Best General Liability Insurance for Landscapers in 2026

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Landscaping GL covers property damage caused during the work and bodily injury to third parties. A mower throws a rock and breaks a window. A crew member trims a tree and a branch falls on a parked car. A client trips over equipment left on a walkway. These are routine landscaping incidents, and each can generate a claim of $5,000 to $50,000 before legal costs.

Most landscaping clients, property managers, and commercial accounts require a GL certificate before work starts. For a landscaping business without it, the first significant job you land will require you to get it anyway.

Quick Summary

Provider	Best For	Monthly Cost
Next Insurance	Solo landscapers and small crews	$35/mo
Hiscox	Established landscaping businesses needing higher limits	$50/mo
biBerk	Budget-conscious landscapers with clean loss histories	$30/mo
Simply Business	Comparing multiple carrier quotes	Varies
Thimble	Seasonal or project-based landscaping work	$22/mo

Cost estimates for a sole proprietor landscaper in Texas with $120,000 annual revenue and $1M/$2M limits. Rates vary by state, crew size, and services offered (basic mowing vs. tree work vs. irrigation).

Why We Picked These Providers

Landscaping GL is broadly available but varies in coverage scope based on what services you offer. Tree work, irrigation installation, and pesticide application each add coverage considerations beyond basic mowing and maintenance. These five cover the main landscaping business profiles.

Provider Reviews

Next Insurance

Next Insurance has a specific landscaping business product that covers lawn care, landscaping maintenance, irrigation, and light tree trimming. The application handles sole proprietors and small crews quickly and includes instant certificate issuance.

Best for: Solo landscapers and small crews (1-5 employees) doing maintenance work: mowing, edging, mulching, seasonal cleanup, basic planting. Businesses that need COIs quickly for new commercial accounts.

What it costs: $35 to $80 per month for most small landscaping operations. Businesses offering tree services or chemical application (fertilization, pesticide) price higher due to elevated risk.

One thing to watch: Heavy tree work (tree removal, large tree trimming above 15 feet) may be outside Next Insurance's standard appetite or require an endorsement. Confirm tree work coverage if it is a significant part of your business.

Affiliate link: Get a GL quote from Next Insurance

Hiscox

Hiscox writes landscaping GL for a range of operations including maintenance businesses, landscape design-build firms, and tree service companies. Their coverage handles higher-risk landscaping activities that some carriers exclude.

Best for: Established landscaping businesses with $200,000 or more in annual revenue. Companies offering design-build landscaping services, tree removal, or irrigation installation alongside maintenance work.

What it costs: $50 to $120 per month for most landscaping businesses. Hiscox prices higher than budget carriers but provides broader coverage scope for operations with complex service offerings.

One thing to watch: Hiscox may refer higher-revenue landscaping operations or those with significant tree work to a broker for underwriting. Expect additional questions if tree removal is a primary service.

biBerk (Berkshire Hathaway)

biBerk offers landscaping GL at competitive rates for maintenance-focused operations with straightforward risk profiles. Their Berkshire Hathaway backing provides strong financial security.

Best for: Lawn care and landscaping maintenance businesses (mowing, edging, cleanup) with clean loss histories and no high-hazard service offerings.

What it costs: $30 to $65 per month for most maintenance landscaping operations. biBerk is often among the cheapest options for straightforward mowing and lawn care businesses.

One thing to watch: biBerk's appetite for landscaping has limitations on tree services, chemical application programs, and larger commercial landscaping contracts. Confirm coverage scope matches your services before purchasing.

Simply Business

Simply Business aggregates landscaping GL quotes from Hiscox, Markel, and other carriers on one application. Useful for comparing prices across several options simultaneously.

Best for: Landscapers shopping on price who want to compare multiple carriers without applying to each separately.

What it costs: No additional fee. You pay the carrier rate selected.

One thing to watch: Landscaping GL policy scope varies by carrier. A lower-priced policy may exclude pesticide application, herbicide use, or tree work that higher-priced competitors cover. Review what activities are excluded before purchasing based on price alone.

Thimble

Thimble offers landscaping GL by the day, month, or year. Their short-term product is useful for seasonal landscaping operations or those taking on occasional larger residential jobs.

Best for: Seasonal landscapers who need coverage during their active months but not year-round. Solo operators taking on occasional residential projects alongside a primary job.

What it costs: Daily coverage from $22 for basic landscaping work. Monthly policies run $35 to $70. Annual policies are priced competitively for lower-revenue operations.

One thing to watch: Thimble's short-term certificates may not satisfy commercial account requirements that specify a continuous 12-month policy period. Confirm with the client before purchasing short-term coverage.

How We Evaluated These Providers

Service scope coverage. Landscaping GL coverage scope varies more than most contractor trades. We evaluated whether each carrier covers: mowing and maintenance (standard), irrigation installation, fertilization and pesticide application, tree trimming, tree removal, and landscape design-build.

Chemical application coverage. Pesticide and herbicide application creates pollution liability that some GL policies exclude. We noted which carriers cover chemical application as part of standard landscaping GL.

Financial strength. AM Best ratings: Next Insurance (A-), Hiscox (A), biBerk/Berkshire Hathaway (A++), Simply Business varies, Thimble (A-).

Equipment coverage. Landscaping businesses rely on mowers, trimmers, blowers, and trailers. GL does not cover your own equipment. We noted which carriers offer inland marine or tools and equipment coverage alongside GL.

COI issuance. Commercial landscape accounts and HOAs typically require COIs before work begins. We evaluated COI issuance speed across carriers.

How to Get a Quote

For most small landscaping operations: start with Next Insurance. If you offer tree services or chemical application, add Hiscox to the comparison. If budget is the primary consideration and your services are maintenance-only, check biBerk alongside Next Insurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does landscaping GL cover damage I cause with equipment?

Yes. Property damage caused by your equipment during work is the core coverage: a mower that damages a fence, a weed trimmer that breaks a window, a leaf blower that blows debris into a vehicle. This is a routine landscaping GL claim and covered under standard policies.

Does GL cover pesticide or herbicide damage?

This depends on the policy. Standard GL policies often include a pollution liability exclusion that may apply to chemical applications. Some carriers offer landscaping GL with pollution liability coverage included or as an endorsement. If you apply fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, confirm explicitly that your policy covers damage from those applications.

Do I need GL if I only mow lawns?

Yes. Even basic mowing creates property damage and bodily injury exposure. A mower can throw rocks or debris. A mower can damage irrigation equipment below the grass surface. A crew member can trip a client on a walkway. Most residential clients and all commercial accounts require a GL certificate before work begins.

What is the difference between landscaping GL and contractor GL?

They are the same type of coverage (commercial general liability) but underwritten with different class codes and risk profiles. A landscaping business is typically classified under SIC code 0782 (lawn and garden services) or similar, while a construction contractor uses different classification codes. The coverage form is similar, but the pricing reflects the specific loss history of each industry.

Can I get landscaping GL on a seasonal basis?

Yes, through Thimble. Annual policies from most carriers remain in force year-round regardless of seasonal operations, but some carriers will prorate premium if you formally suspend the policy during off-season. Ask your carrier whether seasonal suspension is available before purchasing.

Sources

• Next Insurance landscaping insurance: next.insurance/business-insurance/landscaping-insurance
• Hiscox landscaping insurance: hiscox.com
• biBerk: biberk.com
• National Association of Landscape Professionals: landscapeprofessionals.org
• AM Best ratings: ambest.com