Landscaping Business Insurance
the industry specialist – LandPro®
Types of Landscaping Work We Cover
- Landscape Contracting
- Landscape Gardening
- Lawn Care Services
- Lawn Sprinkler Services
- Spraying Operations
- Sprinkler and Irrigation Installation and Repair
- Pesticide Application (non-aerial)
Landscaping Expertise
Don’t risk your business and livelihood by not having the right insurance coverages. With more than 30 years of experience, LandPro is the largest program of its kind and is rated “A+” by A.M. Best, so you can trust our experts to get you exactly the coverages you need to protect and grow your business.
Specialized Coverages
LandPro goes beyond the standard insurance products to offer specialized coverage, risk control, and claims management that our competitors don’t. In addition, NIP Specialty Brokerage wholesale operation enables us to target non-standard commercial risks for a true one-stop shop for niche businesses.
Local Experience & Service
We work with landscaping companies across the country, which means we understand not only your unique industry needs, but the differences between geographic locations and seasonal considerations as well. We’ll use our decades of expertise to ensure you have the best coverage wherever you do business.
Why Work with NIP Group?
30 Years
A+ (Superior)
Industry Expertise
Specialized Coverages
Competitive Rates
Superior Customer Service
Coverage Examples
General Liability
A standard insurance policy issued to businesses to protect them against liability claims for bodily injury and property damage from out of premises, operations, products, and completed operations.
Show Example:
A client hires your landscaping company for a mowing job. While mowing the lawn, one of your employees accidentally hits a sprinkler head. The sprinkler head is damaged and need to be repaired. In this scenario, general liability will most likely cover the cost to replace the sprinkler head since it was damaged due to your work.
Automobile Liability
Insurance that protects the insured against financial loss because of legal liability for automobile-related injuries to others or damage to their property by an automobile.
Show Example:
One of your employees is driving a work van back from a landscaping job. While traveling, your driver rear ends another vehicle at a stop light. Your commercial auto liability insurance would cover the vehicle and any property damage incurred during the accident. A personal auto insurance policy will typically not cover your work vehicles – even if the driver is off duty.
Property Insurance
An insurance policy for businesses that insures against damage to their buildings and contents due to a covered cause of loss, such as a fire. The policy may also cover loss of income or increase in expenses that result from property damage.
Show Example:
The building you use as the main office for your business is severely damaged by a severe windstorm. In addition to the building damage, the equipment you were storing in the building was damaged by debris from the building. Your property insurance would cover the physical structure itself, as well as, the property you have stored inside of it.
Inland Marine
Insurance policy that covers the loss or damage to any transport by which the property is transferred, acquired, or held between the point of origin and the final destination.
Show Example:
On the way to a lawn care job, you make a stop before getting to the jobsite. While away from the vehicle, you notice the trailer you were hauling has been broken into and some of the equipment that was in it has been stolen. In this instance, Inland Marine insurance would cover the cost to help replace the stolen tools and equipment that was in transit.
Umbrella Liability
Umbrella or Excess liability insurance covers claims in excess of regular general liability and auto policy coverage with the main purpose of protecting assets from an unforeseen event, such as a tragic accident in which the business is liable. While both are similar coverages, they differ on how they offer add coverage.
Show Example:
While working at a jobsite, you are digging up an area a client to install an additional sprinkler. While digging, you accidentally hit the irrigation line subsequently causing the client’s entire yard to flood. The cost of the repairs and lawsuit exceed the limits set by your General Liability policy. In this case, your Umbrella policy would provide the extra coverage needed to handle the expenses incurred from the accident.
Crime
A commercial crime insurance policy typically provides several different types of crime coverage including employee dishonesty coverage, forgery or alteration coverage, computer fraud coverage, funds transfer fraud coverage, kidnap, ransom, or extortion coverage.
Show Example:
Several your employees work onsite at the main office of your landscaping company. At some point, you discover that one of your employees has been stealing company tools and selling them. Your Crime policy would cover the items the employee has been stealing.
Contractors Pollution Liability
Contractor-based insurance policy, offered on a claims-made or occurrence basis, that provides third-party coverage for bodily injury, property damage, defense, cleanup, and related defense costs as a result of pollution conditions arising from contracting operations performed by or on behalf of the contractor.
Show Example:
A corporate office client hired your landscaping company to prune some spray pesticide around the perimeter of their building. While performing the pesticide application, one of your employees accidentally overturns their spray rig, dumping pesticide on the client’s lawn. Several of the office employees claim that they are feeling ill after being in contact with the area where the spill occurred. A pollution liability policy will cover not just area damaged from the pesticide spill, but also any injuries caused by pollution.
Employment Practices Liability
Employment practices liability insurance protects employees against resulting litigation, including claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination.
Show Example:
An employee of your landscaping is terminated due to their work performance. However, the employee claims wrongful termination on the grounds of discrimination. In this instance, an Employment Practices Liability policy would protect you against a potential employee lawsuit related to this claim.
Cyber Liability
Cyber liability covers exposures when communicating or conducting business online. Potential liabilities include the internet and email. Online communication tools could result in claims alleging breaches of privacy rights, infringement or misappropriation of intellectual property, employment discrimination, violations of obscenity laws, the spreading of computer viruses, and defamation.
Show Example:
Your landscaping company launches a new website to highlight the services you offer for customers in your area, book appointments, and make payments. Within a few weeks, you discover that your website has been hacked and your business is now being extorted to pay money in order to release the website. A cyber liability policy would cover lost income due to business interruption, extortion, data loss, and more.
Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation provides no-fault statutory benefits prescribed in state law by an employer to an employee (or the employee’s family) due to a job-related injury (including death) resulting from an accident or occupational disease.
Show Example:
While mowing a client’s lawn, one your employees has an accident with a piece of equipment and is injured. Your Workers’ Compensation policy would cover the work-related injury to your employee. Workers’ Compensation is required in all states, the laws of which vary from state to state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my business need landscaping insurance?
The landscaping and lawn care industry, like many other green industry sectors, has its high share of risks annually. Due to the nature of the work being performed, it is not uncommon for landscaping professionals to encounter claims stemming from workplace injuries, property damage due to work performed, or other associated risks. Professional landscaping and lawn care companies should always carry the proper landscaping insurance to protect themselves from these incidents. Without the right coverage, claims of this nature ultimately can destroy even the largest landscaping and lawn care businesses.
What lines of landscaping insurance coverage do I need for my work?
General liability is the most essential landscaping insurance coverage a landscaper should have for their day to day operations. General liability coverage will protect your business in the event a bodily injury or property related claim arises from your work. Workers’ Comp insurance is also necessary if you have employees, regardless if they are full-time or not. A commercial auto policy will protect your vehicle fleet by providing coverage that a personal auto policy normally will not be able to meet. Whether you’re based from home or have a physical office location, commercial property insurance will not only cover the building location, but also provides insurance on the landscaping tools and equipment you have stored there. An inland marine policy will protect any of the lawn care equipment you are transporting to and from jobsites.
How much insurance should a landscaping & lawn care service have?
The amount of insurance you carry is largely driven by the type of work you do and the size of your operation. For residential work, homeowners will be more comfortable with a landscaper they know has adequate insurance coverage. It is best to have more insurance than you feel is needed because in the unfortunate event a claim occurs, you don’t want to risk your business you spent years building.
What is the cost of landscaping company insurance?
Landscaping and lawn insurance cost varies from company to company. There are several factors that influence the cost of insurance, ranging from the size of your business, the assets you want to protect, and the area you work in. Additionally, lawn care insurance costs may be higher depending on the type and scope of the work your business performs. If your landscaping company generally undertakes higher risk work or utilizes heavy equipment (such as cranes or lifts), you are likely to see a higher premium cost because of the higher rate of exposure your business faces.
What are the most common accidents and claims landscaping insurance companies see?
The most common claims seen by landscaping insurance companies vary from property or bodily injury due to work performed, commercial vehicle accidents, and workers’ compensation claims from work related injuries. The most common accidents landscaping and lawn care professionals encounter in their work range from transportation-related injuries or equipment related injuries (chainsaws, mowers, trimmers, etc.).
What is the importance of having a Landscape Industry Certified credential? Does this have any effect on my landscaping insurance?
Earning or hiring an employee with a Landscape Industry Certified credential establishes your business as being highly skilled industry professionals. Additionally, a landscaping certification could help you acquire job bids and contracts that are normally not available to general landscapers. While a Landscape Industry Certified credential does not directly influence your lawn care insurance rates, it does establish a culture of safety and risk management which will help reduce your claims.
What should I do if there is incident or claim related to my landscaping or lawn care work?
In the event of a landscaping related incident caused by your work, the first step is to document the incident in as much detail as possible. Make note of who was involved, the work being done when the incident occurred, and any injuries or damage that occurred. Next, contact your landscaping insurance carrier to report the incident and provide them with as much detail as necessary. As a LandPro client, you’ll be able to utilize our expert claims center to help you manage your claims and ensure your business continues operating without interruption.
What makes LandPro’s coverage stand out from other lawn care insurance companies?
LandPro offers every client premier service they need to keep their operations running. Our approach is to provide you with the coverage and protection you want and expect from your landscaping insurance. Additionally, LandPro helps you to reduce claims by providing access to our world class risk management services, expert claims assistance, and more. With over 30+ years of industry experience, LandPro knows exactly what tree care professionals need out of their insurance coverage.
What is an Experience Modification Rate & how does it influence my landscaping insurance?
Experience Modification Rate (EMR), also known as eMod or mod rate, is a critical component of an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance premiums. Your landscaping company’s losses throughout prior years directly influence what your Experience Modification Rate will be. The losses are examined to determine any potential future losses and appropriately price out your landscaping insurance premium.