As a landscaping business, there are many common risks that could affect your company. No matter how careful you are, there’s always a chance that your employees may accidentally damage a client’s property in the course of their work, injure themselves or others, or be involved in a car accident while driving a company vehicle. Having the right insurance coverage can help your company weather unforeseen circumstances and provide you and your employees with valuable financial support.

What insurance coverage do I need for my landscaping business?

There are many types of insurance coverage to consider, but these policies are particularly relevant to landscaping companies:

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance protects the value of your business property. This could include rented or owned office space, furniture, office supplies, and computer equipment, as well as valuable landscaping tools, equipment, or growing trees and other plants that your company may store. Landscapers that own greenhouses or store plants outside will need to work with their insurer to make sure that these items are properly covered. Commercial property insurance covers many common perils including storms, hail, fire, vandalism, and water damage.

Commercial property insurance covers the following:

• Buildings belonging to or leased by your company
• Contents of the building, including tools, equipment, and inventory
• Property of others while it is under your care, custody, or control

Example:

• A fire breaks out in your landscaping company’s storage space, destroying lawnmowers, weed whackers, and other equipment. Your commercial property insurance would reimburse you for the lost items. 

Equipment Breakdown Coverage

Landscapers may rely heavily on equipment such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, tractors, and other high-value items. If key equipment breaks down, it can have a substantial impact on your ability to operate your business. Although some business owners may believe that commercial property insurance would cover these situations, equipment breakdowns are typically excluded from commercial property coverage. 

Commercial property insurance covers damage to equipment caused by covered perils, like a fire or storm. If a piece of equipment breaks down due to something internal, like a mechanical failure, equipment breakdown insurance can step in, providing funds to repair or replace damaged equipment and covering lost business income while the equipment is out of commission.

Example: 

• One of your riding lawnmowers breaks down, delaying your ability to complete several lawn care services. Equipment breakdown insurance would pay for the repair of the lawnmower and reimburse you for lost income. 

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance covers incidents of third-party property damage, bodily injury, personal injury, and advertising injury. Since your employees perform landscaping services at many locations, there’s always a chance that they might unintentionally damage a client’s property or injure someone during the course of their work. If your business is sued, general liability insurance can cover legal fees, damages, and medical payments in the case of an injury. General liability can also cover non-physical personal and advertising injuries such as libel, slander, or copyright infringement. 

Examples:

• Property damage: An employee loses hold of a new hanging planter she is installing at a client’s home, and the planter falls against a window, shattering it. Your general liability insurance would pay for the window to be replaced. 
• Bodily injury: A client trips over a stepladder that your employee left out on a pathway. The client falls and breaks her wrist. Your insurer would cover her medical fees and legal expenses if the client sues. 
• Personal and advertising injury: Your company creates a new advertising mascot using artwork that looks similar to the work of a professional illustrator. You are sued for copyright infringement. Your general liability policy would cover the lawsuit and any settlements.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Landscaping companies typically own vehicles to transport employees and equipment to work sites. If your company owns vehicles titled under the business’s name, commercial auto insurance is both a key coverage and a legal requirement. If the driver of a company car is at fault in an accident, your commercial auto insurance will pay for any resulting third-party bodily injury, property damage, or pollution cleanup. Commercial auto insurance also covers the value of the vehicle itself if it’s damaged by a collision or another peril.

Example:

• While driving a company truck to a job site, your employee hydroplanes on a wet road and collides with a car in front of it. Your commercial auto insurance would pay for the damage to both vehicles and medical costs for injured occupants of the other vehicle. 

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ compensation insurance is legally required in almost all states. Since landscaping is a physically demanding occupation, it’s especially crucial to ensure that you have sufficient workers’ comp coverage. No matter how careful your employees are, there’s always a chance that they may be injured on the job. Workers’ comp will provide funds for employees’ medical expenses and a portion of lost income if an employee is injured or falls ill as a result of their work. Workers’ comp also provides financial benefits to surviving dependents if an employee dies in a work-related accident.

Example:

• When one of your employees is lifting heavy pallets of sod to place in a client’s yard, he injures his back and requires medical attention. Your workers’ compensation insurance would cover his medical treatment and a portion of his lost income while he is medically excused from work.

Inland Marine Insurance

Inland marine insurance provides financial protection for property that does not remain at a fixed location and is not covered by a standard commercial property policy. If your landscaping company relies on specialized, high-value mobile equipment that you use at various locations, you may need inland marine insurance to cover this equipment. Inland marine insurance will protect your property no matter where it is.

Example:

• Your company is hired to provide lawn care at a business park. Because it is a large property and will take multiple days to complete, equipment is stored onsite overnight. Over a weekend, someone steals a number of lawnmowers. Your inland marine insurance would cover the loss. 

Additional Coverages

• A business owner’s policy combines general liability, property, business income, and extra expense coverage into a single package. For small or midsize companies, this type of insurance could help you obtain a wide range of coverage. Premiums for a business owner’s policy are typically cheaper than the cost of buying each coverage separately.
• Pollution liability insurance covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, cleanup costs, and legal defense that results from pollutants released by your company. This coverage may be necessary for companies that work with pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and other dangerous chemicals.
• Commercial crime insurance covers losses due to theft, fraud, burglary, robbery, and other crimes. Coverage applies both to crimes committed by outside parties and crimes committed by your own employees. Landscapers that deal heavily in cash may need to protect their businesses with this coverage.

Pricing and Quotes

Pricing for landscaping insurance will vary based on the type of insurance coverage and the risk profile of your business. Insurers consider factors such as:

• Business size
• Industry
• Location
• Number of employees
• Claims history

Businesses with higher risks will have higher premiums than those deemed lower risk. For example, a landscaper with a history of frequent claims will face higher premiums. Premiums also rise as you increase the limits of insurance. Different insurance companies have different models for rating risks, so it is worth comparing pricing across different insurers.

In order to get an accurate estimate on pricing, it’s best to get a quote from a reputable insurance company. Below we’ve highlighted a few of our trusted partners who offer coverage for landscaping businesses:

Provider	General Liability	Business Owner's Policy	Product Liability
CoverageSmith	??	??	??
CoverWallet	??	??	??
Hiscox	??	??	??
Thimble	??	??	??
Embroker	??	??	??

Final Word

When planning your landscaping company’s insurance coverage, it’s important to prepare your business for the many risks that could arise, from property damage or physical injury to auto accidents. Business insurance can provide valuable financial protection if your business must face costly disasters or lawsuits. With the right coverage, you and your clients will feel confident in the knowledge that your company will continue to operate even if a major incident arises.