What tree-work insurance covers, and what it doesn't

This is a plain-language overview, not insurance advice. The policy wording decides what is covered. This page does not name or recommend any insurer.

The kinds of cover, in plain words

Most countries split business insurance into the same few jobs. The names change from place to place.

General or public liability. Pays when your work hurts someone outside the company or damages their property.
Injury cover for workers. Workers compensation, employers liability or ACC. Pays when someone on your crew is hurt at work.
Vehicle cover. For trucks, chippers on trailers and other business vehicles.
Tools and equipment cover. For loss of or damage to saws, ropes, machines and other kit.
Professional liability. For paid advice, such as a consulting arborist report.

The table shows where each country's official pages put the legal weight.

Country	Worker injury cover	Where the page says it applies
United States	Workers compensation	Laws vary by state
Canada	Provincial boards such as WorkSafeBC and WSIB	By province
United Kingdom	Employers Liability insurance	Required once you employ someone
Australia	Workers compensation insurance	Mandatory if you have employees
New Zealand	ACC levies	Everyone who works or owns a business pays levies

United States

The US Small Business Administration lists common kinds of business insurance. It says general liability protects against financial loss from bodily injury, property damage, medical expenses and the cost of defending lawsuits and settlements. It says professional liability covers malpractice, errors and negligence for businesses that provide services. It says commercial property insurance covers loss and damage to company property from events such as fire, wind and hailstorms.

On workers compensation, the same SBA page says the federal government requires every business with employees to have workers compensation, unemployment and disability insurance. It also says that laws requiring insurance vary by state and tells owners to visit their state's website for the requirements for their business.

Texas shows how far apart the rules sit. Its insurance department says private employers can choose to carry workers compensation, and that it is not required in most cases. Employers who carry it get limited liability if an employee sues, except when gross negligence results in a fatality. Employers who opt out are called non-subscribers and must report to the state that they have no coverage. State pages differ from each other.

Certificates of insurance

A client or a company that hires subcontractors often asks for a certificate. The Tree Care Industry Association's magazine ran an article on certificates of insurance in May 2022. It says a certificate is little more than an abstract of a few policy provisions, a one-day snapshot with no guarantee the policy stays in force. It says a certificate holder has no rights under the policies named on it, and that most policies do not promise notice to the holder if the policy is cancelled. It says additional insured status follows a separate written contract and the policy terms. It also tells the story of a tree company whose General Liability policy excluded snow-removal services: the claim was denied even though a certificate had been issued.

Canada

The Insurance Bureau of Canada describes business coverage types in plain terms. It lists commercial general liability among common commercial policies, and says commercial liability insurance would generally cover amounts you are legally obligated to pay for bodily injury or property damage to others, plus the legal costs to defend a lawsuit. On vehicles, it says auto insurance is mandatory across Canada, with the mandatory coverage set by each province and territory, and that you can add commercial vehicle coverage for owned or leased cars, trucks or fleets used by your business. Commercial property insurance can protect plant and equipment, and tools used off-site. Professional liability applies when you are paid to give professional services or advice.

Worker injury cover runs through provincial boards. WorkSafeBC says that by law most businesses need coverage in British Columbia. It says that once a business registers and pays premiums, it is protected from lawsuits by workers who are injured or get an occupational disease at work.

In Ontario, the WSIB says an independent operator is not automatically covered by the business they work for, but can choose to be insured. It lists mandatory coverage in construction as its own topic. The WSIB page does not say whether tree work counts as construction.

How provinces price tree work

Boards sort every business into an industry class and charge a rate per CA$100 of payroll. The 2026 tables below show what each board lists for tree work.

Board and class	2026 rate per CA$100 payroll
WorkSafeBC, tree services (764062)	CA$5.72
CNESST Quebec, arboriculture (14030)	CA$8.54 general rate
CNESST Quebec, forestry operations (14010)	CA$4.42 general rate
CNESST Quebec, forest management (14020)	CA$4.47 general rate

The WorkSafeBC sheet for unit 764062 describes it as firms that provide aerial and non-aerial tree services, including pruning, trimming, falling and chipping trees, not directly related to the forestry industry. It sends stump removal to a separate unit. The CNESST table gives an average rate of CA$1.54 per CA$100 of payroll for 2026, so arboriculture sits well above the Quebec average, and about double the two forestry units.

United Kingdom

The UK is the one place where the official page spells out a hard rule. GOV.UK says you must get Employers Liability insurance as soon as you become an employer, for at least £5 million, from an authorised insurer. It says you can be fined £2,500 every day you are not properly insured. It also says you must display the certificate where employees can reach it, and a failure to do so can bring a £1,000 fine. You do not need it if you only employ a family member or someone based outside England, Scotland and Wales.

The Health and Safety Executive leaflet on the Act explains the split with public liability insurance. Public liability covers claims by members of the public or other businesses, but not claims by employees. The leaflet calls public liability generally voluntary and employers liability compulsory. It also says injuries from motor accidents while employees are working may be covered separately by motor insurance. It is an older HSE leaflet, and the GOV.UK page gives the current amounts.

The same leaflet says the £5 million minimum includes costs, and that in practice most insurers offer cover of at least £10 million. It says the law applies to people employed under a contract of service or apprenticeship, and that the real nature of the relationship decides, not the label. Someone who is self-employed for tax can still be classed as an employee for other reasons. Factors it lists include whether you supply their materials and equipment. A company employing only its owner, where the owner holds 50% or more of the shares, is exempt.

The Arboricultural Association sets its own bar for its approved contractor scheme. Its page on approved contractors says they must hold public liability insurance of at least £5,000,000 with a maximum excess of £250 in any one incident. It says professional indemnity of at least £500,000 may also be required if the contractor gives independent written advice. This is the association's own rule for its scheme, not a legal minimum.

Australia

The Australian government's business site lists types of business insurance. It says workers compensation is mandatory if you have employees and covers you and them against financial hardship if they are injured or sick because of work. It says public liability covers you if someone dies, is injured or has property damaged because of your negligence, and that it is required in some states and territories for certain occupations. It says you may need third party personal injury insurance by law if your business uses motor vehicles. Professional indemnity helps cover the cost of legal action over claims about your professional advice or services, and the page says it is mandatory for some professions. Machinery breakdown insurance covers repair or replacement of broken-down machinery. For sole traders, the page says workers compensation insurance does not cover you.

Each state runs its own scheme. New South Wales is one example.

icare says most NSW employers need a policy. An employer is exempt only if wages are AU$7,500 or less in a financial year, there is no apprentice or trainee, and the business is not in a group of businesses. icare says claims against an exempt employer are charged a AU$175 administration fee, and that small employers have an average performance premium of AU$30,000 or less.

NSW prices cover by industry class. icare's 2026 to 2027 rate sheet lists Amenity Tree Services (952520) at 9.690% of wages, against 6.520% for Gardening Services (952510) and 5.760% for Landscaping Services (425100). The icare 2026 to 2027 classification system says tree lopping and tree surgery belong in 952520, not in forestry services. Its listed activities include arborist work, tree removal, stump grinding and mulching.

New Zealand

ACC is a levy system, not a policy you shop for. ACC says everyone who works or owns a business pays levies on their income. Self-employed people, shareholder-employees and contractors pay three levies: the Earners levy, the Work levy and the Working Safer levy. The Work levy funds cover for injuries that happen at work. ACC says it is set for each business from the risk of injury at work, the claims history and the income or payroll. Employers with staff pay the Work levy and the Working Safer levy. ACC says you are covered as soon as you start working for yourself.

What these pages do not say

The official pages above describe cover in general terms. None of them says how a policy treats removals close to buildings, crane lifts or storm work. Those limits sit in the policy wording and its exclusions.

If you work as a subcontractor, see the guide with questions to ask about cover before a first day.