Landscaping contractors typically need general liability, workers compensation, commercial auto for trucks and trailers, and tools and equipment or inland marine for mowers and gear. Seasonal payroll, property damage, equipment theft, and pesticide or herbicide use are the defining exposures.
Why equipment and vehicles drive the program
A landscaper's most valuable assets are mobile: mowers, skid steers, trailers, and trucks that move and sit at jobsites and get stolen. Tools and equipment or inland marine coverage protects that gear on the move and off premises, which a standard property policy does not follow. Commercial auto covers the trucks and the trailers, and the hired and non-owned exposure when crews use their own vehicles.
Property damage and chemical exposure
Mowing throws debris, equipment hits sprinkler heads and windows, and a day's work touches many properties. General liability covers that third-party property damage. If you apply pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizer, some policies limit or exclude that exposure, so chemical-application coverage should be confirmed. Snow removal, if you do it, is often excluded and needs to be added deliberately.
Seasonal payroll and crews
Landscaping payroll swings with the season, and the mix of employees and casual labor affects both workers compensation and the audit. Accurate class codes and honest payroll reporting keep the audit from producing a surprise bill, and they keep injured workers covered. We help you classify the work correctly and plan for the seasonal swing.
How we handle it
We cover the equipment and trailers on the right form so theft and off-premises loss are protected. We confirm general liability handles property damage and review pesticide and snow exclusions. We set workers comp class codes and plan for seasonal payroll. And we add the certificates HOAs, property managers, and municipalities require.
