Insurance for Gardeners
Insurance for Gardeners
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Why do gardeners need insurance?
Whether you’re a gardener, a landscaper or lawn maintenance pro, you’ve likely got a lot on your hands: overseeing projects, managing clients, handling admin, maintaining equipment, supervising employees and dealing with the other day-to-day bits that go with running your own business.
Between all those important tasks, sometimes things can go awry – such as damaging the neighbour’s fence due to a falling branch or having a mower malfunction. Insurance for gardeners can be useful when they do, because it could potentially save you thousands of dollars in expenses when events like theft, damage, loss, accidents or injuries happen.
What types of insurance might be handy for a gardener?
There are several kinds of insurance you could consider for your gardening business, such as:
Public liability insurance
Imagine you’re tidying up a client’s driveway topiary, and your hedge trimmer slips out of your hands and lands squarely on the client’s fancy car – smashing their windscreen in the process. Or, worse, it lands on the client and injures them.
It might sound far-fetched, but this example illustrates a liability case, whereby a third party’s property is damaged, or they get injured, and your business is responsible. And given you’re likely working with clients all the time, it’s a very real risk if you’re a gardener.
Public liability insurance can help cover the cost of property repair or replacement, medical costs, and legal fees associated with a public liability claim.
What’s included? | What’s not included? |
Compensation for personal injury suffered by a third party | Damage to your own property |
Repair or replacement for third-party property damage | Injuries to your own employees |
Legal costs in defending claims | Bad workmanship |
Professional negligence | |
Contractual liability |
Portable equipment insurance
Your tools and equipment are likely the most valuable parts of your business (financially speaking, at least). But they also risk being stolen, damaged or lost. Not only can this disrupt your jobs, but it can also attract hefty costs if you need to repair or replace them.
Portable Equipment insurance – AKA general property insurance – can help you cover the cost of your goods if something happens to them. An optional part of a business insurance package, it can cover things like tools, equipment, electronics, gardening gear and sometimes even items of stock (like plants, trees, seeds, bulbs, pots, garden decor) and other bits and bobs that come with being a professional gardener.
What’s included? | What’s not included? |
Accidental damage | Gradual wear and tear |
Loss or damage by fire, storm, water or explosions | Cracking, scratching or breakage of glass or fragile surfaces |
Malicious damage | Rust, mildew or mould |
Theft from locked vehicles or buildings | Damage from contamination or pollution |
Theft of equipment secured to a vehicle through the use of locks or padlocks | Damage from the heating or drying process |
Faulty materials or workmanship | |
Theft by employees | |
Inventory shortage |
Tax audit insurance
Doing your taxes comes with the territory of running your own business. But what happens if the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) suddenly springs an audit on you?
Tax audit insurance may help cover the cost of performing an audit, such as hiring a professional tax accountant.
What’s included? | What’s not included? |
Accountants’ fees | Fines or taxes imposed as a result of the audit |
Tax agent fees | Costs for your time, salary or lost opportunities while dealing with the audit |
Limited professional fees incurred in response to a tax audit | Your employees’ time or wages |
Personal accident and illness insurance
Gardening work can be pretty taxing on your body, and there’s always the possibility of getting injured. You might do your back in while lifting a heavy planter, perhaps you sustain a nasty cut from a pair of pruning shears, or maybe you get a bad sting from a poisonous plant.
Personal Accident and Illness insurance could help cover lost income if you’re injured or get sick and can’t work. It typically includes accidents and illnesses that occur both on the job and outside work.
It might be especially beneficial if you’re a sole trader and your gardening business relies on your labour.
What’s included? | What’s not included? |
Loss of income as a result of injury | Pre-existing conditions |
Loss of income due to illness | Pregnancy and childbirth |
Combined loss of income (injury or illness) | Intentional, criminal acts or self-caused injury |
Death benefits | Alcohol or drugs |
Disablement benefits | Professional sports |
Business expenses | Motorsports |
Is insurance mandatory for gardeners?
Depending on the kind of work you do, where that work takes place, and whether you have a team working for you, certain types of insurance might be necessary.
For instance, if you undertake gardening work in public places – say you maintain parks or nature strips for the local council – you might be required to get a minimum amount of Public Liability insurance. Generally, your work contract will state whether it’s necessary and how much you need to be insured for.
If your gardening business employs other people, you’ll also need to get Workers Compensation*, which is mandatory in every state and territory in Australia.
Workers Compensation covers your employees if they get sick or injured on the job. If you’re an employee of your business, you’ll fall under Workers Compensation, but if you’re not, that’s where Personal Accident & Illness insurance can come in.
*(Please note, BizCover currently does not offer Workers Compensation insurance.)
How much does business insurance cost for gardeners?
There’s quite a bit of variance when it comes to insurance costs. What a sole trader who primarily deals with residential gardens pays is likely to be quite different from a large commercial operation maintaining public parks.
Here are some of the most critical pricing factors:
- The size of your business: Bigger businesses typically have higher exposure to claims, so they often pay more
- The gardening services you provide: Someone who only offers basic lawn care may face less risk than a gardening business that does everything from landscape design to tree removal
- The policy you go for: You might choose to list high-value items like your chainsaw or whipper snipper in your Portable Equipment insurance policy, for example, which will likely up the cost. You may also choose different excess, exclusions, add-ons and other policy specifics
How often should gardeners review their insurance policies?
Like refreshing organic mulch, it’s best to review your insurance policy at least annually. This allows you to look at any changes that might’ve occurred, like adding new gardening services, employing new team members, buying new tools or equipment, or boosting your revenue.
Helpful tip from BizCover
If your gardening business undergoes a major shift, or you end up making an insurance claim, it might be worth reviewing your insurance at that point. Suddenly expanding your operations or finding that you’re not adequately insured could prompt a review of your needs.
Do gardening contractors need insurance for their equipment and tools?
You’re usually not legally required to have portable equipment insurance in Australia, but it can still be a smart move considering how valuable your equipment and tools are. Things like chainsaws, trimmers and mowers can cost in the thousands to repair or replace, and Portable Equipment insurance can provide a financial cushion if something happens to your stuff.
Is there insurance coverage available for damage caused to clients’ property during gardening projects?
There sure is! This is where Public liability insurance comes in. It covers damage to a third party’s property – in this instance, a client’s.
How does insurance coverage differ for residential gardening projects compared to commercial or industry projects?
Gardeners who work on residential projects and those who work on large commercial or industrial projects may take out the same types of insurance, such as public liability insurance, portable equipment insurance and personal accident and illness insurance.
However, businesses working on bigger projects might require higher coverage limits simply because they have greater claim exposure and possibly more expensive equipment.
Where can I find and compare Business Insurance?
Right here! Together with BizCover, we’ve launched a useful business insurance comparison tool. The tool lets you compare a range of policies from numerous insurance providers.
Get started on comparing business insurance today!
We’ve partnered with BizCover to help you compare from a range of business insurance policies.
^As with any insurance, cover is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in your policy document. The information contained on this webpage is general only and should not be relied upon as advice.
iSelect’s partnered with BizCover Pty Ltd (ABN 68 127 707 975: AFSL No.501769) to help you compare small business insurance policies. iSelect earns a commission from BizCover for every policy sold through the website or contact centre. iSelect and BizCover do not compare all providers in the market, or all policies offered by all providers. iSelect does not arrange policies from the providers we compare for you directly, but iSelect will refer you to our trusted partner, BizCover Pty Ltd who can.
Any advice provided on this website is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You need to consider the appropriateness of any information or general advice iSelect gives you, having regard to your personal situation, before acting on iSelect’s advice or purchasing any policy. You need to consider if the insurance policy is suitable for you. Please read the Financial Services Guide before buying any insurance policy.