Tree surgeon insurance: key facts
- Many gardener and general trades policies exclude tree work or cap the working height, so tree surgeons need arb-specific cover.
- Public liability is not a legal requirement for a sole trader, but councils, housing associations and commercial clients often ask for £5 million or £10 million.
- Employers' liability is a legal requirement once you employ anyone, with at least £5 million of cover. Fines can reach £2,500 a day.
- Tree surgeon insurance for a sole trader costs roughly £300 to £900 a year for public liability only (rough guide figures).
- Insurers usually ask for chainsaw certificates such as CS30, CS31, CS38 and CS39.
- Climbing and rigging kit needs a thorough examination every 6 months under LOLER 1998.
- Unauthorised work on a protected tree can mean an unlimited fine in England and Wales.
What does tree surgeon insurance cover?
Tree surgeon insurance is usually a package built around arb-specific public liability, plus tools and plant cover, personal accident, and employers' liability once you take on staff.
| Cover | What it protects | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability | Injury to the public or damage to their property, such as a limb landing on a neighbour's conservatory. | Every tree surgeon, at the height and methods you actually work to. |
| Employers' liability | Claims from staff injured at work, such as a groundworker hit by a falling section. | A legal requirement once you employ anyone, including casual groundworkers. |
| Tools and plant | Chainsaws, chippers, stump grinders, climbing kit and MEWPs or cherry pickers if stolen or damaged. | Anyone whose kit would stop work if it went missing. |
| Hired-in plant | Hired chippers, grinders and MEWPs you're responsible for under the hire terms. | Anyone who hires plant, even occasionally. |
| Contract works and client property | Damage to the client's own fences, roofs, conservatories and cars near the work. | Anyone working close to buildings. |
| Personal accident and income protection | A payment if you're injured and can't climb or work. | Sole traders with no sick pay. |
| Professional indemnity | Claims that a tree survey or report caused a client a financial loss. | Arborists who write surveys or reports. |
| Vans and towing | Driving to jobs and towing a chipper, arranged through your motor insurer. | Anyone who drives for work. Needs business use. |
Arborist insurance vs gardener insurance
Gardener insurance is not usually enough for tree surgery. Many gardener policies exclude felling and chainsaw use or cap the working height. Arborist insurance is written for climbing, rigging and felling.
Insurers treat tree surgery as high risk, so they price on details a gardener is never asked about:
- Climbing or ground work only.
- Maximum working height, such as 15 or 20 metres, or unlimited for an extra premium.
- Felling versus dismantling. Rigging sections down over a building raises the risk.
- Stump grinding, which can hit buried services and throw debris.
- Work near roads, power lines and buildings.
- MEWPs, cherry pickers and crane work.
A gardener doing the odd small tree may manage with a tree work extension. If tree work is your main business, get tree surgery insurance written for it.
Do tree surgeons need insurance by law?
A self-employed tree surgeon working alone isn't legally required to have public liability insurance. Once you employ anyone, even a groundworker for a day, employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement, with at least £5 million of cover.
Employers without it can be fined up to £2,500 for every day they're uninsured. Labour-only groundworkers you direct and supply with kit can count as employees, even if they call themselves self-employed.
- Clients ask for public liability. Councils, housing associations and commercial clients often want £5 million or £10 million.
- Claims are large. A section through a conservatory roof can cost thousands to put right, and as a sole trader the claim is against you personally.
Your van needs business use on its motor insurance if you drive to jobs. Without it you could be uninsured, which is a criminal offence.
How much does tree surgeon insurance cost?
Tree surgeon insurance for a sole trader doing ground work and climbing, with public liability only, costs roughly £300 to £900 a year. Adding tools, plant and personal accident takes it to roughly £550 to £1,400, and a business with staff typically pays roughly £1,500 to £5,000. These are rough guide figures including 12% Insurance Premium Tax.
| Typical set-up | Rough guide price per year |
|---|---|
| Sole trader, ground work and climbing, public liability only | £300 to £900 |
| Sole trader adding tools, plant and personal accident | £550 to £1,400 |
| Tree surgery business with staff (adds employers' liability) | £1,500 to £5,000 |
What affects the price:
- Climbing versus ground work and your maximum working height.
- Job types: dismantling over buildings or near power lines costs more than open-ground felling.
- Your public liability limit: £10 million costs more than £5 million.
- Staff and wageroll, which drive the employers' liability premium.
- Plant values and overnight security.
- Qualifications, experience and claims history.
What to check before you buy tree surgery insurance
Check the height limit, felling and dismantling wording, qualification conditions and plant security terms before you buy, not after a claim.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Height limit | Cover to 15 metres won't help on a 25-metre climb. |
| Felling and dismantling | Some policies restrict sectional dismantling, rigging or crane work. |
| Qualification conditions | If an uncertified worker causes a claim, the insurer may refuse it. |
| Roads and power lines | Some insurers exclude or limit this work. |
| Underground services | Stump grinding damage to pipes and cables may be excluded unless you checked first. |
| Plant security | Chippers may need wheel clamps, hitch locks or trackers overnight. |
| Hired-in plant | Without it, you may pay the hire firm's charges yourself. |
Tree surgery safety rules: LOLER, PUWER and chainsaw tickets
UK tree surgeons must follow the Work at Height Regulations 2005, have climbing and rigging gear thoroughly examined under LOLER 1998, and make sure chainsaw users are trained under PUWER 1998.
- Work at Height Regulations 2005. Work at height must be planned, supervised and done by competent people, with a rescue plan before anyone leaves the ground.
- LOLER 1998. Equipment for lifting people, and lifting accessories such as climbing ropes, harnesses, karabiners and rigging, needs a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 6 months. Keep the records.
- PUWER 1998. Chainsaws, chippers and stump grinders must be maintained and used only by adequately trained people. HSE guidance expects chainsaw users to hold a certificate of competence.
- Chainsaw certificates. Common City & Guilds NPTC and Lantra units include CS30 (maintenance and cross-cutting), CS31 (felling small trees), CS38 (tree climbing and aerial rescue) and CS39 (chainsaw use from a rope and harness).
- Aerial rescue and the two-person rule. Never climb with a chainsaw alone. A ground person trained in aerial rescue should be on site.
- AFAG guidance. The Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory Group publishes HSE-backed safety guides for this work.
- Power lines and roads. Contact the network operator before working near overhead lines, and get highway authority permission and traffic management for roadside work.
Tree Preservation Orders, wildlife and waste rules
Before cutting, check for a Tree Preservation Order or conservation area, make sure no nesting birds or bats will be disturbed, and register as a waste carrier if you take arisings away.
- Tree Preservation Orders. In England and Wales, under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, work on a protected tree usually needs council consent. Both the owner and the contractor can be prosecuted, fines can be unlimited, and insurance won't pay them.
- Conservation areas. In England and Wales you usually must give the council 6 weeks' notice before working on most trees in a conservation area.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland. Scotland uses the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, and Northern Ireland has its own rules. Check with the council.
- Nesting birds. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy an active wild bird's nest. Take extra care from March to August.
- Bats. All UK bats and their roosts are protected. If you suspect a roost, stop and get advice from a licensed bat ecologist.
- Waste. To take arisings away you must register as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
Common tree surgeon insurance claims
Most tree surgeon insurance claims come from falling limbs and sections, felling gone wrong, chipper and stump grinder incidents, injured groundworkers and stolen kit.
- A limb falls onto a conservatory when a lowering line fails.
- A felled tree hits a neighbour's car after twisting off the stump.
- A chipper throws debris through a car windscreen.
- A stump grinder hits buried services, cutting a water pipe or cable.
- A groundworker is injured by a falling section in the drop zone.
- Chainsaws are stolen from a van outside a client's house.
Starting a tree surgery business: checklist
Before your first paid job, get your chainsaw certificates, insurance, business use on your van, waste carrier registration, LOLER inspections and a rescue plan in place.
- Register as self-employed with HMRC, or set up a limited company.
- Get qualified: CS30 and CS31 for ground work, plus CS38 and CS39 if you climb, and first aid training.
- Arrange tree surgeon insurance: arb-specific public liability, tools and plant, and personal accident.
- Add business use to your van insurance and check it allows towing a chipper.
- Register as a waste carrier.
- Book LOLER inspections every 6 months and keep records.
- Prepare risk assessment and rescue plan templates.
- Add employers' liability before taking on any groundworker.
- Consider the ARB Approved Contractor scheme, which is voluntary but valued by some clients.
Tree surgeon insurance: use a broker or buy online?
Online tree surgeon cover exists, but the choice is narrower than for most trades. A broker helps when you climb, dismantle over buildings, hire plant or employ staff.
Many online quote systems decline climbing or only offer ground work with a low height limit. A broker who arranges cover for tree surgeons can ask about your heights, methods, plant and staff, compare insurers that accept tree work and help if you claim.
For every type of business cover, see our small business insurance guide.
Related guides
Tree surgeon insurance: frequently asked questions
Do tree surgeons need insurance by law?
No law requires a self-employed tree surgeon working alone to have public liability insurance. Employers' liability is a legal requirement once you employ anyone, with at least £5 million of cover and fines up to £2,500 a day. Most clients expect public liability cover.
How much does tree surgeon insurance cost?
As a rough guide, a sole trader doing ground work and climbing pays roughly £300 to £900 a year for public liability only. Adding tools, plant and personal accident takes it to roughly £550 to £1,400, and a business with staff typically pays roughly £1,500 to £5,000, including 12% Insurance Premium Tax.
How much tree surgeon public liability cover do I need?
Many domestic tree surgeons choose £2 million or £5 million. Councils, housing associations and commercial clients often ask for £5 million or £10 million, so check what your clients require.
Can I use gardener insurance for tree surgery?
Usually not. Many gardener policies exclude felling and chainsaw use or cap the working height at a few metres. Regular tree work needs tree surgery insurance.
Does arborist insurance cover climbing?
Only if the policy says so and you stay within its height limit. Some policies cover ground work only, so tell the broker your maximum height.
Do I need chainsaw tickets to get tree surgeon insurance?
Most insurers ask for them, such as City & Guilds NPTC or Lantra CS30, CS31, CS38 and CS39. If someone without the right certificate causes a claim, the insurer may refuse to pay.
Are my chainsaws covered if they are stolen from my van?
Only if you have tools and plant cover and meet its security conditions. Many policies exclude theft from an unattended van overnight.
Does tree surgeon insurance cover stump grinding?
Not always. Check that stump grinding is listed, and whether there is an underground services exclusion or a higher excess.
Who is responsible for checking a Tree Preservation Order?
Both the tree owner and the contractor can be prosecuted for unauthorised work on a protected tree. Check the council's records before every job. Fines can be unlimited in England and Wales.
Do I need professional indemnity insurance as an arborist?
If you write tree surveys or reports, it's worth considering. It covers claims that your advice caused a client a financial loss, which public liability does not.
Do I need special insurance to tow a chipper?
Your motor insurance needs business use and should allow towing. Theft of or damage to the chipper itself usually needs plant cover.