Arborists Insurance
Specialist insurance for Tree Surgeons, Arboriculture and Horticulture Businesses
Quick Summary
- Specialist sector: Daines Kapp has provided specialist arboricultural insurance for over 20 years, working with some of the UK’s largest tree surgery and arboriculture businesses
- Public liability limits: Liability cover must be sufficient for work adjacent to highways, buildings, and public spaces; standard commercial limits are frequently inadequate for arboricultural operations
- Full cover scope: A specialist arboricultural programme can include public liability, employers’ liability, contract plant and equipment, professional indemnity, and motor fleet under one policy structure
- High-risk activities: Chainsaw work, aerial tree surgery, MEWP use, and large-scale felling create an insurance profile that many general commercial insurers will restrict, rate incorrectly, or decline
- Cover tailored to your activities: Policies are structured to reflect the actual operations of the business, including any height restrictions, consultancy services, and use of sub-contractors
Daines Kapp has been providing specialist insurance for arboricultural businesses for over 20 years, working with some of the largest tree surgery and arboriculture companies in the UK. We understand the unique and often serious risks that tree surgeons face — from chainsaw work at height and large vehicle fleets to professional consultancy liability and the theft of specialist equipment — and we have the market access and technical knowledge to provide genuinely comprehensive cover.
Why Arborist Insurance Requires a Specialist Broker
Standard commercial insurance programmes are rarely adequate for arboricultural businesses. The combination of high-risk activities — chainsaw operation, aerial tree surgery, MEWP use, and large-scale felling — alongside professional advice and consultancy services, creates an insurance profile that many general commercial insurers will restrict, rate incorrectly, or decline altogether. Height restrictions, chainsaw exclusions, and inadequate public liability limits are common failings in non-specialist policies, and they typically only come to light when a claim is made. As a broker with deep experience in the arboriculture sector, we understand how insurers approach these risks and which markets provide the broadest cover for the specific activities that arborists carry out. We ensure your policy accurately describes your work — including aerial operations, ground working, stump grinding, and professional consultancy — so that no activity is inadvertently excluded.
What Does Arborist Insurance Cover?
| Cover Section | What It Protects | Daines Kapp Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Public Liability | Third-party claims for bodily injury or property damage arising from tree surgery, felling, or ground operations — including damage to vehicles, buildings, and adjacent property | We confirm the policy covers all height bands and chainsaw operations without restriction, and that the limit meets local authority and principal contractor requirements |
| Employers’ Liability | Statutory cover for employees and labour-only subcontractors injured during tree surgery, felling, chipping, or related operations | Minimum £5 million; we confirm correct workforce classification at inception, including seasonal and subcontract labour |
| Professional Indemnity | Claims arising from professional advice and consultancy, including tree surveys, arboricultural impact assessments, and reports prepared under BS 5837 | Essential for arborists providing consultancy and written reports — a standard public liability policy does not cover professional advice claims |
| Plant, Machinery & Equipment | Loss or damage to chippers, stump grinders, chainsaws, climbing equipment, and other specialist tools — on site, in transit, and stored overnight in vehicles or at yard | We check overnight storage in unattended vehicles is covered and that the sum insured reflects replacement costs for specialist arboricultural equipment |
| Motor Fleet | Specialist vehicles including caged tippers, chippers in tow, elevated work platforms (MEWPs), and ancillary vehicles used by the arboricultural business | We place arboricultural motor fleets with insurers experienced in this vehicle type, avoiding the restrictions that standard fleet policies impose on specialist equipment |
| Directors’ & Officers’ Liability | Personal liability of directors and senior managers for alleged wrongful acts in their management of the business, including health and safety investigations | Particularly important given the Health and Safety at Work obligations in tree surgery — regulatory investigations can be personally costly without D&O cover |
Who We Help
We provide insurance for arboricultural and horticultural businesses of all sizes — from sole trader tree surgeons operating locally to large national contractors managing significant contracts for local authorities, housing associations, and utility companies. Whether your business focuses on amenity tree surgery, utility vegetation management, tree surveys and consultancy, or nursery and horticultural operations, we can structure a programme that accurately reflects your activities and contractual obligations. We are also experienced in placing insurance for businesses that combine arboricultural operations with landscape contracting, grounds maintenance, or horticultural consultancy — ensuring the entire scope of work is correctly covered under a coherent annual programme.
Why Choose Daines Kapp for Arborist Insurance?
Our broking team has a thorough understanding of the arboriculture sector — the risk profile, the contractual requirements, and the insurance markets that write this class of business. We have been featured in Pro Arb Magazine for our expertise in arborist insurance, and we are consistently recommended by clients across the sector. We review contract documentation before inception to ensure that public liability limits, employers’ liability classification, and professional indemnity cover all meet the requirements placed on your business by principal contractors, local authorities, and professional bodies. When a claim arises, our in-house claims team handles the notification and management process, representing your interests throughout.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Arborist Insurance
What insurance do tree surgeons and arborists need?
At minimum, a tree surgeon or arborist carrying out physical operations needs public liability insurance (typically £5 million, though local authority contracts often require £10 million) and, if employing staff or labour-only subcontractors, employers’ liability insurance at a minimum of £5 million. Any business providing professional advice — tree surveys, arboricultural impact assessments, BS 5837 reports — also needs professional indemnity insurance to cover claims arising from that advice. Cover for plant, tools, and specialist vehicles rounds out the programme. We review the activities of each business individually and ensure the policy accurately describes everything the business does, including any incidental or ancillary operations.
Does standard public liability insurance cover chainsaw work and aerial tree surgery?
Not always. Many general commercial public liability policies impose height restrictions (typically excluding work above 10 or 15 metres) or contain specific exclusions for chainsaw operations or work on trees over a certain girth. These restrictions are common in policies placed through comparison websites or general commercial brokers who do not specialise in arboriculture. We work with specialist insurers who provide unrestricted cover for chainsaw work at height, and we verify that no such exclusions are present in your policy before it is bound.
Do I need professional indemnity insurance as an arborist?
Yes, if your business provides professional advice, surveys, or written reports. Professional indemnity insurance covers claims made by clients or third parties for losses arising from errors or omissions in professional advice — for example, if a tree survey fails to identify a structural defect, or if an arboricultural impact assessment is incorrect and leads to planning complications. This cover is separate from public liability, which only covers physical injury or property damage. Many local authorities and developers now require professional indemnity cover as a condition of engagement. We can arrange professional indemnity insurance as part of the arboricultural programme or as a standalone policy.
Can arborist insurance cover a mixed arboriculture and grounds maintenance business?
Yes. Many arboricultural businesses also carry out grass cutting, hedge trimming, landscape works, or grounds maintenance, and we can structure a policy that covers all these activities under a single programme. The key is ensuring that every activity is accurately disclosed on the policy schedule, as insurers rate and set conditions based on the nature of the work undertaken. Undisclosed activities can prejudice cover at the point of a claim. We review your full scope of operations at inception and at renewal to ensure the policy remains accurate as your business evolves.
What is the right public liability limit for an arboricultural contractor?
The appropriate limit depends on the contracts your business undertakes. Sole trader arborists working for private clients may only need £2 million or £5 million, but most commercial contracts — particularly local authority, utility, and housing association contracts — require a minimum of £5 million or £10 million. Some large principal contractors specify £10 million or higher. We review your contract schedule and set the limit that ensures you can accept the work you want to win, not the minimum that meets the lowest-value contract. Increasing the limit is usually a modest premium uplift and is almost always worth the protection it provides.
“Daines Kapp make insurance easy, they provide personalized guidance, helping me navigate the complexities of insurance with ease. Their attention to detail ensured I received the best coverage tailored to my company, giving me peace of mind. With their prompt responses and proactive approach, I feel confident knowing I have a trusted advisor looking out for me. I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking reliable insurance solutions.”
Ross Andrews, Managing Director at Devon Tree Services
