General liability
Damage to property and injury to others — the roof, the fence, the parked car.
Business Insurance
Tree trimming and tree service cover.
Chainsaws, height, and heavy things falling in a predictable direction until they do not. Tree work is a specialist class, and general contractor policies rarely fit it.
Tree service is underwritten as its own class because the exposures are unusual: employees working at height with cutting equipment, large weights falling near buildings and vehicles, and a strong seasonal spike after every storm. Carriers that write it well understand the trade; those that do not tend either to decline it or to price it as though it were something else.
Height, felling and what carriers ask about
Underwriters will want to know whether crews climb, use bucket trucks, or work from the ground, and whether you take down whole trees or limit the work to pruning and removal of smaller material. Tree removal near structures is rated very differently from routine trimming.
Being precise here matters in both directions. Overstating the scope costs premium; understating it risks a declined claim on the one large removal you took because a good customer asked.
Storm season and subcontracted crews
North Texas storms produce a surge in emergency work, and the temptation to bring in extra crews quickly is real. Uninsured subcontractors picked up during a busy week become your liability and your audit exposure.
Keeping a certificate on file for every crew you use, including the ones you only used once after a storm, is the practical protection. It is a small administrative habit that prevents a significant premium adjustment later.
What it covers
The parts of a tree trimming insurance policy
Equipment
Chippers, stump grinders, saws and climbing gear, covered on site and in transit.
Commercial auto
Chip trucks, bucket trucks and trailers, rated for the work they do.
Workers compensation
Important in a trade with real injury exposure, and required by most commercial clients.
Completed operations
Claims arising after the job, such as a partially cut tree failing later.
Certificates
For municipalities, HOAs and property managers, who ask before work begins.
Working with us
What we do differently
We are an independent agency, so we place your tree trimming insurance across several carriers rather than fitting you to one company's product. That means a genuine comparison, and someone to call who is not a call centre.
- Describe climbing, bucket work and removals accurately — the class code follows it
- Collect certificates from every crew, including storm-season help
- Insure chippers and grinders separately from the truck
- Check limits before taking commercial or municipal work
Common questions
Tree Trimming Insurance, answered
Why is tree service insurance more expensive than other trades?
Height, cutting equipment and heavy falling material make it a genuinely higher-hazard class, and property damage claims tend to be large when they happen. Carriers that specialise in the trade usually price it more sensibly than generalists.
Am I covered if a limb damages a customer's roof?
That is exactly what general liability is for. Damage to the property around your work is covered; the cost of redoing defective work itself generally is not.
Do I need workers comp for a climbing crew?
Texas does not require it, but the injury exposure in this trade is high and non-subscriber status removes key legal defences. Most commercial and municipal clients require it before you start.
Is my chipper covered when towed to a job?
Under a contractors equipment policy, yes, including in transit. The auto policy covers the towing vehicle, not the equipment behind it.
Can you cover emergency storm work?
Yes, and it is worth reviewing limits before storm season rather than during it. Make sure any extra crews you bring in carry their own cover and that you hold their certificates.
Related cover
Often arranged alongside this
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Read moreContractor Insurance
Most contractors do not buy insurance because they want it. They buy it because a general contractor, a client or a city will not let them start without a certificate.
Read moreGeneral Liability Insurance
Commercial general liability covers claims brought against your business by other people. It is also the policy almost every client contract and commercial lease requires you to hold.
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