It’s often feast or famine for a landscaping business in Ontario.
For about 5 months of the year, there’s usually little work on the go which means less revenue coming in. On the flip side, during the summer months when it seems like everyone needs something done, it’s not out of the ordinary for a landscaper to operate 12+ hour days to keep up.
Like a squirrel storing nuts, landscapers know they need to strike while the iron is hot before they head back into the off season.
GET A FREE LANDSCAPING INSURANCE QUOTE
With these unique challenges faced by landscaping companies, the last thing they need to worry about is whether or not they’re properly covered with landscaping business insurance.
If you’re interested in receiving a quote for landscapers insurance please click here.
Let’s discuss…
WHAT IS CONSIDERED A LANDSCAPING BUSINESS?
“Landscaping” covers any activity that changes the features of an area of land. This can include lawn care such as grass cutting and trimming, gardening such as planting and pruning, shoreline landscapers, arborists and more.
WHY DO LANDSCAPERS NEED BUSINESS INSURANCE?
Landscapers tend to work on many different properties, often travelling between several on the same day. The more work a landscaper takes on the higher level of risk involved.
Working on someone’s property, especially close to their home, should not be taken lightly. Most property owners won’t hire someone uninsured or under insured because they want to make sure they’re protected in case the worst happens.
WHAT DOES LANDSCAPING BUSINESS INSURANCE COVER?
When you’re fully insured, you will be covered with:
- Liability Insurance (Commercial General Liability – CGL)
This can cover landscapers in the event they accidentally cause damage to a customers’ property. It also helps cover them in the event of personal injuries related to their work. - Equipment Insurance
This covers you in the event of theft or damage to the equipment and tools you require to do business. - Tool Floater
Similar to the above, but this covers your equipment even when it’s off-site at a job site or in transit between job sites.
PROOF OF LANDSCAPING BUSINESS INSURANCE
As mentioned earlier, a lot of property owners will not hire an uninsured company. This is often one of the first questions they ask when discussing the job with a business owner.
When you have business insurance through Erie Mutual Insurance, you will receive a Certificate of Insurance, which is required by third parties and can provide proof of your liability coverage.
WHAT DOES LANDSCAPING INSURANCE COST IN ONTARIO?
Insurance can sometimes be a potentially significant expense for a landscaper.
However, there are two things to consider:
- It may not be as expensive as you think. The cost of landscaper insurance varies depending on factors such as years of experience, size of business and previous claims. Not all landscaper insurance policies cost the same and you can get a quote here.
- The costs of NOT having business insurance can bankrupt a landscaper. Besides not having insurance being a reason why a landscaping business may not be hired, not having insurance would also leave a landscaper vulnerable to costs related to lawsuits that could run into the 10’s of thousands of dollars.Without having liability insurance coverage to insulate a landscaper from these costs, they would have to come out of pocket which for the average landscaper would mean financial ruin.
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
