Landscaping Insurance 2023: Cost & Coverage for Your Business
Nathan Weller is an Insurance Expert focusing on insurance for small business. He has 15 years experience in insurance operations, FNOL, and claims handling.
Landscaping insurance refers to a policy, or combination of policies, which protects your business assets against claims that your business was negligent and caused harm. Landscapers need coverage for third-party claims, employee injuries, and business property damaged by theft or vandalism. The most common lawn care business insurance policy is general liability, which can cost around $900 to $2,000 annually.
The policies you need for and the total cost of your landscaping insurance depend on many factors, including your business size, location, and services. For a better idea of what policies are right for your company, start a no-obligation quote with The Hartford. In just minutes, its intuitive system will suggest coverage based on the focus of your business and then generate a free quote.
Landscaping Insurance Costs
The costs of landscaping insurance will vary depending on the total policies chosen and your primary operations. A sole proprietor’s mowing operation might see an annual cost of $600, while a larger company offering tree trimming and stump removal may pay $2,000 or more annually.
Landscaping Business Insurance Costs by Policy
Policy | Annual Premium | Coverage Limit |
|---|---|---|
General Liability | $900 to $2,000 | $1 million per occurrence $2 million aggregate |
Business Property | $600 to $1,100 | $20,000 with a $500 deductible |
Inland Marine | $170 to $650 | $5,000 with $500 deductible |
Commercial Vehicle | $2,000 to $4,500 | $300,000 combined single limit for liability per vehicle |
An additional coverage landscapers may need is workers’ compensation. However, the cost of workers’ compensation is calculated using a formula that includes your industry, claims history, and the number of employees. As such, the price can vary significantly even within the same industry.
Landscaping insurance costs are based on multiple factors, including:
- Location: Your city and state significantly affect all insurance policy premiums. For example, businesses in California are more expensive to insure than businesses in Oregon, but within California, costs can vary by ZIP code.
- Payroll: Workers’ compensation coverage is directly related to payroll costs and increases based on the type of risks employees face and the amount they are paid.
- Revenue: Insurance carriers use annual receipts to determine the exposure for liability insurance purposes. The higher the company revenues are, the higher the premium costs.
- Property value: The value of business tools and equipment determines the overall amount of property coverage required. The more business property is worth, the higher the insurance premium.
- Vehicle type: The year, make, and model of the truck or van used for your lawn care business directly impacts the cost.
- Main landscape duties: Landscapers who excavate or move earth belong to a higher risk category than those with a small garden and lawn care maintenance business.
- Deductible: Higher deductibles reduce the annual premium but make the business responsible for more out-of-pocket expenses in a claim.
A landscape business can save money by purchasing a business owner’s policy (BOP), which combines general liability, commercial property, and business interruption coverage. When insurers bundle these policies, they can usually offer them for a lower rate.
Who Needs Landscaping Insurance?
If your business offers any of these services, you should consider landscaping insurance:
- Lawn care services and maintenance: Mowing, weeding, mulching, and general gardening services, such as maintaining and installing plans, to maintain already-completed landscapes
- Tree pruning and removal: Dusting, spraying, trimming, branch and stump removal, and related tasks may require licensed tree surgeons to address tall trees safely
- Excavation and grading: Adjusting ground level to create drainage and prepare the land for landscaping
- Hardscape design and implementation: Landscapes with rocks, boulders, and other non-plant concepts often require bigger equipment to relocate heavy items
Types of Landscape Insurance Coverage
Policy | What It Covers |
|---|---|
General Liability | Third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage |
Commercial Property | Business-owned assets like building, equipment, or inventory |
Inland Marine | Equipment and tools |
Commercial Vehicle | Injury and damage from an automobile loss. Can include liability and first-party property |
Workers’ Compensation | Medical bills and wage replacement for employees who are injured or become ill as a result of work |
As its name implies, general liability insurance provides general protection from third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage that are a result of your business operations. This coverage is broad enough to encompass many different scenarios, including claims of personal and advertising injury.
The most common scenario is a slip/trip and fall claim. For a landscaper, it can be something as common as someone tripping over equipment you left improperly on the sidewalk to a rock being shot out of a lawnmower and through a car window.
Commercial property insurance covers assets like your building, furniture, or nursery inventory of plants, trees, and shrubbery. The specific coverage depends on the policy, but most pay for named losses like fire, theft, vandalism, hail, and windstorms. Other events are often covered, so be sure to clarify coverage with your insurance agent or broker.
Another important thing to know about commercial property insurance is that it usually only covers equipment at the address listed on the policy. If someone steals a lawnmower out of the back of your truck, your property insurer most likely won’t pay. For that, you need inland marine insurance.
This covers your equipment, tools, and supplies as you move them from one job to another. Policies can also cover any equipment that you store outside of your primary location, like a client’s shed or a garage. Because transporting equipment is common in the industry, many insurers will include this coverage on their property policies or as an endorsement to a general liability policy.
Landscaping business owners who switch to snow removal during the winter may need to ask specifically about inland marine for such unique equipment. Be sure to mention this additional operation to your agent to ensure you have sufficient coverage.
Commercial auto insurance, which is required in most states, pays for the other party’s injuries or property damage if you or your employee cause an accident while driving for work. Business owners can opt for additional coverage that pays for damage to their vehicles, medical bills for themselves and their passengers, and roadside assistance.
Riding lawnmowers are a common vehicle used by both landscapers and lawn care businesses. However, they are not usually considered a vehicle for insurance purposes as they are not designed to be used on public roads. Instead, they are considered mobile equipment and are insured by either inland marine or a business property policy for lawn care companies.
Workers’ compensation insurance covers medical bills and wage replacement for employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses. This coverage is necessary for many landscaping businesses because of the risks involved, plus most states require workers’ comp coverage if a business has any employees. Workers face several hazards—such as sharp tools, heavy equipment, machinery, vehicles, and even animal bites—making workers’ comp coverage critical for any small business.
The primary difference between a surety bond and insurance is that you purchase a surety bond for the benefit of another, while insurance is bought to protect yourself.
Surety bonds are not a type of insurance. Instead, they act as a guarantee to clients that there is some level of financial coverage. The landscaper pays a premium to the bond issuer (often an insurance company).
If a claim is made, the bond issuer pays the injured parties and then collects that amount back from the small business. Bonds usually cost between 1% and 15% of the total bond amount. Having a surety bond indemnifies the contractor; hence, they are ultimately responsible for any losses that they may incur.
With insurance, you do not have to pay the insurance company back when they pay out on a claim. Your only responsibility is the premium and the deductible.
Note that many states regulate contractors and related professions, including landscapers, by requiring licensure. These states may request proof of insurance or the purchase of a surety bond to obtain a license.
Bottom Line
Every landscaping business, whether a sole proprietor lawn service or a full-service landscaping business, should have at least some insurance coverage. Even if you don’t have a building or valuable business assets to protect, you work with the general public, which opens up many potential risk exposures, especially employee bodily injury and property damage.
Any claim has the potential to cost millions to resolve. Purchasing insurance for your landscaping business is a relatively inexpensive way to prevent a potentially devastating financial loss. If you need a quick, no-hassle quote for landscaping insurance, a good place to start is with the experts at The Hartford. Plans are easy to understand and customized to meet your needs.
