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Tree Coverage Checklist

Review tree service policies, limits, endorsements, and gaps before quotes or renewal.

Tree Coverage Checklist

Review tree service policies, limits, endorsements, and gaps before quotes or renewal.

Checklist

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Review summary

Business: ________________ Contact: ________________ State: ________________ Review date: ________________ Client or job: ________________ Renewal date: ________________ Main tree work: ________________ Use this checklist when reviewing current policies, requesting quotes, or confirming contract insurance requirements for tree trimming, pruning, removal, stump grinding, utility clearance, or plant-health work.

Core coverage checklist

Mark each line: Have / Need / Check 1. General liability Status: Have ___ Need ___ Check ___ Use: Third-party injury or property damage from trimming, pruning, removal, falling limbs, tools, jobsite conditions, or completed work allegations. Limit reference: Tree service markets in the source data show $1M occurrence / $2M aggregate, $2M occurrence / $2M aggregate, and up to $5M occurrence and aggregate depending on market and account. Gap to ask about: Is the policy written for tree service, tree trimming, or tree removal, not only landscape gardening with no tree service or no tree removal? 2. Workers compensation Status: Have ___ Need ___ Check ___ Use: Employee medical bills and wage loss after job injury, including climbing, saw, chipper, lift, and ground-crew exposures. Limit reference: A public tree maintenance contract example required statutory workers compensation unless the contractor had no employees and certified that fact. Gap to ask about: State requirements vary; ask whether owners, officers, subcontractors, or sole proprietors must be included or excluded. 3. Commercial auto Status: Have ___ Need ___ Check ___ Use: Pickup trucks, chipper trucks, bucket trucks, trailers, dump trailers, and equipment transported on public roads. Limit reference: A public tree maintenance contract example required $500,000 combined single limit auto liability; a tree program source lists auto liability up to $1M. Gap to ask about: Confirm scheduled vehicles, trailers, hired/non-owned exposure, and whether bucket trucks or chipper trucks are described correctly. 4. Inland marine and equipment Status: Have ___ Need ___ Check ___ Use: Chainsaws, stump grinders, chippers, lifts, climbing gear, and tools in transit or away from the shop. Limit reference: A tree care program source lists inland marine limits up to $1M. Gap to ask about: Confirm borrowed, rented, leased, and customer-property equipment needs before a job starts. 5. Umbrella or excess liability Status: Have ___ Need ___ Check ___ Use: Extra liability limits above primary policies when a municipality, property manager, general contractor, or commercial client requires higher limits. Limit reference: A tree care program source lists umbrella liability up to $5M and excess liability up to $25M. Gap to ask about: Do not buy higher limits only because they are available; tie the limit to contracts, job size, or carrier requirements. 6. Contractors pollution Status: Have ___ Need ___ Check ___ Use: Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, plant-health treatments, hydraulic-fluid spills, fuel spills, or chemical transport. Limit reference: Source data lists pesticide and herbicide applicator coverage, limited jobsite pollution, auto pollution broadened coverage, and contractors pollution liability for tree care risks. Gap to ask about: A basic pruning GL quote may not cover chemical drift, wrong mix, cleanup, or transportation spills. 7. Professional liability or arborist E&O Status: Have ___ Need ___ Check ___ Use: Inspections, reports, risk assessments, plant-health advice, tree-health recommendations, or consulting work. Limit reference: Source data supports the exposure, but does not provide a universal limit; ask the agent to quote limits that match contracts and advisory work. Gap to ask about: Cutting-only coverage may not respond to alleged errors in advice, reports, or recommendations.

Endorsement review

Mark each item: Included / Requested / Not applicable Additional insured: Included ___ Requested ___ N/A ___ Who needs it: Client, property manager, municipality, general contractor, or upstream owner. Notes: Ask whether ongoing operations and completed operations are needed. The source data identifies CG 20 10 for ongoing operations and CG 20 37 for completed operations as common forms to discuss, but the contract controls what is required. Primary and noncontributory: Included ___ Requested ___ N/A ___ Why it matters: This requirement makes the contractor's policy respond before another applicable policy and without seeking contribution from the upstream party's policy. Waiver of subrogation: Included ___ Requested ___ N/A ___ Why it matters: The insurer agrees not to pursue recovery against the party protected by the waiver after paying a covered loss. Pesticide or herbicide applicator coverage: Included ___ Requested ___ N/A ___ Why it matters: Needed when plant-health care, spraying, fertilizing, deep-root treatments, or chemical transport are part of operations. Limited jobsite pollution or contractors pollution: Included ___ Requested ___ N/A ___ Why it matters: Helps address spills, overspray, wrong chemical mix, hydraulic-fluid release, or cleanup exposures. Auto pollution broadened coverage: Included ___ Requested ___ N/A ___ Why it matters: Ask about this if vehicles transport pesticides, herbicides, fuel, or other pollutants. Crane, boom, or riggers liability: Included ___ Requested ___ N/A ___ Why it matters: Ask about this before crane, boom, rigging, hoisting, or lifted-load work. Subcontractor insurance evidence: Included ___ Requested ___ N/A ___ Why it matters: A public contract example required the contractor to maintain insurance for subcontractors or provide evidence of equivalent subcontractor coverage unless an exception applied.

Questions for the agent

Ask these questions before binding or renewing: 1. Does the quote expressly include the tree work we perform, including ________________? 2. Is any work limited to ground-level trimming or landscaping only? 3. Are tree removal, climbing, aerial lifts, bucket trucks, cranes, chippers, stump grinders, or utility-adjacent work excluded or subject to special conditions? 4. Are vehicles, trailers, chipper trucks, and bucket trucks covered under commercial auto rather than personal auto? 5. Are chainsaws, chippers, stump grinders, lifts, climbing gear, and mobile tools covered away from the shop? 6. If we spray, fertilize, inject, treat, or transport chemicals, what pollution coverage applies? 7. If we provide inspections, reports, or tree-health recommendations, do we need arborist E&O or professional liability? 8. Which contract endorsements are included, which cost extra, and which require carrier approval? 9. If we use subcontractors, what certificates and policy terms should we collect before work starts? 10. If there was a claim, lapse, or non-renewal, what loss runs or explanation will the carrier need?

Next steps

  • Compare each checked gap against current policies and certificates.
  • Send unresolved items to an agent before accepting a tree work contract.
  • Ask carriers to confirm tree removal, climbing, auto, equipment, and chemical exposures in writing.

What this includes

Download formats

PDF, DOCX

Fields

Business name, Contact name, State, Review date, Client or job, Renewal date, Main tree work

Document sections

Review summary, Core coverage checklist, Endorsement review, Questions for the agent

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