If you run a landscaping business, you're already thinking about mower maintenance, client schedules, and seasonal staffing. But here's something that should be just as high on your priority list: general liability insurance. One flying rock from your trimmer, one client who trips over your hose, one window shattered by debris—and you could be facing a lawsuit that wipes out everything you've built.
General liability (GL) insurance is the foundation of protection for landscaping companies. It covers the accidents that happen despite your best efforts—bodily injuries to clients or bystanders, damage to customer property, and the legal costs that come with defending yourself when something goes wrong. For most landscapers, it's not just smart business insurance—it's a requirement for landing commercial contracts.
Why Landscaping Businesses Need General Liability Insurance
Landscaping is inherently risky work. You're operating powerful equipment near people's homes, cars, and outdoor living spaces. You're working on uneven terrain, around irrigation systems, near swimming pools and patios. Accidents happen, even to the most careful crews.
Consider these real examples from 2025 claims data: A landscaper operating a riding mower hit a rock that flew out and shattered a second-floor window, resulting in a $626 claim. Another crew member using a weed whacker near a driveway kicked up debris that cracked a homeowner's car windshield—a $3,500 claim. In a more serious incident, a 25-year-old woman stepped into a hole left after shrub removal that was loosely covered with grass, spraining her ankle and requiring an emergency room visit. A different customer tripped over an edger left in the yard and fractured their wrist, with medical bills totaling $6,400 plus legal defense costs.
Without general liability insurance, you'd pay for all of this out of pocket—the property repairs, the medical bills, the attorney fees if the injured party sues. For many small landscaping businesses, a single serious claim could mean bankruptcy. GL insurance steps in to cover these costs, protecting your business assets and personal finances.
What General Liability Insurance Covers for Landscapers
General liability insurance for landscaping businesses covers third-party bodily injury and property damage. Here's what that means in practice:
Bodily injury coverage kicks in when someone who isn't your employee gets hurt because of your landscaping operations. A homeowner trips over your equipment, a neighbor gets struck by flying debris, a passerby slips on grass clippings your crew left on a sidewalk—GL insurance covers their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. It also pays for your legal defense if they sue, which is increasingly common. According to recent data, attorney representation for GL bodily injury claims increased to 17.2% in 2023, up from 14.1% the previous year.
Property damage coverage handles accidents where your work damages someone else's property. You back your truck into a client's garage door. Your mower throws a rock through a window. You accidentally cut an underground utility line or irrigation pipe. You damage a client's outdoor kitchen countertop while mowing nearby. All of these scenarios fall under property damage coverage, and your GL policy pays to repair or replace what was damaged.
Your policy also includes coverage for personal and advertising injury, which protects you if you're accused of slander, libel, copyright infringement, or false advertising. And importantly, GL insurance covers your legal defense costs, which can run into tens of thousands of dollars even if you win the case.
Standard Coverage Limits for Landscaping Operations
The industry standard for landscaping general liability insurance is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Here's what those numbers mean: The per-occurrence limit is the maximum your insurer will pay for any single incident. So if one claim maxes out at $1 million, that's your ceiling for that particular accident. The aggregate limit is the total your insurer will pay for all claims during your policy period, typically one year.
According to 2025 industry data, 94% of landscaping businesses choose the $1 million/$2 million structure. This coverage level satisfies most commercial contract requirements and provides solid protection for standard landscaping operations. Some policies offer lower limits starting at $300,000 per occurrence, but these rarely meet client requirements and leave you vulnerable to catastrophic claims.
If you work with high-value commercial clients—think upscale HOAs, corporate campuses, or luxury estates—you may need higher limits. Some large commercial clients demand $2 million per occurrence or even umbrella policies that extend your coverage to $5 million or more. Your insurance agent can help you determine the right limits based on your client mix and contract requirements.
Certificates of Insurance and Additional Insured Requirements
Here's something many new landscapers don't expect: buying the insurance is only half the battle. You'll also need to provide certificates of insurance (COIs) to your commercial clients, and you'll often need to add them as additional insureds on your policy.
A certificate of insurance is a one-page document that proves you carry coverage. It shows your policy limits, effective dates, and covered operations. Most commercial clients—property management companies, HOAs, municipalities, condo associations—won't let you start work until they have a current COI on file. Many require you to submit an updated certificate every year when your policy renews. Smart practice: request digital copies from your insurer as soon as you buy your policy, and set a calendar reminder 60 days before renewal to get updated COIs sent to all your clients.
Additional insured endorsements are another common requirement. When you add a client as an additional insured, they get covered under your policy for claims arising from your work. For example, if a homeowner trips on your equipment and sues both you and the property management company you work for, your GL policy would defend both of you. These endorsements typically cost $25 to $50 per client, though you can often buy a blanket additional insured endorsement that covers all clients where it's contractually required—a much more affordable option if you work with multiple commercial accounts.
What General Liability Insurance Costs for Landscaping Businesses
According to 2025 data, landscaping businesses pay an average of $51 per month—about $610 annually—for general liability insurance with standard $1 million/$2 million limits. But there's significant variation: 48% of landscaping companies pay less than $50 per month, while 79% pay less than $100 per month. The typical range runs from $37 to $71 monthly, or roughly $500 to $1,500 per year.
Several factors affect your premium. Your annual revenue is the biggest driver—insurers typically charge a percentage of your sales because higher revenue means more jobs and more exposure to claims. Your location matters too, as insurance costs vary by state due to different lawsuit climates and average claim costs. The services you offer also play a role. Basic mowing and trimming carry lower risk than tree removal, hardscaping, or chemical applications. Your claims history counts heavily—businesses with previous GL claims pay significantly higher premiums than those with clean records.
Many landscapers bundle general liability with property coverage in a business owner's policy (BOP), which averages $94 per month or $1,130 annually. This combo policy typically saves you 10-15% compared to buying coverages separately, and it adds protection for your equipment, vehicles (if they're insured under a commercial policy), and business property.
How to Get Started with General Liability Coverage
Getting general liability insurance for your landscaping business is straightforward. Start by gathering basic information: your annual revenue, number of employees, services you offer, and any special equipment or higher-risk operations. Review your commercial contracts to identify required coverage limits and whether clients need to be added as additional insureds.
Shop quotes from multiple insurers. Landscaping insurance is highly competitive, and rates vary significantly between carriers. Look for insurers that specialize in contractor coverage—they understand your risks better and often offer more competitive pricing than general business insurers. Ask about bundling options, available discounts for safety programs or multiple policies, and whether they offer instant COI generation online.
Once you purchase coverage, request your certificates of insurance immediately and save digital copies in cloud storage for easy access during client meetings and bid submissions. Set calendar reminders to review your coverage annually and update limits as your business grows. And most importantly, make sure all your commercial clients have current COIs on file—most property managers and HOAs won't authorize spring work until they have updated proof of insurance, so get ahead of this requirement in February or March.
General liability insurance isn't just a checkbox for winning contracts—it's the financial protection that keeps your landscaping business running when accidents happen. For about $50 a month, you get coverage that could save you from a lawsuit that ends your business. That's not an expense. That's essential.
