Landscaping Insurance in Colorado

What insurance protections should landscapers look for?

Lawn care insurance policies can provide several important property coverages, and also important liability coverages. 

Property coverages primarily insure physical assets that a business owns. For landscapers, these might include:

• Commercial Property Coverage: May insure owned buildings and what’s in them. This could include coverage for lawnmowers, trimmers, spreaders, chainsaws, wood chippers, seeds, plants, treatments, and much more.
• Inland Marine Coverage: May insure equipment and inventory as they’re moved between locations. This could include everything from woodchippers on a trailer, to seeds and chemical treatments in a vehicle.
• Equipment Breakdown Coverage: May insure vital equipment if it malfunctions, often covering the costs of immediate repairs. This is usually limited to only larger and essential machinery.

Liability coverages are mainly for if there’s an accident, where another party is harmed and a business is responsible. Some liability protections that landscapers might consider are:

• General Liability Coverage: Typically applies to common accidents attributed to a landscaper’s actions (not including vehicle accidents). 
• Errors and Omissions Coverage: Typically applies to mistakes made when advising customers on the installation or management of their landscaping (called E&O coverage).
• Product Liability Coverage: Typically applies to injuries, illnesses, and property damage caused by landscaping products, including fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
• Environmental Liability Coverage: Typically applies to environmental harm caused by landscaping products, including spills, leaks, and over-applications of products.
• Commercial Auto Coverage: Typically applies to landscaper’s commercial vans and trucks. Often covers accident liability, and damage to the vehicles.
• Commercial Umbrella Coverage: Typically applies an extra layer of insurance, often offering protection against lawsuits that surpass the limits of another liability coverage.

Do landscapers need to get workers compensation coverage?

In Colorado, businesses with employees are generally required to have workers compensation coverage. Landscapers should expect to get it if they have employees, but individuals who mow lawns by themselves likely don’t need the coverage.

The purpose of workers compensation is generally to protect against workplace injury or illnesses.