premium: As above, about $42/month for general liability under typical limits (e.g. $1 million per occurrence) for low-risk work, possibly more depending on state, claims history, and how much coverage you want.
Requirements: You will need to declare your business type, estimated revenue, whether you own or rent any workspace or equipment, whether you have employees, and your coverage limits. Some carriers will require certain safety measures or risk mitigation.