Tree surgery combines two of the things insurers rate most heavily, work at height and powered cutting equipment, and does both above property belonging to somebody else. The premium follows from that, and so does everything the insurer asks.
Certification comes before the premium
Insurers writing this trade expect recognised chainsaw and aerial rescue certification for the operatives, appropriate to the work done: ground cutting, climbing and aerial cutting, and use of a mobile elevating work platform are separate competencies. Evidence is asked for at inception and after a claim. A firm whose climber's certificates have lapsed is exposed in the most direct way there is, because the qualification is the condition rather than the recommendation.
What falls, and onto what
Dismantling a tree beside a house, a conservatory, a greenhouse, a boundary wall or a road is the central public liability exposure, and the claims are large because the thing damaged is expensive and the section that fell was heavy. Insurers ask about rigging, about how sections are lowered rather than dropped, about road closures and traffic management, and about the site assessment recorded before the first cut.
Employers' liability for the people in the tree
Employers' liability rates climbing and chainsaw work at the top end because the injuries are severe. Insurers look for documented training, aerial rescue capability on site, correct personal protective equipment, and a ground team rather than a lone climber. Lone working in this trade is a specific question and some insurers will not accept it at all. Labour only subcontractors are rated as employees, which matters in a trade that often works with a self employed climber.
Equipment, chippers and the vehicles
Chippers, stump grinders, climbing kit, saws and the chip truck represent a substantial and portable investment, stolen often. Chipper related injuries are among the most serious in the trade and insurers ask about training and about the feed procedures. Where the business tows a chipper, the towing and the trailer raise their own motor questions, and waste carrier registration applies to taking arisings away for payment.
Questions people ask about tree surgery insurance
What certification do insurers require for tree work?
Recognised chainsaw and aerial rescue certification appropriate to the work done, with separate competencies for ground cutting, climbing and platform work. Evidence is asked for at inception and after a claim.
Is damage to a house during dismantling covered?
Under public liability, and it is the claim this trade makes most. Insurers ask about rigging, lowering sections and the recorded site assessment.
Is lone climbing acceptable to insurers?
It is a specific question and some insurers will not accept it. Aerial rescue capability on site is normally expected.