Your guide to getting gardener insurance

Insuring your gardening business

It might not seem like it, but the gardening trade can come with just as many risks as other careers. Lifting, digging, and using chainsaws – the potential for injuries both big and small is always a possibility when working outside.

On top of this, you may also be required to work in public areas like parks and communal green areas. In this case, insurance will be essential in order to cover any claims made against you by a third party.

Therefore, it’s always a smart move to invest in gardener insurance to ensure you and your business are protected.

With the right know-how, you can quickly pull together a comprehensive policy that will cover all areas of your business.

Does a gardener need insurance?

Although having gardener insurance is not a legal requirement, it’s a sound investment to make against unforeseen circumstances.

Not only that, but customers are more likely to trust gardeners with insurance as it shows you’re a responsible person.

While it’s a hobby that we can all enjoy, gardening involves plenty of tasks that could incur injury. So, we recommend getting a policy in place as soon as possible before you start any sort of work.

Examples of why you might need gardeners’ insurance

Any tradesperson knows that accidents can and will happen while on the job. And without the right cover, they can seriously impact your business.

The following examples are several scenarios where having gardener insurance could save you financially:

• If you cause damage to a customer’s property when using chainsaws to cut down tree branches
• If your tools, vehicle, or materials are stolen while at work or in storage
• If you are working in a public park, garden, or shared communal space and a member of the public injures themselves because of your equipment
• If you carry out complicated landscaping work involving heavy-duty machinery, and heavy materials, such as slabs, concrete, and gravel

These are just a few specific examples, and there are plenty of other scenarios out there that could occur. But with the right gardeners’ insurance, you can ensure that any financial costs associated with them are covered.

What insurance does a self-employed gardener need?

When looking at gardener insurance. It’s important to think about what you need to protect in your business. There are plenty of insurance types out there and not all of them are necessary for each trade.

However, as a general rule of thumb, the types of insurance you’ll want to consider for a gardening business include:

• Public liability insurance – especially important to have no matter where you work, public liability insurance will protect you against claims made by a third party for injuries and damages in relation to your work
• Employers’ liability insurance – a legal requirement for anyone with their own staff, employers’ liability insurance will provide financial cover in case one of your employees is injured at work
• Plant, tools, and equipment insurance – whether hired or personally owned, protecting your tools and equipment from theft and damage will go a long way towards mitigating the problems caused by this sort of complication
• Personal accident insurance – if you’re injured at work, it could put you out of action for weeks. Personal accident insurance will make sure that you’re financially covered if this occurs
• Professional indemnity insurance – not all claims made against trade businesses relate to injury. If a third party accuses you of professional negligence, having professional indemnity insurance will help to cover any associated legal costs
• Vehicle insurance – much like your tools, your work vehicle is an essential part of your business. Therefore, insuring it against damage and theft will help to reduce the amount of time you’re unable to work

We suggest looking at all of these to find the best insurance for you. Once you’ve picked these, you can then speak to an insurance broker.

They’ll combine all your policies together into one packet to save on making multiple monthly payments.

Gardening business insurance cost

Gardener insurance costs will vary depending on various factors relating to your business. These can differ from company to company, making it hard to provide an exact gardening insurance cost.

However, the more factors you need to account for, the higher your insurance quote is likely to be. Below are just a few examples of factors that could impact the price of your insurance quote:

• The level of cover included in the policy
• The type of cover you need
• The type of gardening work you do (landscaping, maintenance, commercial, public, etc…)
• Whether you work solo or employ a team of gardeners
• Where you work
• The amount of work you do
• Any previous insurance claims
• Whether you regularly sub-contract areas of your gardening projects

Save money on your gardener insurance with Checkatrade

With all that covered, you should now have a good idea of what’s involved in acquiring gardeners’ insurance. But did you know that Checkatrade members get 20% off public liability insurance through our partners?

If you want to save money on your gardener’s insurance, it’s an excellent idea to become a Checkatrade member. Simply log in to our Member’s Area today to check our latest deals!

Customisable to your needs, you can also add optional extra cover to your policy. These include employers’ liability insurance, materials and equipment cover, contract cover, and more!

Reach out to the Checkatrade team today to learn more about joining our ranks.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our trades blog as well for more articles like this one. We have pieces on how much gardeners earn, how to start a gardening business, and how much landscapers can earn.

Gardener insurance FAQs

Is it mandatory to have gardener insurance?

As mentioned above, working as a gardener can be a dangerous occupation. Therefore, it is always sensible to have the required level of insurance cover for the work you’re doing.

That said, gardening business insurance isn’t a legal requirement unless you have employees. In that case, you’ll legally have to get employers’ liability insurance.

Do I need sub-contractor insurance

Sometimes gardeners need to sub-contract certain work, such as groundwork or the laying of foundations. If this is the case, then all subcontractors you employ should be able to provide evidence of their insurance.