Tree work combines the two most heavily rated activities in the outdoor trades: working at height and using a chainsaw, frequently over a road, a garden or a roof. The severity of what can go wrong is why arboriculture is priced far above gardening and why five million pounds is the normal starting limit rather than the top one. It is also why insurers ask about qualifications before anything else.
Climbing, chainsaws and the certificates
Chainsaw work requires training and, in practice, recognised certificates of competence for the specific operations: ground cutting, aerial work, and the use of a chainsaw from a rope and harness. The Health and Safety Executive sets out what is expected of chainsaw operators, and insurers ask which certificates each operative holds, because an uncertificated climber is a risk they will not write at any ordinary price.
What falls, and where it lands
The characteristic claim is a section of timber landing on a roof, a car, a greenhouse or a fence, and occasionally on a person. That is third party property damage or injury and is what public liability answers for. Rigging, drop zones, road closures and banksmen are the controls that prevent it, and a job with a written method and a marked exclusion zone is a defensible one.
Protected trees, and the permission question
Trees can be protected by a tree preservation order or by being in a conservation area, and work on them needs the local planning authority's consent. Carrying out unauthorised work is an offence with substantial penalties, and it is not something insurance answers for. Checking before quoting is part of the job, and the check is the contractor's rather than the customer's assurance.
Equipment, the chipper and the vehicles
Chippers, stump grinders, climbing kit, saws and a tipper are a large asset that spends its life on other people's land. Owned plant and tools cover answers for damage and theft; hired in equipment remains the hire company's property and is your contractual responsibility. Chippers in particular are both a theft target and a high severity injury risk, which is why maintenance and training records matter.
Questions people ask about tree surgeon public liability insurance
How much public liability does a tree surgeon need?
Five million pounds is the normal starting limit and ten million is required on many commercial, highway and utility contracts, because the severity of what can fall is high even on small jobs.
What qualifications do insurers expect?
Recognised certificates of competence for the chainsaw operations actually carried out, including aerial work from a rope and harness where climbing is done. Insurers ask per operative rather than per firm.
Does insurance cover work on a protected tree?
Insurance answers for damage and injury, not for carrying out unauthorised work. Trees under a preservation order or in a conservation area need the planning authority's consent, and doing the work without it is an offence.
Is gardening insurance enough for tree work?
No. Most gardening policies exclude felling, climbing and chainsaw work at height, because the severity is in a different class. Arboriculture needs its own cover and its own declaration.