Lawn Care Business Insurance

Some of the top factors that affect the cost of lawn care business insurance include:

• Lawn care services you offer: It'll cost less to insure a business that focuses on planting and yard cleanup than one that does extensive landscaping projects or tree trimming.
• Annual revenue: In general, businesses that earn more revenue are associated with costlier claims, which means they pay more for insurance.
• Number of employees: A bigger workforce means an increased risk of accidents and injuries, which raises the cost of general liability, workers' comp, and similar policies.
• Property value and condition: The age, condition, and value of your building and landscaping equipment will determine how much it costs to insure them.
• Business location: Localized factors, such as crime rate, healthcare costs, foot traffic, risk of natural disasters, and property values, can impact your insurance premiums.
• Risk management: Insurance companies may offer lower rates to lawn care businesses that have well-trained staff, routine maintenance, and strong safety measures.
• Policy limits and deductibles: Higher limits cost more but cover more expensive claims. Policies with higher deductibles are also less expensive, but you need to pay the deductible before your policy will cover a claim.
• Claims history: A lawn care company that has filed an insurance claim in the past will cost more to insure than one with a clean claims history.

Though some landscaping businesses offer snow and ice removal during the winter, others only operate during the warmer months of the year. In the latter case, it's possible to buy short-term liability insurance or seasonal insurance to cover costly accidents and qualify for contracts during the time when you're operational.

However, there are several reasons to opt for year-round coverage instead:

• It's expensive to stop and start coverage. Businesses that cancel their policies may see increased premiums or have difficulty restarting coverage, as it's a red flag for insurers.
• It may cost more in the long run. Going without insurance leaves you exposed to costly risks. For example, a fire at a storage locker during the off-season could destroy leaf blowers and other valuable equipment, which you'd need to replace out of pocket.
• Some policies won't provide coverage. Occurrence-based policies like general liability continue to cover incidents that happened while you were insured, but that's not the case for claims-made policies like professional liability insurance, which must be kept active to provide protection.

In addition to liability and equipment coverage, you'll need workers' compensation to comply with state laws and protect your employees from work-related medical bills. A good option for seasonal businesses is pay-as-you-go workers' compensation, which has flexible premiums based on the number of workers in each payroll cycle.

Even when you work alone, it's important to protect your finances with workers' comp and other types of insurance. Otherwise, a single accident or lawsuit could financially devastate your business and your personal assets.

Lawn care contractors may need additional types of business insurance depending on their unique risks or requirements.

Here are some business insurance options to consider:

• Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) insurance provides auto liability insurance for personal, leased, and rented vehicles used by your business. A lawn care worker who drives their own pickup truck to clients' properties should carry HNOA, since a personal auto insurance policy won't cover business use.
• Business interruption insurance helps your lawn care company recover from a temporary closure due to a burst pipe or other covered property claim. It's also called business income insurance.
• Business personal property (BPP) coverage can be added to your general liability policy to protect business property stored at a designated location, such as lawn mowers kept at a storage unit.
• Professional liability insurance helps pay legal defense costs if a homeowner sues your company for professional negligence, such as installing the wrong type of sod. It's also called errors and omissions (E&O) insurance.
• Commercial umbrella insurance boosts the protection of your general liability, commercial auto, and employer's liability insurance, activating when the limit is reached on the underlying policy.
• Cyber insurance helps businesses recover financially after a cyberattack or data breach by paying for incident investigations and the cost of complying with state data breach laws.
• Pesticide or herbicide applicator coverage offers liability protection for pesticides or herbicides applied by your business, which is otherwise excluded from general liability coverage. You can add it as an endorsement to your general liability policy.

It's easy to find affordable business insurance with Insureon. Our easy online application lets you compare quotes from trusted insurance companies to find policies that fit your budget and your unique risks.

Other ways for lawn care companies to save money on insurance include:

• Bundle policies. You can often save money when you purchase two or more types of coverage in one package, such as a business owner's policy.
• Customize your coverage options. Choose lower limits or a higher deductible to reduce your premium, but make sure your coverage limits are sufficient to cover a claim and that you can afford to pay the deductible in a crisis.
• Avoid accidents and insurance claims. Policyholders can prevent employee injuries and customer accidents that lead to claims by training employees on safe techniques and ensuring they wear gloves and other protection. A clean claims history helps keep your premium low.

Our insurance agents can help you find the right insurance solutions for your business needs at a price you can afford.