Cultivate Your Business with Confidence
Protect your Gardeners, Lawn Care and Landscapers business with tradies insurance that’s as versatile as your work
What makes a Gardeners, Lawn Care or Landscapers Insurance policy?
We know that you know you best. That's why, we give you the tools, to build your own tradies insurance policy from our three coverage types: Public & Products Liability (AKA Legal Liability), Tools & Equipment, and Audit coverage.
We start with Public & Products Liability Insurance
Public & Products Liability is included in every policy and consists of two sections; Public Liability Insurance and Products Liability Insurance. These are designed to cover you for costs that arise from third party claims against your work, and your products (where applicable).**
THE FOUNDATION
Public & Products Liability Insurance
Why You Might Need It
As a Gardener, Lawn Care & Landscaping professional, you face the risk of damaging your client's or another third party's property or causing bodily injury.
15% of all of our liability claims* from 2022 - 2025 were caused by rocks flicking up from lawnmowers or whipper snippers and damaging the clients' property, usually windows or nearby cars.
This is the type of situation where Public Liability Insurance can become handy.
Is it Considered Mandatory?
There is no federal law that mandates Public Liability or Products Liability insurance for all tradies in Australia. However it is often:
- Mandated by state or territory-specific licensing bodies for certain trades (such as electricians in Queensland).
- Required by local councils for activities on public land.
- A condition in contracts with larger clients.
How It Works
Choose from $5, $10 or $20 million of cover. This is the maximum amount payable by the insurer for any one loss or in the policy period.
$10 million of coverage is the most common limit taken among our portfolio of Gardeners, Lawn Care and Landscaping professionals over the sample period.* Often, a tradie will choose a limit ($5M, $10M or $20M) based on the requirements of a contract. For example, if you have a contract with a real estate agent to maintain their clients' properties, they might ask you to maintain a minimum of $20 million coverage. Every business is different, so be sure to consider your own needs when selecting a limit.**
Then you can add Tools & Equipment Insurance
Tools & equipment insurance is an optional extra which you can add to your Public & Products Liability to create your tailored Gardeners, Lawn Care & Landscapers insurance policy. You can cover up to $25,000 of tools and equipment to protect yourself if they are stolen or sustain loss or damage caused by an insured peril.**
THE REINFORCEMENT
Tools & Equipment Insurance
Why You Might Need It
If you're a Gardener, Lawn Care & Landscaping professional, you likely have tools and equipment that you need, to be able to complete jobs and get paid. That's why they may be worth protecting with more than lock and key. For a lot of tradies, no tools and equipment can mean no work.
Unfortunately, the theft of tools & equipment around Australia is on the rise. $33 million of tools were stolen from Victorian tradies alone in 2023, up from $20 million worth in 2022 (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au). Losses often occur after a forced break-in to a locked ute, toolbox, van, trailer or garage. Tools & Equipment Insurance is designed to protect you if your tools and equipment are stolen or sustain loss or damage caused by an insured peril.
Is it Considered Mandatory?
Tools & Equipment Insurance is not considered mandatory. Whilst some Gardeners, Lawn Care and Landscapers choose to insure their tools and equipment, some find tools insurance less worthwhile.
Common tools and equipment used by Gardeners, Lawn Care and Landscapers include; zero-turn mower, compact utility tractor, mini skid steer (Dingo), tracked mini loader, stump grinder, backpack blower, irrigation trenching machine, laser level kit, enclosed trailer with ramps, wheel barrow, power tools.
Tools & Equipment Insurance is an optional extra in your policy, meaning that you're not required to take out the cover. If you ever wish to add it to your policy down the line simply give us a call.
How It Works
Tools and Equipment cover starts with an automatic $5,000 cover for unspecified tools and equipment. Each tool and piece of unspecified equipment has a limit of $1,000 per item. To cover any tools and equipment valued over $1000, such as ride on mowers, trailers, stump grinders or wood-chippers, you simply need to individually specify these on the policy. In your policy, you can have up to $20,000 of these specified tools and equipment. Coupled with the $5,000 of unspecified, this section offers up to $25,000 in total cover.
VIZ can cover your hired equipment, trailers and even mobile plant as well. Let us know what you are hiring by email or give us a call to sort it out and we can cover you for the duration of your hire, per the terms and conditions of the policy wording.
And finally... Tax Audit Insurance
Tax Audit Insurance is designed to cover costs such as accountant fees incurred from an audit by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Having audit insurance can allow you to go without the worry and compromised cash flow from paying unexpected fees in responding to a tax audit.**
THE FINAL TOUCH
Tax Audit Insurance
Why You Might Need It
The ATO can audit taxpaying entities at their discretion, regardless of suspicion, fault or evidence. Some taxpaying entities are selected for audit at random, some are selected based on the profile of their lodgements.
If you favour protecting your cashflow against unforeseen professional fees following a tax audit, you may want to consider adding this optional extra to your policy. That way, if the ATO comes knocking, you know that you have VIZ's Tax Audit cover.
Is it Mandatory?
Tax Audit Insurance is generally not considered mandatory. Some Gardeners, Lawn Care & Landscapers choose to take out Tax Audit Insurance, some do not.
Tax Audit Insurance is an optional extra in your policy, meaning that you're not required to take out the cover. If you ever wish to add it to your policy in the future you can call us on 1300 216 226 to arrange.
How It Works
You can either opt in or out of $50,000 of cover for Tax Audit Insurance. This can cover you for accountants fee in the process of an audit by the ATO. Its pretty simple.**
What could the price look like for my Gardeners, Lawn Care & Landscapers insurance?
We have given you a few examples here so you can get the gist of how much tradies insurance can cost.
POLICIES
Policy Examples
The following policy examples are based on fictional people and are provided to demonstrate how much a premium may be for various types of coverage.
Meet Jack
Jack, a solo lawn mower from Campbelltown, NSW, got $5 million Public & Products Liability Insurance to manage the risk of damaging clients’ property. He just started his business and is eager to manage his insurance costs. Jack decided to skip tools and equipment insurance since he only has one mower and he is willing to take the risks involved with forgoing insurance. His Public & Products Liability coverage costs $32.98 per month.***
Meet Sam
Sam from Batemans Bay, NSW runs a lawn mowing business, and has tools like whipper snippers, mowers, and blowers, as well as his $2,000 trailer. He opted for $10 million Public & Products Liability Cover. Sam also selected $5,000 unspecified Tools & Equipment Insurance, as well as adding and specifying his trailer in his policy. For this coverage, Sam pays about $68 monthly.***
Meet Alex
Alex, a landscaper from Newcastle, NSW, runs a business with one other employee and has equipment such as a power auger, wheelbarrows and other less expensive tools; as well as a trailer. Alex chose $10 million Public & Products Liability cover, $8,500 tools and equipment cover ($5,000 unspecified tools plus she specified her $3,500 trailer) and $50,000 Tax Audit Insurance. Alex pays $86.41 monthly.***
Meet Jack
Jack, a solo lawn mower from Campbelltown, NSW, got $5 million Public & Products Liability Insurance to manage the risk of damaging clients’ property. He just started his business and is eager to manage his insurance costs. Jack decided to skip tools and equipment insurance since he only has one mower and he is willing to take the risks involved with forgoing insurance. His Public & Products Liability coverage costs $32.98 per month.***
Meet Sam
Sam from Batemans Bay, NSW runs a lawn mowing business, and has tools like whipper snippers, mowers, and blowers, as well as his $2,000 trailer. He opted for $10 million Public & Products Liability Cover. Sam also selected $5,000 unspecified Tools & Equipment Insurance, as well as adding and specifying his trailer in his policy. For this coverage, Sam pays about $68 monthly.***
Meet Alex
Alex, a landscaper from Newcastle, NSW, runs a business with one other employee and has equipment such as a power auger, wheelbarrows and other less expensive tools; as well as a trailer. Alex chose $10 million Public & Products Liability cover, $8,500 tools and equipment cover ($5,000 unspecified tools plus she specified her $3,500 trailer) and $50,000 Tax Audit Insurance. Alex pays $86.41 monthly.***
Want to see what we can do for you?
Every gardener, lawn care professional and landscaper will have their own appetite for risk and will want to craft their own tradies insurance accordingly. Want to build your own policy and see how we can help you?
Have more questions?
We're always here to help.
*All data is based upon VIZ Insurance claims data from 2019 - 2022 period. Details about each claim were derived from the claim description, submitted by the insured.
**Any advice provided is general advice only and you should consider if it suits your needs. Please read the relevant Policy Wording to ensure the product is right for you. All product information contained within this website is subject to policy terms and conditions (including exclusion and limitations).
***Monthly Payments vary by state due to state-based stamp duty charges. VIZ charge an annual $10 Policy Fee + GST (in addition to the Monthly Payment) that is payable in the first month. The prices shown are based on selecting; $500 excess, a business operating in NSW and is an indication only. Your premium will be calculated based on the information you provide to us during the insurance application process.