The policies a landscaping business carries
A rock thrown by a mower through a window, a trimmer line that marks a car, a trip over a hose: landscaping claims are usually small but frequent. Chemical application adds its own rules where you are licensed to spray.
| Policy | Average a month |
|---|---|
| General liability | $51 |
| Tools and equipment | $38 |
| Commercial auto | $204 |
| Workers' compensation | $169 |
| Surety or license bond | $9 |
| Commercial umbrella | $88 |
Averages are what Insureon's customers who are landscaping businesses 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 landscapers plan for
- A mower throws a rock through a patio door
- A trimmer marks a parked car
- A chemical drifts onto a neighbor's garden where you apply
- A customer trips over a hose left on the walk
Ask your agent, in these words:
- Would my policy pay if a mower throws a rock through a patio door?
- Would my policy pay if a trimmer marks a parked car?
- Would my policy pay if a chemical drifts onto a neighbor's garden where you apply?
- Would my policy pay if a customer trips over a hose left on the walk?
Name the work you sell
A policy covers the work you describe on the application. From the landscaping services list, name each of these and ask whether any is excluded: weekly mowing, small lot; shrub and hedge trimming; mulch refresh; bed weeding and edging; seasonal color planting; dethatching; soil test and ph correction; sod repair; french drain, shallow; artificial turf, polyethylene; planting beds; sod install; land clearing, brush and small growth.
Mowers, trimmers and trailers are the gear most often stolen, so list them on the tools policy. On the tools list, the items to list on the policy are zero-turn or stand-on mower; chainsaw; sod cutter, tiller or mini skid steer rental; pole pruner; spreader and sprayer; enclosed trailer, and from the starter kit, commercial walk-behind mower; string trimmer; backpack blower; hedge trimmer; open landscape trailer with ramp.
State rules in the license
These are the insurance and bond lines in each state's landscaping license rules, from our landscaping license guide, which reads each state board's own pages. 13 of the 31 states we cover set an insurance or bond rule in the license itself. Click a state for the full license steps.
| State | Insurance in the license rules | Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Workers' compensation as required, plus liability insurance of at least $20,000 property damage, $50,000 injury to one person and $100,000 injury to more than one person. Contractors whose every project is $2,500 or less are exempt from the liability insurance rule. | $10,000 for a specialty contractor. |
| Delaware | You give your workers' compensation policy for Delaware when you apply. | Not set in the license rules we checked |
| Idaho | General liability of at least $300,000 single limit, and workers' compensation or a statement of why it is not needed. | Not set in the license rules we checked |
| Illinois | General liability of at least $100,000 per occurrence, bodily injury of $300,000 per occurrence, property damage of $50,000, and workers' compensation of $500,000. | A $20,000 indemnification bond, or a letter of credit for the same amount. |
| Maryland | Proof of $50,000 liability insurance with the application. | Applicants who do not meet the financial solvency guidelines can buy a surety bond or use an indemnitor. |
| Mississippi | Not set in the license rules we checked | A surety bond of at least $1,000. |
| Nebraska | Contractors with one or more employees file a current workers' compensation certificate with the Department of Labor listed as holder. | Not set in the license rules we checked |
| North Dakota | A certificate of liability insurance listing the Secretary of State as holder, plus workers' compensation proof from WSI if you have employees in North Dakota. | Not set in the license rules we checked |
| Pennsylvania | At least $50,000 of personal injury liability and $50,000 of property damage coverage. | Not set in the license rules we checked |
| Rhode Island | A $500,000 certificate of liability insurance naming the board as certificate holder, plus workers' compensation if you have employees. | Not set in the license rules we checked |
| Tennessee | Home improvement licensees need general liability and workers' compensation. | Home improvement license: a $10,000 surety bond or other financial security. |
| Utah | General liability of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 total, with DOPL as certificate holder, plus workers' compensation. | Not set in the license rules we checked |
| Washington | General liability of $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or a $250,000 combined single limit, with L&I listed as certificate holder. | A $15,000 continuous contractor surety bond for specialty contractors. |
States not listed either leave insurance to cities and counties or set no rule in the license. Your city, your customers and your contracts can still ask for more.
Workers' comp and bonds
The SBA says every business with employees must carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance. Insureon's average for landscaping businesses is $169 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, commercial properties and property managers ask for a certificate before the first visit. Keep a PDF on your phone so you can send it the day they ask.
Sources
- Insureon: Insurance cost for landscaping businesses, 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
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.