Compare tree surgeon insurance

Insurance for tree surgeons and arborists brings together the covers you need for felling, pruning and stump work. Most firms start with public liability, then add tool cover and employers’ liability.

Quotezone lets you line up quotes from UK providers in one short form, so you can choose the covers that match your jobs.

Tree work is dangerous. HSE says chainsaws can cause fatal injuries if they are not used correctly (HSE).

What does tree surgeon insurance cover?

It’s a set of business covers rather than one fixed policy. The main parts are:

• Public liability: claims if a falling limb damages a client’s roof, car or fence, or hurts a passer-by. As business.gov.uk puts it, this protects you from claims by members of the public (business.gov.uk).
• Employers’ liability: compulsory once you take on ground staff or climbers, with a legal minimum of £5 million (GOV.UK).
• Tools and equipment: chainsaws, climbing kit, chippers and stump grinders, which fall under the equipment cover business.gov.uk describes for machinery and tools (business.gov.uk).
• Professional indemnity: worth considering if you write tree surveys or reports that clients rely on. See our professional indemnity insurance page.
• Personal accident: some policies pay a set sum if an injury stops you working.

HSE and GOV.UK guidance is written for Great Britain. Northern Ireland sets its own health and safety and employers’ liability rules, so check HSENI and your insurer if you work there.

Your van needs its own motor policy, because business covers don’t usually include vehicles. GOV.UK says any vehicle driven on UK roads must be insured (GOV.UK).

Is insurance a legal requirement for tree surgeons?

Of the business covers, only employers’ liability is compulsory, and only once you take someone on. GOV.UK says the duty starts the moment you become an employer, with a £5 million minimum bought from an authorised insurer (GOV.UK).

You can be fined £2,500 for each day you’re not properly insured (GOV.UK). Public liability isn’t a legal duty, but councils, estates and many homeowners ask to see it before you start.

Safety law applies to every job as well. HSE says the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a duty on employers and the self-employed. As far as is reasonably practicable, their work must not affect the health and safety of others (HSE).

Chainsaw training, work at height and power lines

Insurers usually ask about training, and the law sets a minimum. HSE says chainsaw operators must, by law, have adequate training for the type of work they do (HSE).

They must also wear chainsaw protective clothing whenever they use a saw (HSE). Certificates from awarding bodies such as City & Guilds NPTC or Lantra Awards are often asked for when you get a quote (HSE).

Climbing and aerial work come under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and LOLER. HSE says at least 2 people must be present during aerial work, with one ready to carry out an aerial rescue (HSE).

Near overhead lines, HSE says to ask the network operator for specialist guidance before any work within 10m (HSE). Tell your insurer if you take on utility or roadside contracts.

Protected trees and conservation areas

In England, anyone who wants to cut down, top, lop or uproot a tree under a Tree Preservation Order must first get the council’s consent (GOV.UK).

In England, certain work on trees in a conservation area needs a section 211 notice 6 weeks beforehand. Breaking these rules can lead to a fine of up to £20,000 in the magistrates’ court, or an unlimited fine in serious cases (GOV.UK).

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate tree protection rules.

A liability policy won’t pay a planning fine, so check a tree’s status before you quote for the job.

How much does tree surgeon insurance cost?

There’s no fixed price, because quotes are based on your own risk. Expect questions about:

• the jobs you take on, from hedge trimming to large fells and climbing
• your public liability limit, for example £5 million rather than £2 million
• how many people work for you and whether they climb
• the value of your saws, chippers and other kit
• your training, claims history and the excess you choose

Every premium includes Insurance Premium Tax at the standard rate of 12%, which has applied since 1 June 2017 (HMRC).

Example: a two-person garden team

This is an illustration, not a quote. Picture a climber and a groundworker who prune and fell in domestic gardens. Between them they raise both the injury risk and the value of kit at stake.

They are likely to need public liability for clients’ property, employers’ liability for the groundworker, and cover for saws and climbing gear. If they buy a stump grinder, the tools limit may need to rise.

Do I need employers’ liability for ground staff?

Usually, yes. If a groundworker or climber works for you, GOV.UK says the cover is needed from the day you employ them, apart from some close family members it lists (GOV.UK).

HSE says that family exemption is lost if the business is incorporated as a limited company (HSE). Some subcontractors may count as employees for insurance, so ask your insurer how to treat each person.

Getting quotes for tree work on Quotezone

Use one short form to describe your tree work, your team and your kit. Providers from our UK panel then come back with quotes to set side by side.

Look at exclusions, limits and policy conditions as well as the price, as business.gov.uk recommends (business.gov.uk).

Get your tree surgeon insurance quote now.

You might also need

Laying patios or cutting lawns as well? Compare landscaping insurance. And if an injury could stop you climbing, income protection insurance can replace part of your income.