Aussies love a backyard, so it’s no surprise landscape gardeners are thriving. A number of different business models operate across the sector, including sole traders and proprietary limited companies and insurance differs across these options. Gardening insurance is vital for a variety of these different small business types including landscapers, gardeners, tree loppers, garden maintenance and lawn mowing businesses
There are also state-based variances in the cover landscape gardeners can secure. When we talk about landscape gardeners, we mean people who look after tasks like mowing, weeding, planting, removing dead plants and edging.
Risks landscape gardeners need to mitigate
Here are some of the main insurances landscape gardeners need to think about and the risks they cover.
Public liability insurance
Landscape gardeners should have public liability insurance to protect against claims from third-party injuries like a client tripping over equipment or property damage like accidentally breaking a fence or irrigation system.
Property insurance
Property insurance is essential for landscape gardeners to cover replacement costs if tools, machinery or materials like lawnmowers and edgers are stolen from job sites or vehicles.
Car/vehicle insurance
Car insurance protects against road accidents, damage or third-party claims that happen to work-related transport, such as vans carrying equipment or trailers hauling debris.
Workers’ compensation, personal accident versus income protection
If an individual establishes a company, they can take on a role as an employee within the business, making them eligible for workers’ compensation insurance in all states except Queensland. However, individuals operating a business as a sole trader cannot be classified as employees and are not eligible for workers’ compensation insurance for themselves. In such cases, alternative coverage, such as income protection insurance, may be necessary.
It can be hard for manual occupations such as landscape gardeners to get income protection cover. People who work in these occupations may be able to take out personal accident cover, but this is more limited.
“Taking out workers’ comp in a corporate structure is more generous than personal accident cover. With workers’ compensation, if you get injured, you can keep on claiming until age 65 or whatever the policy’s cutoff date is. Whereas personal accident cover usually ends after 12 months. Income protection insurance is a lot more comprehensive, but it’s a lot more expensive as well,” says Steadfast broker technical manager Michael White.
Business pack insurance
A business pack combines policies like public liability, equipment and income protection into a single solution, streamlining risk management.
Insurance for tree loppers
Tree lopping tends to require specialist equipment and a different approach to risk management.
Insurers normally include clauses in tree loppers’ policies that require them to take certain precautions. For instance, they may require a certain number of people to be employed on jobs. The policy may also detail the safety precautions required to perform tasks such as lowering branches to the ground.
“Insurers want to know these procedures have been followed if there is a claim,” says White.
“Insuring landscape gardeners is usually pretty straight forward, unless there is some unusual aspect to the business. But it can be hard to place cover for tree loppers because of the risk of falling branches hitting someone,” he says.
Most insurers will not write liability cover for tree loppers, although it’s possible to get cover in specialised markets.
“Compared to landscape gardeners, tree loppers have heavier vehicles and heavier equipment, such as big mulchers.
An AIB broker may be able to identify insurers willing to accept the risks with this kind of equipment,” says White.
Talk to your Steadfast broker today
An experienced AIB insurance broker can help landscape gardeners and tree loppers get the right gardening insurance cover for their business and its assets, so talk to one today.
Important notice
This article is of a general nature only and does not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation or needs. It is also not financial advice, nor complete, so please discuss the full details with your Steadfast insurance broker as to whether these types of insurance are appropriate for you. Deductibles, exclusions and limits apply. You should consider any relevant Target Market Determination and Product Disclosure Statement in deciding whether to buy or renew these types of insurance. Various insurers issue these types of insurance and cover can differ between insurers.
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Important notice – Steadfast Group Limited ABN 98 073 659 677
This article provides information rather than financial product or other advice. The content of this article, including any information contained in it, has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information, taking these matters into account, before you act on any information. In particular, you should review the product disclosure statement for any product that the information relates to it before acquiring the product.
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