Tree Service Insurance

Tailored liability insurance for tree service companies

Climbing trees, hanging from ropes, and using powerful tools: tree service professionals often look like superheroes. But even the most skilled tree trimmers need insurance to keep themselves and their business safe. Tree service insurance helps you tackle the unique challenges and financial risks of your work, so you can climb and cut with confidence.

What is tree service business insurance?

Tree service insurance is customized business insurance for operations that trim, maintain, and remove trees. It protects against common risks your business and employees face, such as injury from accidents or property damage to clients.

If you're unsure what coverage you need, our licensed in-house agents at Progressive Commercial can help you determine what insurance your tree service should have. Call our team of experts or start a quote to learn more.

Why insurance for tree services is important

Between working at height and using power tools, tree trimming businesses can face serious risks. When accidents happen, having tree service insurance protects your company, your employees, and your clients.

The right coverage helps pay for the cost of responding to qualifying events, minimizing your company's out-of-pocket costs. Insurance protection also tells clients that you're prepared and responsible.

For example, imagine a tree limb falls unexpectedly as you're working, damaging the client's shed and injuring a worker on the ground. Business insurance for tree services can cover your employee's medical bills and pay to repair the shed, supporting your team and helping you make things right with your customer.

Tree trimming is considered a high-risk profession

Certain professions, like tree service businesses, pose higher-than-average risks. Getting coverage can look slightly different for these organizations than it would for a lower-risk company. You'll still be able to get the same amount of general liability insurance and level of service, but you'll need coverage that's specifically designed for high-risk businesses.

There may also be times you're asked to show proof of insurance. Many contracts require coverage to reassure customers that you're prepared for the risks of the job. You can prove you have the necessary coverage with a certificate of insurance (COI) that lists your policy details.

Who needs tree service insurance?

Businesses that service trees using specialized equipment like chainsaws and bucket trucks need tree service insurance. Common examples include:

• Tree service companies
• Tree removal businesses
• Tree trimming professionals
• Tree surgeons

Whatever form your company takes — LLC, sole proprietorship, or startup — you can benefit from business insurance for tree services.

Tree trimmer vs. tree surgeon insurance

Tree trimmers and tree surgeons perform similar services, but they aren't the same.

Tree surgeons, also called arborists, differ from tree trimmers because they have special training in tree health. As a result, arborists will have similar tree service insurance requirements to tree trimmers, but they may need different limits or additional specialized coverages. Learn more about arborist insurance.

Types of tree service insurance coverage

Tree service businesses can benefit from a variety of insurance types due to the risks they face. Some coverages to consider are:

General liability (GL)

Tree service liability insurance is the most common tree service insurance requirement. It pays for harm you accidentally cause others, such as personal injury or property damage. Because tree service businesses are risky, they generally need to get general liability insurance from the excess and surplus lines (E&S) market, which can handle bigger claims. Learn more about the benefits of general liability and how much GL insurance costs.

Example: While working on a tree, you remove a dead limb. Before you can lower it safely, you momentarily lose control of the branch, dropping it on a client's car. GL could pay for the damage, so you don't have to.

Commercial auto

If your business uses vehicles like pickup trucks or bucket trucks, you need commercial auto insurance to protect them. Most states require commercial auto insurance with liability coverage, and you can add other auto protections to better safeguard your vehicles. As America's #1 commercial auto insurer,^* we're happy to help you find the coverage you need.

Example: On the way back from a job, you're involved in a car accident with another driver, damaging your truck and trailer full of equipment. The right commercial auto policy can cover the damage to the other driver's car if you were at fault and pay to repair your truck and trailer.

Business owners policy (BOP)

A business owners policy combines liability and commercial property insurance on a single policy, protecting you against theft and other risks to your business assets. Check out our BOP coverage guide for more information.

Example: A fire at an office damages the building and business owner's tools. A BOP with commercial property coverage could pay for the loss.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation insurance covers medical bills and lost wages when an employee gets hurt or sick on the job. It can also protect employers from injury-related lawsuits. Most states require it, so be sure to check local laws. In high-risk industries, workers' comp might even be required for independent contractors and sole proprietorships. The cost of workers' comp depends on things like number of employees and job risks.

Example: An employee working at height accidentally falls to the ground and breaks their leg. Workers' comp can cover their medical bills and a portion of lost wages, and prevent them from suing you over the accident.

Professional liability

Professional liability defends service-based businesses against claims that a mistake they made caused financial or property loss to a client. This coverage is especially important if you work on valuable properties or provide expert advice, where even small mistakes can lead to costly claims.

Example: A homeowner hires a tree service business to prune a tree before selling their house. The job is done poorly and the tree dies. The homeowner sues, claiming the work hurt their property value. Professional liability could pay for legal fees and other costs to defend the company.

Cyber

Businesses that store sensitive information can benefit from cyber insurance in case of a data breach. If you collect customer details for things like scheduling and billing, you should consider this coverage. Get more details about cyber insurance coverage.

Example: A hacker breaks into your system and steals customer addresses and credit card info from your recent tree trimming jobs. Cyber insurance can help pay for an IT expert to fix the breach and recover lost data, which can restore trust with your clients.

How much is tree service insurance?

Tree service insurance cost depends on several elements, like your coverage needs, number of employees, and claims history. Your exposure to risk also affects what you'll pay. Common factors that help insurers determine your rate include:

• Time in business
• Location
• Number of employees
• Services you perform
• Number and type of vehicles
• Other insured equipment
• Claims history
• Driving history

Tree service companies usually pay more for insurance than other kinds of landscaping businesses. Hazards like working at height, operating heavy machinery, and falling tree limbs make an expensive claim more likely. As a result, tree service companies tend to need more coverage, which can lead to higher premiums.

Learn more about the cost of commercial auto and the cost of business insurance.

Tree service insurance through Progressive Commercial

Progressive Commercial has been insuring small businesses for over 50 years. Our decades of experience and helpful agents make it easy to get coverage. And once you have a policy, exceptional customer support, and round-the-clock claims service work to keep your business running smoothly.

Let our knowledgeable team provide the guidance you need at every step. Give us a call or start a quote online today.

More information

Additional resources about business insurance for tree service companies

• How to get insurance for tree services
• What you need to get a tree service insurance quote
• Quote checklist for vehicles
• Business insurance in your state