General Liability
The foundation of every landscaping business insurance program. What it covers, what it costs, and why most landscapers need it before their next job.
General liability insurance pays out when your work causes injury to someone else or damage to someone else's property — it does not cover your own tools, your own truck, or your own crew's injuries. For landscapers, it's the baseline almost every client, GC, and property manager expects to see before they'll let you on their property.
A homeowner trips over a hose you left across a walkway, a bystander is struck by debris kicked up by a mower, a client's employee is hurt walking through an active job site — GL covers the medical costs and legal fees tied to claims like these.
The most common landscaper claim by far: a mower throws a rock through a window, a trimmer nicks siding or a fence, a crew cuts through a buried line. GL covers repair or replacement costs, plus legal defense if it turns into a lawsuit.
Covers claims that surface after you've left the job — turf that fails from a bad install, a dead zone from a line damaged weeks earlier and only noticed later. Landscaping claims frequently show up after the fact, which makes this piece more relevant here than in trades where the work is inspected on the spot.
Covers claims like libel or slander tied to your business activity. Rare for landscapers, but standard in any GL policy.
Cutting into a buried irrigation line, sprinkler wiring, or a shallow utility line during digging, aeration, or edging work is one of the single most frequent claims this trade generates — more common than most landscapers expect until it happens on a job they've done a hundred times before. This is exactly the kind of claim that shows up on residential properties weeks after the work is done. Calling 811 before any digging work and keeping your GL current matters more in this trade than in most.
If you apply fertilizer, herbicide, or pesticide, off-target drift onto a neighbor's plants, a client's garden, or a nearby vehicle is a real and recurring claim type — separate from the mechanical damage a mower or trimmer causes. Some carriers price this exposure separately or ask about applicator licensing before quoting chemical application work — see our cost breakdown for how this factors into your premium.
GL policies carry two numbers: per occurrence (the cap on any single claim) and aggregate (the cap across all claims in a year). $1M/$2M is the common starting point for residential and small commercial work; larger commercial and municipal contracts frequently require $2M/$4M.
Fill out the quote form and our licensed agents build your GL quote — typically the same business day. Once you bind, your certificate of insurance is issued instantly.
Get your free quote
Our licensed agents build your custom quote — typically same business day.
Related Coverage
FAQ
It's required by most GCs, property managers, and commercial clients even where the state doesn't mandate it. And even without a requirement, a single irrigation-line or utility strike can cost more than years of premiums.
Yes — this is one of the most common landscaper claims. GL covers the cost of repairing damage to buried lines you strike during digging, aeration, or edging, plus legal defense if it escalates.
Generally yes, but some carriers price or underwrite chemical application separately from mowing. Tell us if fertilizer, herbicide, or pesticide application is part of your work so we match you with the right carrier.
If they're a true independent subcontractor with their own insurance, your GL may not need to extend to them. If they're working under your direction with your equipment, they may need to be on your policy — we'll help you structure it correctly.
Same-day coverage is typically available. Fill out the form today and our agents move fast. Once you bind, your COI is issued instantly.
Licensed agents build your custom quote — typically same business day. Review, enroll, and get your COI instantly.