Landscape Business Insurance
Getting insurance for your landscape business is essential.
Landscape design businesses need to be protected against things like claims of breaches of contract, property damage, and professional negligence.
For example, an employee damages a customer’s garden while executing a design, or a customer claims that your business didn’t execute the agreed-upon design.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Landscape Business
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for landscape design businesses.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
Alongside this, there are numerous complementary policies that are also useful for landscape businesses, such as:
- Commercial property insurance: Protects your business real estate, and its contents, in the event of a covered loss (e.g., a fire or natural disaster).
- Commercial auto insurance: Since losses related to your business are not covered by personal auto coverage, this policy is required to make sure your business’s vehicles are protected if they are involved in an accident.
- Inland marine insurance: Extends protection to the tools and equipment of your business when used off-site.
You are usually able to acquire coverage for your business from one of two types of vendors:
- Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — Those with physical premises (e.g., offices and a storefront) as well as agents to advise you.
- Online insurers — Those without physical premises that operate entirely online (e.g., Tivly and Next). This is the preferred option for small businesses, as their online business structure enables them to offer far more affordable rates.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, landscape design businesses in America spend between $450 - $750 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a landscape design business to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Discover the best coverage at the lowest rate in our affordable business insurance review.
Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Landscape Business
Example 1: A thief breaks into your yard and your guard dog bites him. He threatens a lawsuit if his medical bills are not paid for. General liability insurance could cover his medical costs.
Example 2: A potential customer visits your office to get ideas for an upcoming project. While there, she trips over a display of rocks, breaking her wrist. General liability insurance should cover her medical bills, and additional costs, should she decide to sue.
Example 3: While delivering a boulder for a design project, your employee loses control of it, causing damage to several sections of the driveway. General liability insurance should pay to repair the damage.
Other Types of Coverage Landscape Design Businesses Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial property insurance provides coverage for owned buildings and their contents, should a covered loss occur. You should discuss your business model and financial responsibilities with an insurance agent to protect your business investments.
Commercial property insurance is generally purchased as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP).
Commercial Auto Insurance
Personal auto policies exclude business-related losses; it may be necessary to purchase a commercial auto policy. Depending upon the coverages written, this policy could cover the cost to repair or replace owned autos, medical payments, and liability damages.
Many choose to carry only the minimum limits required by the state, but this leaves many underinsured. For this reason, purchasing limits higher than the state-mandated minimums is often recommended.
Commercial auto insurance is available as part of a business owners’ policy (BOP) or as a standalone policy.
Inland Marine Insurance
If you and your team take business-owned tools and equipment offsite, an inland marine policy may be necessary. Commercial property insurance covers against loss at the insured location but limits the coverage while in transit or at another property. Inland Marine Insurance fills this coverage gap.
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Once your business has grown enough to hire a team, your state will require a workers' compensation policy. This covers medical bills associated with an on-the-job injury, employee lost wages, and legal representation for the business owner, in the case of a lawsuit.
You can purchase workers' compensation insurance as a standalone policy.
Business Interruption insurance
If you experience a commercial property loss, your business could face a serious financial setback. Business interruption insurance provides loss of income and fixed expense coverage and assists in moving the insured to a temporary location while their claim is being settled.
This insurance is generally offered as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) package.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your landscape business:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Landscape Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
Obtaining business insurance for your landscape design business before it starts is essential. Without it, the risks your business faces can cause some serious financial consequences.
Furthermore, you may have to pay hefty fines if you neglect to obtain specific insurance policies when you are legally obligated to do so (e.g., commercial auto insurance).
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your landscape design business insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.