Louisiana Tree Service Insurance

Risk Management for Felling and Struck-By Injuries

Struck-by incidents are the defining hazard of this trade. Workers are hit by falling limbs, kickback, rolling logs, or a trunk that barber-chairs off the stump. OSHA identifies struck-by hazards as the leading cause of injury and death for tree care workers, with 99 fatalities recorded nationally in a single year. Underwriters know these numbers well, and they price your account against them.

The wider occupation group looks just as rough. Grounds maintenance workers, including trimmers, face a fatality rate of 20.9 per 100,000 full-time workers. That is more than six times the national average. When a carrier reviews your application, it is really asking one question: what makes your crew different from those numbers?

You can answer that question with documented practices like these:

• Written drop zones and a clear communication system between the climber and the ground crew
• Chainsaw PPE logs, including chaps, helmets, and eye and ear protection, checked daily
• Felling plans with escape routes noted before the first cut
• Tailgate safety meetings recorded with dates and signatures

Paperwork won't stop a falling limb. It does give underwriters a reason to quote your account instead of declining it.

Liability and Trees on Houses After Hurricanes

After a storm, the work changes. You're no longer felling a healthy pine in an open lot. You're lifting a waterlogged, partially failed trunk off a damaged roof, with the homeowner's insurance adjuster watching and power lines sometimes still nearby. If a section drops and punches through the ceiling, that new damage is yours. General liability typically responds to property damage you cause to the customer's home. It may exclude damage to the specific part of the property you were working on, so read the "care, custody, or control" and "your work" wording closely.

A common mistake we see is a contractor who assumes the homeowner's policy will cover everything because the hurricane caused the original problem. That may hold for the first impact. Damage from your rigging, your crane pick, or a dropped section typically becomes a liability claim against you.

Homeowner pressure on tree maintenance is rising too. Residents in New Orleans have faced insurance cancellations over overhanging limbs and maintenance delays. That means more preventive trimming work for you, and more customers who will ask for your certificate of insurance before you start.

Crane and Bucket Truck Exposure in Louisiana Operations

Aerial equipment raises both your productivity and your risk. A bucket truck tipping on saturated Northshore soil, a boom contacting a line, or a crane dropping a pick onto a car can produce six-figure claims. Each of those losses may fall under a different policy, which is why coverage gaps tend to appear here.

Commercial Auto vs. Inland Marine

Your bucket truck is a vehicle on the road and a tool on the job. Commercial auto typically covers it while driving and may cover some operational use. Inland marine covers the equipment itself, such as chippers, stump grinders, and aerial lifts, against theft or physical damage. For a typical arborist setup in 2026, inland marine averages between $50 and $80 per month. That is small next to the cost of replacing a stolen chipper.

Crane Work and Rigging

If you own or rent a crane, tell your agent. Many general liability forms limit or exclude crane operations, and some carriers require a separate rigging or riggers liability endorsement for damage to property you're lifting. Subcontracting the crane? Get the operator's certificate and confirm you're named as an additional insured. Don't assume either one is in place.

Why Workers Comp Is the Hardest Line to Place

This is the policy that keeps tree service owners up at night. Many standard carriers won't write tree trimming classifications at all. Those that do typically require loss runs, safety programs, and detailed breakdowns of climbing versus ground payroll. Pricing reflects that. A Louisiana crew with $200,000 in annual payroll typically pays between $14,000 and $26,000 for workers' comp.

Rates also move. The NCCI filed advisory prospective loss costs for Louisiana with an anticipated effective date of May 1, 2026. Changes like this may shift your renewal even if your crew had a clean year.

Going without coverage is no longer realistic. Louisiana House Bill 81 (2026) lets landowners have a neighbor's encroaching branches trimmed by a licensed arborist after 30 days' written notice. The law requires that arborist to carry both general liability and workers' compensation. Starting July 2026, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry requires licensed arborists to show proof of current GL and comp. No comp policy means no license, and no license means no work.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tree Service Insurance

Do I need workers' comp if it's just me and one helper? If you have an employee and want to hold an arborist license in Louisiana, yes. State licensing now requires proof of comp.

Will my general liability cover a tree I drop on a house? It typically covers damage you cause to the customer's property. Some forms limit coverage for crane work or for the specific area you were working on.

Why did my workers' comp quote come back so high? Tree trimming classifications carry high injury rates. Your rate also depends on payroll, how that payroll is split between climbing and ground work, and your claims history.

Can I use 1099 subcontractors to avoid comp costs? Uninsured subs can end up being treated as your employees at audit. Always collect their certificates of insurance.

Does insurance cover my bucket truck if it tips over on a job? Physical damage may fall under commercial auto or inland marine, depending on how the policies are written. Confirm this with your agent before storm season.

How fast can I get a certificate of insurance after a hurricane? Once your coverage is bound, an agent can typically issue certificates quickly. Have your policies in place before storm season so you're not waiting on them.

Making the Right Choice for Your Louisiana Business

Struck-by injuries drive your comp rates. Post-hurricane jobs test your liability wording. Aerial equipment creates gaps between your auto and inland marine policies. And with HB 81 and the new LDAF requirements, comp has become a condition of doing business. Insurance for a Louisiana tree service only works when these policies fit together, with no space between them for a claim to fall through.

Aubert Insurance Agency has served St. Tammany Parish since 1910. As an independent agency, we compare multiple carriers in one place, which matters for a hard-to-place line like tree care comp. We'll also walk you through your exclusions so you know what you're signing. The process is simple: start online, we shop for you, and you pick the plan that fits.

Hurricane season won't wait for your paperwork. Start a Quote today from Covington or Slidell, and get your crew covered before the next storm.