Arborist & Tree Service Insurance
the industry specialist – TreePro®
Types of Tree Work We Cover
- Tree Pruning
- Utility Line Clearance
- Right-of-way clearing
- Maintenance of existing right-of-ways
- Vegetation management contractors
- Tree Risk Assessments
- Tree Removal
- Stump Grinding
- Tree Spraying
- Plant Health Care
- Snow & Ice Removal
- Subcontracted Work
Tree Expertise
In the tree care industry, safety has to be a top priority. With more than 30 years of experience providing specialized insurance to tree care professionals, you can trust the experts at TreePro to know exactly what coverages you need to protect and grow your business.
Specialized Coverages
TreePro goes beyond the standard products to offer specialized coverage, risk control, and claims management that our competitors simply can’t – or won’t. Plus, NIP Specialty Brokerage enables us to target non-standard commercial risks for a true one-stop shop for niche businesses.
Local Experience & Service
We work with nearly 2,000 tree care and landscaping companies across the country, which means we understand not only your unique industry needs, but your geographic needs as well. Tree care risks in the Northeast are not the same as Florida or California. We’ll use our expertise to ensure you have the exact coverage you need – 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 tree care company to take down a tree and remove a stump from their property. After the job has been completed, the customer claims you significantly damaged another tree and its roots, causing it to die. General Liability coverage would most likely cover this type of claim due to it being related directly to your work done for the client.
Automobile Liability
This type of insurance 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 tree care job. While traveling, your driver rear-ends another vehicle at a stoplight. Your commercial auto liability insurance would cover the vehicle, as well as, 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 warehouse you use as the main office for your business is severely damaged by a fire. Additionally, some of your work equipment was damaged while being stored in the warehouse. Your property insurance would cover the physical structure itself, as well as, the property you have stored inside of it.
Inland Marine
An Inland Marine insurance policy 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 remove a tree, you make a stop before getting to the job site. While away from the vehicle, some of the tools you were transporting are 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 liability insurance covers claims in excess of regular homeowners 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. Although similar, umbrella liability coverage should not be confused with excess liability coverage.
Show Example:
While working at a jobsite, a tree falls and destroys a large portion of the client’s house and must be repaired. 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 tree care 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 tree service company to prune some trees and 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 tree service company 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 arborist 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 removing a tree, one of your employees is accidentally struck by a falling branch and sustains an injury. 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 tree care insurance?
The tree care industry has the highest annual risk of any sector in the green industry. Work-related accidents, damages, and injuries are a common occurrence in the tree care industry simply due to the nature of the work being performed. Professional tree service companies should always carry the proper tree care insurance to protect themselves from these incidents. All it takes is one incident to ultimately destroy even the largest tree care businesses if they don’t have the proper insurance coverage.
- See the details and examples of the types of risks faced by tree care professionals that can hurt your business >>
What types of tree care insurance coverage do I need for my work?
There are many lines of insurance coverage that your tree service company will benefit from. So how do you choose the types of insurance coverage that are right for you?
To help you make the best decision, check out these details and examples of the various types of tree service insurance you should consider to help protect your business.
A quick summary of the most essential types of coverage is below.
- At a minimum, general liability coverage is the most essential type of tree care insurance an arborist should have for their day to day operations. General liability coverage will protect your business in the event you or your employees cause any property damage or bodily injury while working.
- Workers’ Compensation coverage is required for all tree care businesses, but the terms of this requirement vary on a state by state basis.
- If your tree care business has a vehicle fleet, you should consider a commercial auto policy to cover you in the event of any vehicle accidents or damage to your fleet.
- Commercial property insurance will help cover your business location (whether home-based or a physical office), as well as your tree care equipment, tools, etc.
- An inland marine policy will protect any of the tree care equipment you are transporting to and from jobsites.
- In some cases an umbrella or excess liability policy may be required if you’re required to have coverage limits that exceed your standard general liability policy. Although very similar, umbrella and excess liability coverages differentiate in how they provide additional coverage.
How much insurance coverage should a tree service company have?
The amount of insurance you carry is largely driven by the type of work you do. If you mainly do utility line clearing, for example, the state may require that you carry a specific minimum amount of insurance coverage. Commercial tree work customers often have detailed insurance requirements for all contractors. For residential work, homeowners will want to know you are adequately covered in the event there is an incident due to your work. It is best to have more insurance than you feel is needed because, in the unfortunate event a claim occurs, you won’t risk the business you’ve spent years building.
How much does tree company business insurance cost?
The cost of tree care insurance varies from company to company. The cost is dependent on a variety of factors, including:
- the size of your business,
- the assets you want to protect,
- the area you work in, and
- the type and scope of work you perform.
For example, tree care insurance costs may be higher if your tree care company generally performs more risky work or uses heavy equipment (such as cranes or lifts). In these cases, your premium will likely be higher due to the increased risk (exposure) of your work.
What are the most common accidents and claims tree care insurance companies see?
The most common tree service insurance claims seen by insurance companies include:
- property damage,
- injuries to others caused by tree work,
- commercial vehicle accidents, and
- workers’ compensation claims from work-related injuries.
The most common accidents tree care professionals encounter in their work include:
- falling from heights,
- struck-bys, or
- equipment related injuries (chainsaws, climbing gear, cranes, etc.).
In more severe cases, some utility line clearance companies have been charged with multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter as a direct result of wildfires caused by faulty equipment and improper vegetation management.
Does being a Certified Arborist have any effect on my tree care insurance premiums?
Becoming or employing a Certified Arborist establishes your business as being a top tier professional tree service company. Additionally, arborist certification can help you acquire desirable contracts that are not open to general tree care professionals.
While a Certified Arborist distinction does not directly influence your tree care insurance rates, it does establish a culture of safety and risk management which will help reduce your claims.
Certified Arborists are also required to have both general liability and workers’ compensation coverage in order to perform any tree care-related work.
What should I do if there is incident or claim related to my tree care work?
In the event of a tree care related incident caused by your work, the first step is to document the incident in as much detail as possible. Make note of the following:
- who was involved,
- the work being done when the incident occurred, and
- any injuries or damage that occurred.
Next, contact your tree care insurance carrier to report the incident and provide them with as much detail as necessary. As a TreePro client, you’ll be able to use our expert claims center to help you manage your claims and ensure your business continues operating without interruption.
What makes TreePro’s coverage stand out from other tree care insurance companies?
TreePro offers every client the premier service they need to keep their operations running. We provide you with the coverage and protection you want and expect from your tree care insurance. In addition, TreePro helps you reduce claims by providing access to our world-class risk management services, expert claims assistance, and more.
What is an Experience Modification Rate & how does it influence my tree care insurance?
Experience Modification Rate (EMR), also known as eMod or mod rate, is a critical component of an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance premiums. What influences an Experience Modification Rate? Your tree care company’s losses over the prior year are examined in order to determine potential future losses. An insurance underwriter then uses this information to price out your arborist insurance premium.
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