The policies an irrigation business carries
Irrigation contractors dig, so a cut utility line is the claim to plan for, along with water damage from a leaking line near a foundation. Call 811 before you dig.
| Policy | Average a month |
|---|---|
| General liability | $105 |
| Tools and equipment | $53 |
| Commercial auto | $299 |
| Workers' compensation | $209 |
Averages are what Insureon's customers who are irrigation contractors pay, from Insureon's cost page; most of its customers have fewer than five employees. Across all its small business customers, general liability runs $265 to $3,030 a year.
Claims irrigation contractors plan for
- A trencher cuts a buried cable
- A leak near the foundation floods a basement
- A head sprays and damages siding or a window
- A blowout cracks a pipe
Ask your agent, in these words:
- Would my policy pay if a trencher cuts a buried cable?
- Would my policy pay if a leak near the foundation floods a basement?
- Would my policy pay if a head sprays and damages siding or a window?
- Would my policy pay if a blowout cracks a pipe?
Name the work you sell
A policy covers the work you describe on the application. From the irrigation services list, name each of these and ask whether any is excluded: new system; drip zone; smart controller; spring start-up; fall winterization; backflow test; broken head; valve repair; line break; wire troubleshooting.
Trenchers and compressors are the items to list. On the tools list, the items to list on the policy are walk-behind trencher; vibratory plow; air compressor for blowouts; backflow test kit, and from the starter kit, trenching shovels and a sod spade; pvc cutters and poly pipe cutters; multimeter; valve locator or wire tracker; pipe pullers and funny pipe tools.
State rules in the license
Irrigation work often falls under the landscaping rules. Our landscaping license guide lists the insurance and bond line for each of 31 states from the boards' own pages.
Workers' comp and bonds
The SBA says every business with employees must carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance. Insureon's average for irrigation contractors is $209 a month, priced per $100 of payroll. A bond protects the state or the customer, not you; Insureon puts its yearly cost at a share of the bond amount:
| Bond amount | Estimated yearly cost |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $25 to $500 |
| $10,000 | $50 to $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $250 to $5,000 |
Certificates of insurance
HOAs and commercial properties ask for a certificate. Keep a PDF on your phone so you can send it the day they ask.
Sources
- Insureon: Insurance cost for irrigation contractors, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: General liability insurance cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: Workers' compensation insurance cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: Surety bond cost, checked October 9, 2026
- SBA: Get business insurance, checked October 9, 2026
- Koira: Landscaping and Irrigation license requirements by state (each row lists its board sources), checked October 9, 2026
- 811: What is 811, checked October 8, 2026
Last checked October 9, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.