Gardening Business Insurance

Yes, even gardeners who work independently should invest in business insurance.

Here's why gardeners, lawn care businesses, and landscape designers typically buy insurance:

• Lawsuits are expensive. If a customer trips over a rake left in their yard and suffers an injury, the result could be a costly lawsuit. Insurance pays for attorney's fees and other legal costs, giving you peace of mind to focus on your work.
• State laws often require insurance. If your business owns a vehicle, then you likely need commercial auto insurance to comply with the laws in your state. Similarly, most states require businesses with employees to carry workers' compensation coverage, which covers employee medical costs and disability benefits.
• Insurance attracts clients. Customers often look for landscaping companies that are bonded and insured, especially when your workers will be on their property. In fact, some clients might require it.
• It protects your business operations. Incidents like theft of a lawnmower or a fire at your office could disrupt your business or even force you to close. Business insurance covers unexpected incidents, so you can get back to business fast.

Whether you need a license depends on where you work and the type of services you provide.

Here are a few examples of when you might need a license, permit, or other qualification:

• Your state requires a landscaping license. You might need a landscaper's license to work on larger or higher value projects. For example, gardeners in California who do landscaping or irrigation work valued at $1,000 or more must get a C-27 Landscaping Contractor license.
• You do other kinds of projects. If you install fences, pour concrete patios, or take on other types of handyman work, you might need a general contractor's license to comply with state regulations.
• You apply pesticides. State laws usually require businesses that apply pesticides to get licensed or certified to ensure they're using them safely and in accordance with regulations.

Specific scenarios might necessitate other types of permits. For instance, you might need a permit to remove a tree or install a retaining wall. That will depend on the laws in your city and county, in addition to state laws, so make sure to do a little research before taking on bigger projects.

Landscape gardeners may need additional types of insurance as part of a comprehensive risk management plan.

Here are some other important policies to consider:

• Professional liability insurance pays for legal fees related to professional negligence, such as failure to complete a garden by a deadline, or plantings that don't match a homeowner's specifications. It's also called errors and omissions insurance (E&O).
• Commercial property insurance covers your building and its contents, such as office furniture, computers, and tools stored at your primary location. It protects against financial losses from fires, storms, and burglaries.
• Equipment breakdown coverage helps pay for repairs or replacement when a piece of equipment breaks down unexpectedly due to mechanical or electrical failure.
• Business interruption insurance, also called business income insurance, covers lost revenue and other expenses should a covered event, like a fire or storm, temporarily close your business. It can usually be added to your commercial property insurance as an endorsement.
• Inland marine insurance protects your gardening business's tools and equipment while they're in transit, at a jobsite, or stored off-site. It's a "floater" policy that goes wherever the insured property goes.