Arborist Insurance

Contractor Plant and Machinery Insurance may be relevant if an arborist owns, hires or operates chippers, stump grinders, elevated work platforms, cranes or other larger equipment. These assets can create different insurance requirements from portable chainsaws, climbing gear and hand tools.

Tools and Equipment Insurance may not cover larger plant, attachments or hired-in machinery. Chippers, stump grinders and access equipment should be assessed under an appropriate plant policy rather than assumed to fall within portable tool cover.

Cover may include:

• Theft, fire, storm, vandalism and accidental damage to insured plant
• Owned plant and hired-in plant, where included
• Tracked or tow-behind chippers, stump grinders, elevated work platforms, cranes and other declared plant
• Declared attachments, accessories and auxiliary equipment
• Plant in transit, storage or use on site, where covered
• Registered or unregistered plant, depending on the policy
• Wet hire and dry hire exposure, where declared and accepted
• Recovery costs or continuing hire charges following insured damage, where available
• Machinery breakdown cover, where available

Contractor Plant and Machinery Insurance may be considered by tree removal businesses, stump grinding contractors, vegetation management crews and arborists using owned or hired access, lifting and processing equipment.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Tools and Equipment Insurance, which insurers may refer to as General Property Insurance, can help cover insured tools and portable equipment used by an arborist, subject to the policy wording.

Arborists commonly carry chainsaws, climbing kits, ropes, harnesses and rigging equipment between vehicles, depots and job sites. Theft, accidental damage or loss of insured equipment can create replacement costs and affect scheduled tree work.

Small Contractors 1 to 5 Employees

For sole traders and small tree crews, Tools and Equipment Insurance may cover declared tools and portable equipment stored in utes, vans, trailers, garages, workshops or at work sites.

Covered items may include:

• Chainsaws, pole saws and other portable cutting tools
• Climbing ropes, harnesses and climbing kits
• Rigging ropes, pulleys, lowering devices and portable rigging equipment
• Blowers, hedge trimmers and other accepted portable equipment
• Hand tools and battery-powered tools
• Tree assessment instruments and portable diagnostic equipment, where accepted
• Laptops, tablets and portable electronic equipment used for work, where included
• Tools and equipment stored in vehicles or trailers, where declared and accepted

Larger Contractors

For larger arborist businesses, Tools and Equipment Insurance may be structured around multiple climbing and ground crews, vehicles, depots and scheduled high-value equipment.

Cover may be arranged for:

• Multiple tool and climbing kits used by tree crews
• Equipment stored across depots, workshops, vehicles and project sites
• Portable equipment used across multiple projects or states
• Scheduled high-value rigging, assessment and specialist arborist equipment
• Hired-in or borrowed equipment, where available

Cover away from insured premises, overnight theft from vehicles, unattended equipment and theft without forcible entry may be limited or excluded. Storage and security conditions should be checked against the policy wording.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Commercial Vehicle Insurance may cover eligible vehicles used by arborists, including utes, vans, chip trucks, tipper trucks and trailers. Available cover depends on the vehicle, its use, drivers and the selected policy.

Arborist businesses often depend on vehicles to transport crews, carry chainsaws and climbing gear, tow chippers or stump grinders, and remove branches, logs and green waste from job sites.

Small Contractors 1 to 5 Employees

For sole traders and small tree crews, Commercial Vehicle Insurance may cover declared vehicles used for site visits, tree work, equipment transport, waste removal and travel between work locations.

Cover may include:

• Utes, vans, chip trucks and tipper trucks
• Trailers and declared vehicle modifications, where accepted
• Accidental vehicle damage, fire or theft, depending on the selected cover
• Third-party property damage liability arising from use of an insured vehicle
• Business use, declared towing arrangements and travel between job sites, where accepted
• Finance clauses or interested party endorsements, where required and available

Larger Contractors

For larger arborist businesses, fleet insurance may provide one arrangement for multiple eligible vehicles used by climbing crews, ground workers, supervisors and vegetation management teams.

Fleet cover may help manage:

• Multiple eligible vehicles under one policy arrangement
• Vehicle additions and removals as the fleet changes
• Utes, chip trucks, tipper trucks, trailers and other declared work vehicles
• Different driver and vehicle-use arrangements, where accepted
• Vehicles operating across multiple project locations or states
• Finance and leasing requirements
• Claims support across multiple insured vehicles

Chainsaws, climbing gear, chippers, stump grinders and other property carried in or attached to a vehicle may require separate cover or specific acceptance. Commercial Vehicle Insurance is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Contract Works Insurance may be relevant where an arborist business is responsible for insurable works in progress or materials under a broader construction, landscaping or site-reinstatement contract. It is not automatically needed for routine pruning, tree removal or stump grinding.

An arborist business involved in a wider project may need to check responsibility for incomplete works and project materials. Tree removal alone, existing trees, living plants and growing stock should not be assumed to be insured under a standard Contract Works policy.

Cover may include:

• Accepted construction, landscaping or reinstatement works in progress
• Declared project materials stored on site, where accepted
• Theft, vandalism, fire or storm damage to insured works
• Project-specific or annual cover options
• Materials in transit or temporary storage, where included
• Principal-supplied materials, where covered
• Existing property or other project extensions, only where expressly agreed by the insurer

A builder, developer, principal contractor or project owner may request Contract Works Insurance. The required parties, values, activities and period of cover depend on the contract and the arborist’s role. The insurer needs to confirm whether the proposed work and property can be accepted.

Contract Works Insurance does not automatically cover existing trees, loss of plant health, every party, project delay, defect or contractual obligation. Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Professional Indemnity Insurance may be relevant if an arborist provides tree assessments, professional advice, reports, specifications, tree protection plans, certification, project supervision or consulting services.

Professional Indemnity Insurance becomes more relevant where a client, council or developer could allege that a tree risk assessment, retention recommendation, vegetation management plan or professional report was incorrect, incomplete or negligent. A tree crew performing physical work only may have a different exposure from a consulting arborist.

An arborist business may consider this cover if it:

• Prepares tree condition or tree risk assessments
• Writes arborist reports for councils, property owners or developers
• Recommends tree retention, pruning, removal or replacement
• Prepares tree protection or vegetation management plans
• Advises on tree health, structural condition or hazard management
• Provides consulting or project supervision services
• Assesses how proposed construction may affect existing trees
• Certifies, inspects or signs off arboricultural work, where qualified to do so
• Must hold Professional Indemnity Insurance under a contract

Cover may include:

• Legal defence costs for insured claims
• Claims alleging breach of professional duty
• Claims linked to covered assessments, advice, reports, plans, specifications or documentation
• Retroactive cover for eligible past professional services, where included

Professional Indemnity Insurance is separate from Public Liability Insurance. Public Liability Insurance may respond to certain third-party injury or property damage claims, while Professional Indemnity Insurance may respond to certain claims linked to professional advice or services.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions, retroactive dates, notification requirements and insurer acceptance. Known claims or circumstances cannot be assumed to become covered by arranging a new policy.

Personal Accident and Illness Insurance may be considered by sole traders and arborists who are not covered by Workers Compensation Insurance. It can provide financial support if you are unable to work due to an insured injury or illness, subject to the policy wording.

Tree work can involve climbing, lifting branches, handling chainsaws, operating machinery and working on uneven ground. An injury or illness can affect your ability to earn an income. Tree climbing, working heights and your actual duties need to be declared and accepted, and benefit amounts, waiting periods and exclusions should be checked.

Cover may include:

• Weekly benefit payments while recovering from an insured injury or illness
• Lump sum benefits for specified serious injuries, where included
• Optional illness cover
• Optional capital benefits
• Limited injury-related expense benefits, where legally permitted and included in the policy

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance. Benefits do not necessarily replace your full income or cover every medical expense.

Workers Compensation Insurance is generally required when an arborist business employs workers. Requirements vary by state and territory, so obligations depend on where workers are based, where work is performed and how the workforce is structured. Employees, apprentices, casuals, working directors, labour hire and some subcontractor arrangements may need to be considered.

All Trades Cover may be able to assist with arranging Workers Compensation Insurance for eligible arborist businesses in Western Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. In New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, cover generally needs to be arranged through the relevant state scheme or authorised provider.

Depending on your location and circumstances, we may be able to help with:

• Workers Compensation setup and placement where available
• Wage estimates and annual declarations
• Worker classification, including apprentices, casuals and working directors
• Subcontractor and labour hire considerations
• Principal’s Indemnity, where required and available
• Claims lodgement support
• Return-to-work coordination
• Insurer correspondence and paperwork
• Claims history reviews and renewal discussions where past claims have affected premium

Workers Compensation Insurance is commonly relevant for arborist businesses with employed climbers, ground workers, machinery operators, apprentices, supervisors or working directors. A subcontractor having an ABN or their own Public Liability Insurance does not by itself settle their workers compensation status.

Requirements and available assistance vary between states and territories. Cover is subject to applicable workers compensation legislation, scheme requirements, policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Business Package Insurance can combine several business covers within one policy structure. The sections selected may cover property, liability, business interruption and other declared business risks.

For arborist businesses operating from an office, workshop, depot, yard or storage facility, a Business Package may include:

• Public and Products Liability
• General Property cover for insured tools and portable equipment
• Property cover for offices, workshops, depots or storage facilities
• Insured stock and spare parts, where included
• Theft and vandalism cover for insured property
• Business Interruption cover following an insured event
• Money, glass or electronic equipment cover, where relevant
• Machinery breakdown or other optional sections, where available

Business Package Insurance is commonly considered by arborist businesses with premises, tools, spare parts, stock or administration systems. Larger mobile plant, vehicles and equipment away from the premises may need separate cover.

Each policy section has its own insured events, limits and exclusions. Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Management Liability Insurance is designed to help cover the business and the people who run it against certain claims relating to management decisions, governance issues, employment disputes or regulatory investigations.

As an arborist business grows, exposure can extend beyond work in the tree or on the ground. Claims can arise from managing employees, workplace safety obligations, subcontractor arrangements, payroll issues, council contracts or decisions made by directors, officers and senior managers.

A policy may include:

• Directors and Officers Liability, either as part of a Management Liability policy or arranged separately
• Employment Practices Liability, such as unfair dismissal, discrimination or harassment claims
• Statutory Liability for eligible defence or investigation costs, where available and legally permitted
• Crime or fidelity cover for internal or external fraud or theft
• Tax audit and regulatory investigation costs, where covered

This cover may be considered by arborist businesses managing employees, subcontractor crews, workplace safety obligations, multiple sites and commercial contracts.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance. Insurance cannot cover fines or penalties where the law prohibits doing so.

Tax Audit Insurance may cover certain professional fees if the insured business is audited, reviewed or investigated by the Australian Taxation Office or a state revenue office. Subject to the policy, this may include fees charged by an accountant, bookkeeper or tax adviser to prepare records and respond to the authority.

Tax Audit Insurance may be relevant for arborist businesses that report business income, GST, payroll, superannuation, vehicle costs, plant purchases, equipment depreciation or subcontractor payments.

Cover may include:

• Accounting or tax adviser fees for an insured audit or review
• ATO reviews involving income tax, BAS or GST, where covered
• Payroll tax or superannuation reviews, where covered
• State revenue office reviews, where included
• Professional costs to review records and prepare a response, where included

Tax Audit Insurance does not usually cover tax liabilities, amended assessments, fines, penalties or interest payable to a revenue authority.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Cyber Insurance may cover certain financial, legal and operational costs arising from an insured cyber incident. Relevant incidents may include phishing, ransomware, data breaches, invoice scams or business email compromise.

Cyber Insurance may be relevant for arborist businesses using job management platforms, online quoting, digital payroll, cloud accounting, client databases, council tender portals or electronic tree assessment records.

Cover may include:

• Cyber incident response costs
• Data restoration and system recovery
• Business Interruption losses following an insured cyber event
• Legal, forensic and notification costs for an eligible data breach
• Ransomware and phishing response support
• Invoice redirection or social engineering losses, where available
• Third-party liability arising from covered exposure of client, contractor or employee data

Cyber policies may require the business to maintain specified security controls, such as multi-factor authentication, backups and software updates.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Business Interruption Insurance may help an arborist business manage certain lost income and additional operating costs following an insured event that disrupts normal trading. It is commonly arranged as part of Business Package Insurance or alongside insured property cover.

For arborist businesses, an interruption may follow insured damage to a depot, workshop, office, stock or other business property. Cover generally depends on the underlying cause of the interruption being insured under the relevant policy section.

Cover may include:

• Loss of insured gross profit, revenue or income during the indemnity period
• Additional operating costs reasonably incurred to continue or restore the business, where covered
• Fixed business expenses that continue during an insured interruption, subject to the policy basis
• Temporary premises, equipment hire or relocation costs, where included
• Claim preparation costs, where included
• Specified supplier, customer, public utility or access interruption extensions, where available

Business Interruption Insurance does not usually respond simply because tree work is postponed, bad weather prevents climbing, a contract is lost or a chipper is unavailable. The interruption generally needs to result from an insured event and satisfy the policy’s waiting periods, indemnity period, limits and other conditions.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Corporate Travel Insurance may cover certain risks arising when directors, employees or other insured people travel for business. It can be relevant for arborist businesses whose people travel between cities, states, remote sites or overseas for projects, tree inspections, training or industry events.

The policy may apply to individual trips or be arranged as an annual policy covering eligible business travel during the policy period. Some policies may also include limited associated leisure travel, where declared and accepted.

Cover may include:

• Overseas medical and emergency assistance expenses, where covered
• Trip cancellation, alteration or additional travel expenses following an insured event
• Lost, stolen or damaged baggage and personal effects, subject to item limits
• Business equipment carried during an insured trip, where included
• Personal accident benefits for specified events, where included
• Rental vehicle excess, where covered
• Emergency evacuation or repatriation costs, where included

Corporate Travel Insurance does not cover every travel disruption, medical condition or work activity. Tree climbing, chainsaw use, manual work and machinery operation may be restricted or excluded. Territorial limits, trip-duration limits and pre-existing medical condition rules also need to be checked.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Marine Transit Insurance may cover insured goods, materials, tools, equipment or other property while being transported between locations. Despite the name, cover may apply to eligible transit by road, rail, air or sea, depending on the policy.

Arborist businesses may consider Marine Transit Insurance when moving chainsaws, climbing kits, rigging equipment, assessment instruments, plant or project materials between suppliers, depots and job sites. Moving logs, mulch or green waste should also be disclosed where cover for those goods is requested.

Cover may include:

• Loss of or accidental damage to insured property during transit
• Transit by the arborist’s own vehicles or third-party carriers, where included
• Loading and unloading risks, where covered
• Temporary storage incidental to an insured transit, where included
• Single-transit cover or annual transit arrangements
• Domestic or international transit, where declared and accepted

Cover for theft from unattended vehicles, used equipment, high-value machinery, consequential loss or delay may be restricted or require specific extensions. The property being transported, its value, packing, securing and the transport arrangements need to be accepted by the insurer.

Marine Transit Insurance is separate from Commercial Vehicle Insurance and may also differ from transit extensions contained in Contractor Plant and Machinery Insurance or Contract Works Insurance.

Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.

Contract-Specific Endorsements and Extensions are not a standalone insurance policy. They are changes, extensions or evidence requirements that may be requested under a council tender, vegetation management agreement, civil contract, utility contract, prequalification process or site-access arrangement.

Arborist contracts can require wording that differs from a standard trade policy. Whether that wording can be provided depends on the existing cover, insurer approval, the business’s declared activities and the terms of the contract.

Common arborist contract requirements may include:

• Principal’s Indemnity, where required and accepted by the insurer
• Cross Liability wording
• Waiver of Subrogation, where required and available
• Contractual Liability extensions, where available
• Contract-specific or site-specific Certificates of Currency, where required
• Interested party or financier noting, where appropriate and available
• Contract-specific policy limits or excess requirements
• Council, utility, principal contractor, joint venture or other entity wording, where accepted
• Requirements relating to height work, powerline clearance, crane-assisted removal, vegetation clearing or arborist consulting services

All Trades Cover may be able to review an arborist contract insurance schedule, identify wording that differs from the current policy and approach the insurer about available endorsements or documentation. Insurer approval is required before amended wording or Certificates of Currency can be issued.

An insurance policy or Certificate of Currency should not be assumed to satisfy every tree-work contract, tender, council requirement or site-access condition. Noting an interested party does not automatically make them an insured party or extend cover. Contractors should check the final requirements and obtain legal advice on contractual liability where needed.

Cover and endorsements are subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and insurer acceptance.