Commercial auto insurance for landscaping businesses

Your employees may be skilled drivers, but accidents can happen to anyone. A collision could lead to another motorist getting injured, or your landscaping truck or van being totaled.

An auto accident could cost your small business thousands of dollars, especially if someone is hurt. Compare that to the average commercial auto insurance premium of about $200 per month for landscaping businesses, and it’s easy to see why a commercial auto liability policy is the better deal.

Commercial auto insurance can help pay for lawsuits, property damage, and medical costs that arise from an accident involving a company vehicle. It also covers theft and vehicle damage from weather events and vandalism.

As a landscaping business owner, this policy can be tailored to fit your needs. For example, a tree service bucket truck that is used only occasionally may need less coverage than a pickup truck that transports tools on a daily basis.

Company-owned vehicles such as tree trimming trucks or a lawn care company’s fleet of vans must be covered by commercial auto insurance.

Commercial auto insurance may be required if you:

• Operate a bucket truck, chipper truck, or other machinery
• Transport tools and equipment
• Send employees on errands during work hours

State regulations determine how much coverage you need. Your commercial auto insurance must meet your state’s liability insurance requirements.

You can tailor your commercial auto insurance policy to match the needs of your sprinkler installation company, lawn mowing company, or other landscaping business.

This policy typically covers:

If your landscape design firm or other lawn care business is sued over an auto accident, legal expenses can pile up fast. You may also have to pay a settlement or court-ordered judgment.

If an accident injures the driver of your landscaping business vehicle or any passengers, your policy can cover the cost of medical care and help you avoid financial loss.

Collision coverage pays for damage to your truck or other work vehicle, regardless of who is at fault.

This coverage pays for damage caused by uninsured drivers.

Comprehensive insurance covers non-collision damages, including fire, theft, and vandalism.

Commercial auto insurance only covers business-owned vehicles, but sometimes employees drive their own cars for business errands. Personal auto policies almost always exclude coverage for business use.

Hired and non-owned auto insurance (HNOA) provides liability coverage for landscaping experts who get into an accident while driving a personal vehicle to conduct company business. It also covers leased and rented vehicles.

While commercial auto insurance is a must-have for small businesses that depend on a landscaping truck or van, it does not cover risks beyond those related to your vehicle.

Landscaping small business owners should also consider the following types of lawn care insurance policies and bonds:

General liability insurance: This policy covers expenses related to customer bodily injuries and damage to a client's property, such as accidental damage to a customer's fence.

Business owner's policy (BOP): A BOP bundles general liability coverage with commercial property insurance at a discount. It includes coverage for fires, theft, and other common losses.

Workers’ compensation insurance: Workers' compensation coverage is required in most states for businesses with employees. If a lawn care professional hurts their back while loading equipment or develops an illness from prolonged exposure to pesticides, workers’ comp would pay for their medical expenses as well as partial lost wages.

Contractor’s tools and equipment insurance: A type of inland marine insurance, this policy repairs or replaces a landscaping contractor’s business property if it is lost, stolen, or damaged while in transit or stored off-site like at a job site.

Cyber insurance: This type of insurance policy helps landscaping companies recover financially from data breaches and cyberattacks. It covers customer notification costs, cyberextortion payments, and other expenses related to a cyber incident.

License and permit bonds: Landscaping professionals might need a surety bond to get a license in their state, or to do specific types of work.

Mobile equipment endorsement: A mobile equipment endorsement extends your auto insurance coverage to include “non-auto” mobile equipment, such as an excavator or other earthmoving gear, while they are being driven on a public road.

Are you ready to safeguard your landscaping business with commercial auto insurance?

Complete Insureon’s easy online application to compare quotes from top U.S. insurance companies. A licensed insurance agent is available to discuss your auto coverage options, landscaping insurance costs, and any other questions you may have related to small business insurance and your specific insurance needs.

Once you find the landscaping insurance policies that fit your unique business needs, you can begin coverage and get a certificate of insurance in less than 24 hours, offering instant peace of mind.