Best Tree Service Business Insurance

Finding the right business insurance for your tree service company protects your finances when accidents happen. NEXT earned our top spot with a MoneyGeek score of 4.67 out of 5, thanks to its competitive rates, quality customer service and comprehensive coverage options for tree care businesses. The Hartford and Thimble also ranked highly for arborists and tree removal companies seeking reliable financial protection.

Note: We based all scores on a tree service business with two employees across professional liability, general liability, workers' comp and BOP policies.

Based on our study of business insurance pricing, Thimble offers the cheapest overall coverage for tree service companies at $100 monthly or $1,203 annually. It ranks first for BOP and general liability insurance, making it the most affordable choice for arborists and tree care businesses. For workers' compensation and professional liability coverage, consider comparing quotes from NEXT, The Hartford and Progressive Commercial to find the best rates for your tree removal business.

With an average monthly rate of $49 or $590 annually, Thimble offers the cheapest general liability insurance for tree service companies. That's 62% below the industry average of $131 monthly or $1,567 annually, saving tree care businesses and arborists over $80 monthly compared to typical rates. For additional options, compare quotes from Nationwide and biBERK, which also offer competitive rates for tree removal companies and tree trimming services.

Tree service companies pay an average of $221 monthly for workers' comp insurance, but NEXT offers the cheapest workers' compensation rates at $207 monthly or $2,489 annually. This 6% discount saves arborists and tree care businesses $14 monthly compared to typical industry rates. Tree removal companies should also compare quotes from Thimble, Progressive Commercial and The Hartford for additional coverage options.

The Hartford tops our rankings for cheapest professional liability insurance among tree service companies at $68 monthly or $816 annually. It beats the $75 monthly industry average by $7, giving arborists and tree care businesses a 10% cost advantage. Tree trimming services and tree removal operators should compare professional liability quotes from NEXT, Progressive Commercial and Thimble alongside The Hartford's rates.

Thimble offers the cheapest business owners' policy for tree service companies, costing $76 monthly or $907 annually versus the $192 monthly industry standard. Arborists and tree care businesses save over $1,300 annually by combining general liability and property protection through Thimble's BOP, rather than purchasing separate policies at higher rates.

In general, business insurance costs for tree service companies are as follows for the four most popular coverage types:

• General Liability: $131 on average per month, ranging from $49 to $255, depending on the state
• Workers' Comp: $221 on average per month, ranging from $207 to $256, depending on the state
• Professional Liability (E&O): $75 on average per month, ranging from $68 to $88, depending on the state
• BOP Insurance: $192 on average per month, ranging from $76 to $381, depending on the state

Tree service companies face unique risks that demand comprehensive protection. Understanding your tree service company's insurance needs starts with mandatory workers' compensation coverage if you have employees, followed by essential general liability and commercial auto insurance that protect against the industry's most common claims.

• Workers' Compensation Insurance: Workers' compensation is legally required in most states once you hire employees. Tree care ranks among America's most dangerous professions, with risks from chainsaw injuries, falls from heights, falling branches and electrocution near power lines.
• General Liability Insurance: When a falling branch crashes through a client's window during tree removal or debris from your stump grinder damages a neighbor's car, general liability covers repair costs and legal fees. Standard coverage limits for tree service companies are $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Commercial clients typically require $2 million to $5 million.
• Commercial Auto Insurance: Your trucks haul wood chippers, bucket trucks transport crews to job sites and vehicles carry expensive equipment daily. Commercial auto insurance covers accidents involving your business vehicles, including collision damage, liability when your driver causes an accident, and vehicle theft. Most states require this coverage for business-owned vehicles.
• Inland Marine Insurance: Protects chainsaws, climbing gear, stump grinders, ropes and pruning equipment when transported between job sites or stored in your truck overnight. If thieves steal your wood chipper from a client's property or your chainsaw gets damaged during transport, this coverage pays for replacement. Standard property insurance only covers equipment at your business location.
• Professional Liability Insurance: Covers claims when clients allege you provided bad advice, improperly diagnosed a tree disease, recommended unnecessary tree removal or your pruning technique damaged a valuable tree. Also called errors and omissions insurance, this protects arborists who provide consulting services about tree health. One lawsuit claiming negligent advice could cost tens of thousands.
• Business Owner's Policy: Combines general liability and commercial property insurance at a lower cost than purchasing separately. This bundled coverage protects your business location, stored equipment and office contents while providing liability protection. Tree service operators benefit from comprehensive protection against fire, theft, vandalism and business interruption when operating from a physical location.

Finding the best and cheapest business insurance for your tree service company requires a strategic approach. Follow our step-by-step method for getting business insurance that balances comprehensive coverage with affordable rates.

Tree service companies need solid protection: general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto and equipment coverage. NEXT offers the best business insurance for arborists, balancing strong customer service with comprehensive coverage options. Tree care businesses watching costs can get general liability through Thimble for just $49 monthly.

We answer frequently asked questions about tree service business insurance:

We selected the best business insurer for tree-service companies based on the following criteria:

• Affordability (50% of score): The lower a company's costs compared to the competition based on our base profile for four core coverage types, the better the company performs.
• Customer service (30% of score): We scored providers on overall customer satisfaction using industry studies, customer review forum ratings and public forum sentiment analysis from sites like Reddit.
• Coverage (15% of score): We scored business insurance providers for this category based on the flexibility, payment and actual coverage options.
• Financial stability (5% of score): Using financial stability industry ratings from companies like AM Best and Moody's, we created an overall rating to judge how likely companies are to pay out claims compared to the competition.

All pricing in this article is based on the following base profile to represent the vast majority of small businesses in all states:

• Three-person business with two employees
• Coverage: $1 million per occurrence and $2 million total per year for all but BOP, which includes the same coverage plus $5,000 of business property coverage
• $150,000 in payroll
• $300,000 annual revenue