Landscaping businesses face risks involving customer property, employees, vehicles, tools, equipment, and work performed at locations throughout the community. The right insurance can help protect your business wherever the job takes you.
Insurance Designed for Landscaping and Lawn Care Businesses
Landscapers and lawn care businesses perform much of their work at customer properties, creating exposures that can change from one job to the next. A customer or visitor could be injured around your equipment, your work could accidentally damage someone else’s property, or tools and machinery could be stolen or damaged while away from your primary business location.
Businesses that apply herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals may also have exposures that require specialized coverage. Because every landscaping operation is different, your insurance should reflect the services you provide, equipment you use, employees you have, and locations where you work.
Coverage options may include:
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General Liability Insurance — for certain claims involving bodily injury and property damage to others
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Commercial Auto Insurance — for trucks, vans, and other vehicles owned and used by the business
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Inland Marine / Contractors’ Equipment Coverage — for certain tools, mowers, machinery, and equipment used at job sites or transported between locations
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Commercial Property Insurance — for covered business property at your primary location
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Workers’ Compensation Insurance — for employee work-related injuries and illnesses when required by Florida law or otherwise appropriate
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Commercial Umbrella Insurance — for additional liability limits above certain underlying policies
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Installation Floater Coverage — for certain materials and supplies in transit, temporarily stored, or awaiting installation at a job site
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Herbicide and Pesticide Liability Coverage — for certain bodily injury or property damage claims related to chemical applications, when available
Additional Liability Limits for Serious Claims
A serious accident or liability claim can exceed the limits of an underlying insurance policy. Commercial umbrella insurance may provide additional liability limits above certain underlying coverages, such as general liability, commercial auto liability, and employer’s liability, subject to the umbrella policy’s terms and requirements.
For landscaping businesses with employees, multiple vehicles, significant customer-property exposures, or contractual requirements for higher limits, commercial umbrella insurance may be worth considering.
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Commercial General Liability Coverage
Risk Factor
As a landscaper, your business may be susceptible to many risks, such as claims due to bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and more. And, if you hire other contractors to perform work on your behalf, you can be held responsible for any damage they cause on the job.
Solution
Commercial general liability insurance is an absolute necessity for every landscaper. This type of protection provides broad coverage for premises, operations, products, and claims to third parties or property when you are deemed responsible and liable. It will also pay to defend any covered lawsuit or action regardless of its merit.
Business Auto Insurance
Risk Factor
Landscapers have many exposures associated with vehicles, whether owned or leased. With a fleet of cars, trucks, vans, or other types of vehicles used in the course of business, a single accident can potentially put your landscaping business in financial jeopardy.
Solution
Business auto insurance provides coverage for vehicles owned or leased by a landscaper and provides coverage for bodily injury, property damage, and other exposures, and could include comprehensive and collision coverage as well.
Commercial Umbrella / Excess Liability
Risk Factor
Losses and lawsuits are quite common. Defending these suits and paying any damages awarded can be quite costly. If your landscaping business is found to be responsible for damage or injury on a job site, you could be facing a large liability loss that exceeds the limits of your standard policy.
Solution
You should consider purchasing a commercial umbrella insurance policy which provides higher limits, typically between $2,000,000 and $10,000,000, and often broadened coverages. Coverage is extended over various policies, including general liability insurance, business auto, and directors and officers liability insurance.
Hold Harmless / Additional Insureds
Risk Factor
If you are working as a landscaper on a project where other contractors and vendors are involved, you could be held liable for any damages or injuries caused by the other contractors or vendors, leaving you with costly legal fees and settlement costs. Your business needs to be protected against the risk of some other company, vendor, or subcontractor causing damage to people or property of your mutual customer.
Solution
Consider having a contract in place with each entity that includes a hold harmless agreement in your favor. A hold harmless agreement provides that the entity will hold you harmless for any injuries or damage caused by their negligence. In addition, the contract should require that the entity list you as an additional insured on the policy. This may provide you with coverage under their policy or injuries or damage they cause if you are named in a lawsuit.
Commercial Property Insurance
Risk Factor
While much of your business is conducted on the property of others, you likely still have a base of operations that may contain tools, equipment, and supplies. When a fire, theft, or other type of disaster strikes, your business property and everything within it can suffer a significant loss. This can have a detrimental effect on your business.
Solution
Commercial property insurance can help protect the property your business owns and leases, including things like equipment, inventory, furniture, and fixtures. Whether you own your buildings or lease your workspace, commercial property insurance can be purchased separately or can be combined with other necessary coverage to protect your business’ physical assets.
Workers’ Compensation
Risk Factor
Because your crew is working with dangerous equipment and potentially hazardous chemicals, there’s always a chance something could go wrong. If one of your employees receives an injury or becomes ill due to a work-related occurrence, you are required by law to have the proper coverage in place.
Solution
Workers' compensation protects your employees should a job-related injury or sickness occur during the course of employment. This coverage is required by law and may vary by area, so be sure that you understand your obligations for all physical locations where your business operates in and all physical locations where you hire your employees.
Equipment
Risk Factor
Your landscaping business uses specialized equipment that’s essential to get the job done and carries a high value. If your equipment breaks, is damaged, or is stolen, you’re not able to do your job. And, because you're transporting equipment from job site to job site, there’s an even greater risk that something could happen to it.
Solution
Mechanical breakdown insurance may provide coverage in the event a piece of equipment malfunctions or stops working. Your property insurance will offer coverage for your equipment while it is stored at your location. Inland marine insurance is helpful as it covers your equipment while it is in transit between job sites.
Environmental Insurance
Risk Factor
Your landscaping business faces risks associated with the use of hazardous chemicals. These can include herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Equipment may leak fuel or other hazardous chemicals. Improper use, spills, and other contamination events can result in significant injury or damage.
Solution
Environmental liability insurance may offer protection in the event of property damage or bodily injury that is the result of environmental pollutants. Your policy may provide for cleanup and restoration, defense costs if you are named in a lawsuit, and damages that may be awarded to an injured party.
Protect the Tools and Equipment That Keep Your Business Moving
Landscaping businesses depend on mowers, trimmers, blowers, power tools, trailers, and other specialized equipment that frequently moves between job sites. Commercial property insurance may not fully address equipment while it is away from a fixed business location.
Inland marine or contractors’ equipment coverage may help protect eligible tools and equipment against covered losses while at job sites, in transit, or temporarily stored away from your primary location. Coverage varies by policy, so equipment values, deductibles, exclusions, and whether equipment is owned, leased, rented, or borrowed should be reviewed carefully.
Workers’ Compensation for Landscaping Employees
Landscaping work can involve lifting, cutting equipment, machinery, outdoor conditions, chemicals, and other job-site hazards. Workers’ compensation insurance can provide benefits for employees who suffer covered work-related injuries or illnesses.
Florida workers’ compensation requirements depend on factors including the employer’s industry classification, number of employees, and business structure. Because landscaping businesses can perform different types of work, your specific operation should be reviewed to determine the requirements that apply.
Commercial Auto Insurance for Landscaping Vehicles
Landscaping businesses often rely on pickup trucks, vans, dump trucks, trailers, and other vehicles to move employees, tools, and equipment between job sites. Commercial auto insurance can provide liability protection for covered accidents involving business vehicles and may also include physical damage coverage for eligible vehicles your business owns.
The appropriate coverage depends on your vehicles, drivers, towing exposures, radius of operation, and how each vehicle is used. Tools and equipment carried inside or on a vehicle may require separate inland marine or equipment coverage.
Other Coverage Florida Landscaping Businesses May Need
Depending on how your landscaping business operates, additional coverage may be worth considering. This can include business income insurance, employment practices liability, cyber liability, crime or employee dishonesty coverage, equipment breakdown, and specialized protection for pesticide or herbicide applications.
Businesses that install landscaping materials may also need to consider installation floater coverage for eligible materials and supplies while in transit, temporarily stored, or awaiting installation at a customer’s property.
Florida Landscaping Insurance for Northeast Florida Businesses
From lawn maintenance and landscape installation to irrigation, hardscaping, and other outdoor services, every landscaping business has different equipment, vehicles, employees, and liability exposures. Your insurance program should reflect the work your company actually performs.
First Florida Agency helps landscaping and lawn care businesses in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Johns County, and throughout Northeast Florida compare insurance options based on their individual operations and risks.
Need insurance for your landscaping business? Request a quote or contact First Florida Agency at 904-822-8800 to discuss your Florida landscaping insurance options.
Florida Landscaping Insurance FAQ
What Insurance Does a Landscaping Business Need in Florida?
The appropriate insurance depends on the services the landscaping business performs, its employees, vehicles, equipment, and customer contracts. Common coverage options include general liability, commercial auto, workers’ compensation, inland marine or contractors’ equipment coverage, commercial property, and commercial umbrella insurance. Businesses that apply pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals may also need specialized liability or pollution coverage.
Does a Florida Landscaping Business Need General Liability Insurance?
General liability insurance can help protect a landscaping business against certain claims involving third-party bodily injury or property damage. For example, coverage may apply if a customer is injured around landscaping equipment or the business accidentally damages someone else’s property, subject to the policy’s exclusions, limits, and terms.
Does Landscaping Insurance Cover Damage to a Customer’s Property?
General liability insurance may cover certain accidental property damage caused to a customer’s property, but it should not be assumed to cover every type of damage or the cost of correcting defective or improperly performed work. Coverage depends on what caused the loss, whose property was damaged, and the exclusions and conditions in the policy.
Are Lawn Mowers, Trimmers, and Landscaping Equipment Covered While Away From the Business?
Commercial property insurance may primarily protect equipment at a fixed business location, while inland marine or contractors’ equipment coverage may provide protection for eligible mowers, trimmers, blowers, power tools, and other equipment while being transported or used at job sites. Businesses should review whether equipment is owned, leased, rented, or borrowed and make sure the applicable limits reflect current equipment values.
Does a Landscaping Business Need Commercial Auto Insurance?
Landscaping businesses that own trucks, vans, dump trucks, or other vehicles used for business generally should consider commercial auto insurance. Coverage may include liability for covered accidents as well as physical damage coverage for eligible business vehicles. Tools or equipment carried in or on the vehicle may require separate inland marine or equipment coverage.
Are Landscaping Trailers and Equipment Inside Them Automatically Covered?
Not necessarily. A commercial auto policy may treat a trailer differently from the tools, mowers, or other equipment being transported inside or on it. Landscaping businesses should review trailer physical damage as well as inland marine or contractors’ equipment coverage so both the trailer and its contents are properly addressed.
Do Florida Landscaping Companies Need Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Florida workers’ compensation requirements depend on how the business is classified and how many employees it has. Non-construction employers generally must carry workers’ compensation when they have four or more employees, while employers classified in the construction industry generally must carry coverage with one or more employees. Because landscaping companies may perform different types of work, including irrigation or hardscaping, the business classification should be reviewed carefully.
Do Florida Landscapers Need Special Licensing to Apply Pesticides or Fertilizer?
Florida licensing and certification requirements depend on the product being applied and where it is being used. FDACS states that the Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance certification allows qualified landscape personnel to apply certain herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides to ornamental plants and plant beds, but it does not authorize pesticide applications to turf. Florida also requires certification for commercial fertilizer applicators working on qualifying residential, commercial, and public turf or ornamental areas.
Does General Liability Insurance Cover Pesticide, Herbicide, or Fertilizer Claims?
A standard general liability policy should not automatically be assumed to cover every claim involving pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, fuel, or other pollutants. Landscaping businesses that apply chemicals should review whether herbicide and pesticide liability, pollution liability, or another specialized endorsement is needed for their operations.
Do Landscaping Businesses Need Commercial Umbrella Insurance?
Commercial umbrella insurance may provide additional liability limits above qualifying underlying policies such as general liability, commercial auto liability, and employer’s liability. Landscaping companies with multiple employees or vehicles, significant customer-property exposures, large commercial contracts, or contractual insurance requirements may want to consider higher liability limits.
What Affects the Cost of Landscaping Insurance in Florida?
The cost of landscaping insurance can depend on the services performed, annual revenue, payroll, number of employees, vehicles and drivers, equipment values, claims history, selected coverage limits and deductibles, and whether the business performs higher-risk services such as tree work, hardscaping, irrigation installation, or chemical applications. Because landscaping businesses vary significantly, comparing coverage based on the company’s actual operations is more useful than relying on a general average price.
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