Landscaping Insurance in Alabama

General liability coverage sets the standard for landscaping coverage, covering medical or legal costs in case of third-party bodily injury or property damage, advertising mistakes, and more.

This blanket coverage is foundational to any small landscaping business, as it allows you to work without fear that a claim could sabotage your efforts to grow as a company. Many clients in Alabama — primarily commercial — require proof of general liability insurance before hiring a landscaping service.

Here are a few examples of real claims covered by Insurance Canopy’s landscaping general liability coverage:

• A landscaper reported that a weed-eater flung a rock, damaging a client’s sliding door and incurring $950 in repair costs
• A lawn care professional caused $684 in damage to a client’s car when a piece of equipment went rogue
• A mowing service kicked up a rock, cracking a school bus windshield and leading to $99 in repairs

No matter how careful you are, incidents like these are common. They can result in having to pay for costly repairs, strained client relationships, and negative word of mouth that harms your business.

Don’t let a single claim sabotage the hard work you’ve put into growing your business — make sure you have the right coverage in place.

Additional insureds are qualified individuals or entities you add to your insurance policy to extend your coverage to them. If a claim is made naming both your lawn care business and the additional insured because of your work, your policy can protect both parties.

In addition to providing proof of insurance, many HOAs and commercial property managers will ask you to add them as an additional insured. So if you accidentally damage a business’s property while performing work in a commercial building, for example, you and the client can be covered if a claim is brought against you.

This makes hiring you more attractive since additional insureds won’t be held financially responsible from mishaps arising out of your work.

Chances are, your landscaping business relies on high-value equipment, such as mowers and trimmers. Inland Marine (tools and equipment) insurance protects against loss or damage due to theft, vandalism, or accidents.

If you collect and store client information like names, addresses, phone numbers, and payment details online you could be vulnerable to cyber attacks. Cyber liability coverage protects against financial losses from data breaches that expose this information. This coverage can help you with:

• Data breach notification costs
• Customer data loss
• Ransomware and cyber extortion
• Legal fees
• Business interruption fees

Adding a Workers Compensation policy offers coverage for your employees’ work-related injuries. Alabama law mandates that businesses set up as a corporation or LLC with five (5) or more employees must carry workers compensation insurance. This includes both full-time and part-time employees.

Sole Proprietors and Partnerships are not mandated to have insurance, but can still choose to opt in and protect themselves from the risk of costly employee injuries.

Commercial auto insurance is necessary if your landscaping business uses vehicles to transport equipment or employees, covering accidents, property damage, medical expenses, and vehicle damage. Alabama state law requires businesses that own, rent, or lease vehicles for work operations to have commercial auto coverage.

Commercial vehicles in Alabama must meet specific minimum liability coverage requirements:

• $25,000 for bodily injury per person
• $50,000 for bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 for property damage

Personal auto insurance may not cover accidents while using a car for business purposes.

Semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, and other vehicles with an Alabama Department of Transportation serial number will have additional liability coverage requirements. See if your business needs truck insurance or another type of coverage by checking your USDOT number or docket number with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.