Tree Surgeon Insurance: What Cover You Actually Need

Arb is one of the highest-risk trades going. You are working at height, swinging chainsaws, and dropping heavy timber near houses, cars and people. One bad day without the right cover and a dropped limb through a conservatory roof could end your business — or worse.

The trouble is that insurance is sold in confusing bundles, and it is easy to either over-pay for cover you do not need or, far worse, be underinsured when it matters. This guide breaks down what each policy actually does, who needs it, and what to watch for in the small print.

The core cover every tree surgeon needs

If you do nothing else, get these sorted first.

Public liability insurance is the big one. It covers claims from a member of the public — or their property — being injured or damaged by your work. In arb, this is the policy that pays out when timber goes through a roof, a branch dents a car, or someone walking past gets hurt. Most domestic clients and nearly all commercial or council contracts will ask to see it before you set foot on site.

Cover is usually offered at £1m, £2m, £5m or £10m. As a rough guide, domestic work often calls for £1m–£2m, but local authority, utility and commercial contracts frequently demand £5m or more. Check the specific contract requirement before you quote.

Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement the moment you employ anyone — and that includes most labourers, groundies and apprentices, even casual ones. Cover is typically £10m as standard. The penalties for not having it when you should are steep, so do not assume a part-time groundie does not count. If in doubt, check the current rules on the HSE website or with your broker.

Tip: Always read the policy's definition of "employee". Some groundworkers and self-employed subbies you treat as contractors may still legally count as your employees for insurance purposes.

Cover for your kit and vehicles

Your tools are your livelihood, and arb kit is expensive and very stealable.

• Tools and equipment cover protects chainsaws, climbing gear, rigging kit, chippers and stump grinders against theft, loss or damage. Check whether it covers tools left in the van overnight — many policies exclude this or demand the van be locked, alarmed and emptied.
• Plant and machinery cover is worth it once you own a chipper, stump grinder or MEWP (cherry picker). These are big-ticket items and often hired out, so think about hired-in plant cover too.
• Goods in transit covers timber, arisings and equipment while you are moving them.
• Commercial vehicle insurance for the van or tipper is separate from your business cover and legally required to be on the road.

Make sure the sums insured reflect what it would actually cost to replace your kit today, not what you paid for it years ago. Underinsuring here is one of the most common and painful mistakes.

Cover that protects you and your business

Some policies protect you rather than third parties.

• Personal accident insurance matters more in arb than almost any trade. If you fall from a tree or take a chainsaw injury and cannot work for months, this provides an income while you recover. As a sole trader with no sick pay, this can be the difference between keeping the business alive or not.
• Professional indemnity comes into play if you give advice — tree surveys, condition reports, mortgage reports or planning recommendations. If your advice is wrong and a client loses money, this covers the claim. Not every climber needs it, but consultants and anyone signing off reports do.
• Legal expenses cover helps with the cost of disputes, contract wrangles and chasing debts.

What drives the price

You will not find one fixed price, because insurers weigh up your specific risk. Things that push premiums up or down include:

• The height and type of work — pure ground work is cheaper to insure than high climbing and dismantling.
• Whether you use MEWPs, cranes or rigging.
• Your qualifications and tickets — holding the right NPTC/Lantra certificates can lower premiums, so it pays to have your arb tickets and qualifications in order.
• Your claims history and years trading.
• The level of cover and excess you choose.

A higher voluntary excess lowers your premium but means more out of pocket on a claim. Balance the two sensibly rather than just chasing the cheapest headline figure.

Don't get caught out by the small print

The cheapest quote is rarely the best. Before you sign, check:

1. Working at height is actually included, not excluded or capped at a low number.
2. Use of chainsaws and powered equipment is covered without restriction.
3. Subcontractors you bring in are covered, or whether they need their own policy.
4. Tools left in vehicles overnight are covered and what security conditions apply.
5. The maximum tree height or proximity to property the policy will cover.

Read the exclusions as carefully as the headline. An exclusion you did not notice is the thing that turns a claim into a disaster.

How good admin keeps your cover valid

Insurers and your own defence in a dispute both rely on records. If a claim lands, being able to produce the quote, the signed acceptance, the risk assessment and a record of what was agreed makes the difference between a quick resolution and a drawn-out fight.

This is where running your business on a proper job-management system earns its keep. A tool like Gaffer keeps every quote, job sheet, RAMS document and customer message in one place, attached to the job — so when an insurer or a client asks what was agreed, you have it in seconds rather than scrolling through WhatsApp. Tidy records also make accurate quoting easier, which feeds straight into quoting a tree job properly and not underselling dangerous work.

Insurance is not the place to cut corners in this trade. Get the core cover right, insure your kit for what it really costs, protect your own income, and read the exclusions twice.

FAQs

How much does tree surgeon insurance cost in the UK?

There is no fixed figure — it depends on your level of cover, the type of work, your tickets and claims history. As a rough guide, a sole trader with public liability can expect to pay a few hundred pounds a year, rising significantly with employers' liability, plant cover and higher limits. Always get tailored quotes from arb-specialist brokers.

Do tree surgeons legally need insurance?

Public liability is not a legal requirement, but in practice you cannot win commercial, council or most domestic work without it. Employers' liability is a legal requirement the moment you employ anyone, including casual groundies. Commercial vehicle insurance is also legally required.

What level of public liability cover do tree surgeons need?

Domestic work is often fine at £1m–£2m, but local authority, utility and commercial contracts commonly demand £5m or even £10m. Always check the specific contract's requirement before you quote, rather than assuming your standard limit is enough.

Does my insurance cover subcontractors and groundies?

Not automatically. Some policies cover bona-fide subcontractors while others require them to hold their own cover, and casual groundies may count as employees for employers' liability. Check the policy wording and confirm with your broker before bringing anyone on site.