Your guide to landscape gardeners' insurance

Landscape gardening can be a lucrative trade business but is one with many potential risks. This article looks at the types of landscape gardeners’ insurance available that can protect you, staff, customers and the public.

What is landscape gardeners' insurance?

As a trade professional already working, you’re probably already aware of the importance of having landscape gardeners insurance. Insurance is there to provide protection should things go wrong. It can be an important financial ‘safety net’, especially for smaller businesses.

The question is, do you have the right types of insurance?

Every trade is different and faces different risks. Having the right insurance can provide peace of mind. Landscape insurance options are there to offer a broad range of cover aimed at your trade.

How landscape gardening insurance works

After agreeing on the type of cover and taking out a policy, you make regular premiums to your insurer.

• There will be a set period of cover outlined in any contract (typically a year)

• Payments are either set monthly or annually

• Insurers will pay out on valid claims within the terms of the contract

• Some use a specialist insurance broker or their financial adviser

It’s very important that you check carefully exactly what your insurance does – and does not – cover. That means thoroughly checking your policy documents and questioning the insurer on anything that's not clear.

The insurance you buy can range from general business insurance to more specialised areas, such as landscape architect professional indemnity insurance.

Why you need landscape gardening insurance

For a trade business, landscapers insurance can provide you with peace of mind should things go wrong.

When looking for the right cover, you need to consider insurance that protects:

• You

• Your staff and contractors working for you

• Your customers

• The public

• Your equipment

Landscape gardeners’ insurance can offer:

• Financial protection by paying out on valid claims

• Advice should you need it to help with claims made against you or your trade business

As a business, you are required to have certain types of cover in place. For example, as a Checkatrade member, you are required to have public liability insurance, which we monitor as part of our ongoing checks.

Starting your Checkatrade journey

Why should tradespeople join Checkatrade? Checkatrade is making it easier for reputable tradespeople to find work and take on more projects. In 2024 alone, there were over 22 million searches for skilled trade jobs on the Checkatrade website.* It highlights how popular the service has become with British homeowners.

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What risks do landscape gardeners face that may need insurance?

Sharp tools and powered equipment are essentials for most types of gardening work.

Gardeners generally work outside, so weather-related hazards will also apply. The hazards and risks you face can increase in poor weather conditions.

Another factor is that gardeners often work all year round. It’s not just a trade for the spring and summer. In fact, lots of gardening activities take place during the winter months.

• You may be working at a height

• You might have to lift heavy objects

Both can lead to unexpected accidents that you may be able to claim for on your landscape insurance.

What level of landscape gardeners' insurance do you need?

This depends on your trade business. Think about the following when deciding what landscape gardening insurance you need:

• The types of jobs you do

• The size of your business in terms of turnover

• How many staff or contractors you are responsible for

• The amounts you might need to claim on your insurance policy

Getting started in landscape gardening

As someone already working in the area, you'll know that landscape gardening can pay well.

Whether you are an employee, sole trader or run your own business, it can be rewarding. It’s also the type of outdoor work the delivers a high degree of personal satisfaction and wellbeing.

So, starting a new business is a key time to start thinking about landscape gardeners insurance. When you're setting out, having cover is essential to protect your livelihood.

How to start a landscape business

As a landscaper, you're no stranger to putting in the hard graft. However, knowing how to start a landscape business by yourself requires another set of skills entirely. Being employed by someone else offers a safety net, whereas starting your own landscaping business let’s you benefit from your own

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Types of landscape gardeners’ insurance

Let’s look at how you can protect your business, your staff and your business assets.

Here are some of the main types of insurance you could consider:

Public liability insurance for landscape gardeners

Public liability insurance (PLI) for landscape gardeners offers cover for damages to property owned by a member of the public. It also covers accidental injuries that may happen to members of the public.

It stands to reason:

• Landscape gardening can often involve you working on or near someone’s property

• You probably use tools and equipment that cause injuries

• You could also be operating in areas where the public can be nearby

Public liability insurance for landscape gardeners can bring you peace of mind about these risks to your business.

We check that tradespeople have PLI before they can become an approved Checkatrade member. As a result, we help our members with savings on public liability insurance. Log in to our Member’s Area to see all the latest deals.

Checkatrade members save 20% on public liability insurance with Superscript

The right insurance is just as essential as the tools of your trade. It can protect you and your livelihood from any incidents. It can also provide cover for your clients should anything happen while you're on site. You might be thinking that "insurance is expensive!" So, to help you get covered for

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Employers’ liability insurance

If you have employees, then you’re probably responsible if they are injured at work.

This insurance can pay legal costs and compensation in the unfortunate event of an injury.

As well as accidents and injuries, employers’ liability insurance can also include death and long-term injuries.

Tools, equipment and machinery insurance

Landscape gardening is a trade that relies on lots of different types of equipment. If items get broken or stolen, it could hold you back.

These could include:

• Rakes and hoes

• Spades and shovels

• Wheelbarrows

• Pruning sheers

Powered equipment can include:

• Lawnmowers

• Hedge trimmers

• Strimmers

• Leaf blowers

• Chainsaws

For larger jobs, landscape gardeners are likely to need to use expensive mechanised assets, such as:

• Ride-on mowers

• Tractors

• Diggers

Consider tools insurance for your business if you either own the equipment or have hired it. Hiring companies often insistent that you insure assets you hire.

Everything you need to know about tools insurance

Not having the tools you need for a job is more than just frustrating. It can quickly put a dent in your profits if you have to delay or cancel work. Why tradespeople should consider tools insurance Stolen, lost or damaged tools can be an unfortunate fact of life for tradespeople. It can happen

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Vehicle insurance

For many landscape gardeners, a vehicle is often essential. Not only to travel to jobs but to carry a wide range of bulky and often heavy equipment.

If your services include taking away garden waste materials, then a trailer might be another important business asset.

Stock and materials insurance

A characteristic of landscape gardening is using a wide range of materials. Keeping stocks of flowers, plants and other items is also important.

Having stock insurance can provide financial compensation for loss or damage to a range of materials, including:

• Plants

• Turf

• Stone, rocks, bricks and paving slabs

You may need to store bulky items off-site from your customers and away from your business premises. Always check that it is covered by an insurance policy.

Landscape architect professional indemnity insurance

Next up on our list is a landscape gardeners’ insurance category you might not immediately consider. Landscape architect professional indemnity insurance can be important in cases where customers complain about your work.

It's an insurance any landscape gardener could benefit from having. Your trade business could hit problems due to:

• Poor workmanship

• Disputes about the services and work you provide

• Mistakes or errors in your gardening work

Income protection insurance

If you’re self-employed or a sole trader, you could face real financial difficulties if you can’t earn money. Income protection insurance is a very practical financial solution that can help if that happens.

A policy should give you regular payments if you’re off work. The amount will depend on your policy and how much cover you have. It could be around half to two-thirds of your regular pre-tax earnings.

Cyber security insurance

Landscape gardeners’ insurance largely covers all the practical aspects of this trade. But one increasingly dangerous business risk is through using computers.

Even landscape gardeners probably rely heavily on technology. This could be to market your business, communicate with customers, send invoices and receive payments.

Cyber security aims to provide compensation for many types of cyber security problems. If your business is hacked you might not be able to trade. A cyber security attack could put you in an impossible financial position.

What’s the cost of landscape gardeners’ insurance?

The key when considering landscape insurance is making sure you buy exactly what your trade business needs.

Make sure you don’t buy too much – or too little – cover.

Our article is designed to give you a list of different insurance to consider, you’ll need to decide on what your business needs.

Choose the right package of insurance cover

Most insurers offer smaller businesses some flexibility in their products. That means you can add more products or higher levels of cover whenever you need.

Once you’ve chosen the landscape gardening insurance you need, keep an eye on it as your business grows. That way, you ensure you always have the right level of insurance cover.

Budget for your insurance payments

Landscape gardening can be a seasonal business. Perhaps aim to match paying insurance premiums with when your income is higher. Insurers can offer flexible terms but make sure to check with your provider.

Typically, insurance is paid monthly or annually.

Be careful to check whether the price is higher if you pay monthly. It might cost you less to pay an annual premium up-front in full rather than spreading out payments.

Summary

• Landscape gardening can pay well but has business risks that you need to consider

• Landscape gardeners’ insurance can provide some protection against these risks

• Landscape gardening insurance can cover your business and staff as well as claims against you from customers and the public

• Choose the right package of gardening insurance to suit your type of trade business so you only pay for what you need

• Select an insurer who offers flexibility and payment terms that suit you