Tree Surgeon Insurance
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Why Compare Tree Surgeon Insurance At SimplyQuote.co.uk?
SimplyQuote makes it quick, easy, and completely free to compare specialist tree surgeon insurance quotes from trusted UK providers.
Tree surgeons face daily risks, from working at height to handling heavy machinery near property and the public. Having the right insurance is essential to protect against accidents, injuries, and damage. The problem is that finding suitable cover can be time-consuming and confusing, especially when policies vary so much between insurers.
That’s where SimplyQuote helps. In partnership with Quotezone, it lets you compare tailored tree surgeon insurance policies in minutes. You can review cover levels, exclusions, and prices all in one place, helping you make an informed decision without pressure or hidden costs.
Whether you’re an independent arborist or manage a team of climbers, comparing policies through SimplyQuote saves time and money while ensuring your business is properly protected. It’s the simplest way to find the right tree surgeon insurance without wasting hours searching elsewhere.
What Do You Need To Get A Quote?
You’ll need a few basic details about yourself, your business, and your cover preferences to generate accurate tree surgeon insurance quotes.
The process is straightforward. When you use SimplyQuote to compare policies, you’ll be asked for a small amount of information to help insurers tailor quotes to your trade. This ensures you only see options that match your business size, work type, and level of risk.
Typically, you’ll need to provide:
- Personal details: your name and UK address so insurers know who and where the policy will cover.
- Business details: company name, registration number, and VAT status if applicable.
- Staff information: how many people you employ or subcontract, since this affects liability cover.
- Policy preferences: the level of protection you want, such as public liability or tool insurance.
- Claims history: any previous incidents or claims, helping insurers calculate risk and price accurately.
Once entered, SimplyQuote instantly matches your details to a panel of UK insurers, giving you a clear comparison of tree surgeon insurance options without the usual back-and-forth paperwork.
Why Do You Need Tree Surgeon Insurance?
Tree surgeon insurance protects you from the financial and legal risks that come with working at height, handling dangerous equipment, and operating around property or the public.
Tree surgery is physically demanding and carries genuine danger. A single mistake, a branch falling in the wrong direction, a rope snapping, or a chainsaw accident, can cause serious injury or damage. Even with safety training and professional equipment, incidents happen, and compensation claims can quickly escalate into thousands of pounds.
For many small firms, the delay or cost of a single claim has been enough to threaten their business. Insurance gives you a financial safety net, covering legal fees, repair costs, and compensation if something goes wrong. Alongside using proper PPE, training, and site assessments, the right insurance forms a key part of a responsible safety plan for any arborist.
Who Is Tree Surgeon Insurance designed For?
Tree surgeon insurance isn’t limited to climbers or lead contractors. It’s designed for anyone involved in arboricultural or forestry work, including:
- Tree surgeons
- Forestry contractors
- Groundsmen
- Utility arborists
- Stump grinding contractors
These roles all share similar risks, whether working for domestic clients or large commercial projects. The insurance ensures that both individuals and companies remain financially protected while carrying out essential tree work.
Is Tree Surgeon Insurance The Same As Arborist Or Forestry Insurance?
Yes. The terms tree surgeon insurance, arborist insurance, and forestry insurance are often used interchangeably. They all refer to specialist business insurance that typically centres on public liability cover, often combined with tool, equipment, and employer liability options.
In short, this isn’t a separate product with tiers or levels. Instead, it’s a form of public liability insurance tailored to the specific risks faced by professionals who work with trees, chainsaws, and elevated access equipment.
Choosing a policy through SimplyQuote helps ensure you’re comparing cover that’s genuinely designed for your trade rather than a generic tradesman policy.
What Does Tree Surgeon Insurance Cover?
This is what’s typically covered by tree surgeon insurance:
Professional indemnity insurance
Also known as professional liability insurance, you and your company are covered if you make a mistake while rendering your service. This type of insurance is highly recommended as seasoned professionals tend to forget that even they can make mistakes.
Employers’ liability insurance
Employers’ liability cover is a legal requirement if your business employs staff. With employers’ liability insurance, your business is protected should an employee file a claim or lawsuit related to events such as a workplace injury.
Public liability insurance
Public liability cover can handle the cost of legal fees or compensation should you be liable for any damage or injury caused by your operations to other persons.
Personal accident cover
A personal injury can put you out of work for a substantial time, particularly because many tree surgeons operate alone. If you are injured and thus unable to work, personal accident cover can be very useful in keeping you afloat.
What Add-Ons Are Available For Tree Surgeon Insurance?
There are several optional extras available for tree surgeons which can be particularly beneficial if you’re self-employed:
Tools cover
Tools cover is effectively an extension of public liability insurance. If, for example, your climbing equipment gets damaged while you’re on the job, this additional layer of insurance can cover the cost of repairing or replacing the tool, thus ensuring that you can carry on your tree surgery work as normal.
Plant and equipment cover
With plant cover, your business will be protected should there be a loss of or damage to any plant or piece of equipment.
Variable limits
Policies can be tailored to the specific heights you climb.
Related trade cover
This covers complementary services you may offer such as landscape gardening or stump removal.
Legal expenses cover
As the name suggests, this policy add-on covers legal and litigation costs that may be brought against you/your business including action under the Health and Safety at Work Act, Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act.
Motor insurance
Cover all vans/pickups and trucks used within your business with a van insurance policy.
How Much Does Tree Surgeon Insurance Cost In The UK?
Like most types of business insurance, insurance for tree surgeons can vary greatly. On average, you can expect to pay between £400 to £2,000 per year for this type of insurance.
Insurance premiums are calculated based on several factors such as the nature and frequency of your work, the number of employees you hire and the equipment you use.
What affects the cost of tree surgeon insurance?
Here are some factors that affect the cost of tree surgery insurance:
- Frequency: Because tree surgeons are generally needed on an ad-hoc basis, insurers often adjust premiums according to how much work you do. The general rule is that the more work you do, the more often you are putting yourself at risk.
- Employees: The number of staff you employ impacts premium prices. For instance, a medium-sized tree surgeon business with four employees will pay higher rates than single self-employed businesses.
- Equipment: Tree surgeon equipment is costly, but there are tiers in terms of how technologically advanced the equipment is, and some surgeons have more equipment than others. If equipment cover is part of your comprehensive policy, then the exact specifications of your tools can impact the cost of your premiums.
Related Read: How Much Does Public Liability Insurance Cost In The UK?
How To Get Cheaper Tree Surgeon Insurance
Here are a few ways to reduce your insurance premiums:
- Compare quotes from multiple insurance providers via SimplyQuote to find the best deal.
- Opt for annual payments as opposed to monthly instalments.
- Only hire skilled workers to reduce the risk of serious bodily injury and accidents.
- Keep an eye on your workforce as the more employees you have will drive up insurance prices.
- Regularly inspect and service tools, machines and equipment to ensure safety.
- Use safety gear (e.g. goggles, helmets, gloves, etc.) when on the job to prevent injuries.
- Provide additional staff training to prevent hazardous risks, mishaps and damages.
- Keep tools, vehicles and machines secure when not in use (e.g. locked sheds, garages).
How To Compare Tree Surgeon Insurance At SimplyQuote.co.uk?
Comparing tree surgeon insurance quotes via SimplyQuote is quick and easy:
- Fill in the online form with details about yourself and where you are based.
- Select optional extras you want to include in your policy.
- Compare quotes effortlessly with SimplyQuote’s 100% free comparison tool.
- Save money and start saving today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tree surgeon insurance is a type of public liability insurance that caters to tree surgeons. Its primary function is to protect all arboricultural specialists from the risks associated with the trade and liability claims from members of the public.
Due to the high-risk nature of the job, tree surgery insurance claims are almost inevitable.
Here are some of the most common claims:
- Property damage: A branch that you are moving may fall and smash the window of a nearby house. Or, a heavy piece of equipment, such as your chainsaw, could fall and land on a parked car, causing considerable damage.
- Injury to members of the public: A nearby bystander could get hit by a loose chunk of wood that flies out of your chipper and obtain serious injuries. Injuries to members of the public can drive your legal expenses through the roof.
While getting insurance is a good way to remedy these situations, it’s always better to have preventative measures in place prior to starting an arborist job. Showing a potential or current insurer that you have good safety measures may also result in a reduced premium.
No, tree surgeon insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK. However, certain industrial bodies, such as the Arboricultural Association, require tree surgeon businesses to have, at the very least, public liability insurance or professional indemnity insurance to be members of their organisation.
Additionally, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if your tree surgeon business has employees other than yourself (including casual/part-time workers).
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