Arborist/Forestry Insurance

[Hexa Fox]

Hey guys I am not sure if this belongs here or not and sorry for the Moderator that has to move it. Anyway I have been removing trees, trimming trees, and a lot of other Forestry/Arborist related jobs. I have always thought about getting some type of Insurance. I saw another post on here that was rather old, but still had some good information on the subject. However there is a lot that I did not understand at the least.

This is simply because I have been doing this as a job off the books for a long time. Recently our neighbor wants to get a very large oak removed from her property. She said she is not comfortable with me doing the job since I an not insured. First off I cannot blame anyone for this, but the tree is far enough away from her house that even if I did fell it without taking limbs out of it first it would not reach. Also I have always done my business this way, if the tree is a liability in that it could reach a shed, garage, house, etc I will not take the job.

I also run a landscaping business in the Summer here is Charles Town, WV. I only have a few yards right now and the Forestry/Arborist and Landscaping job has always been only done by me. So basically do you guys think that I could afford some insurance so that I can make this individual feel more comfortable about me taking on the job? I certainly do not want to have to play a lot, but I would really like to have it. I saw someone say that you can get insurance based on how much you charged for each job, but may have seen it wrong.

I really do not have any heavy equipment besides my chainsaw but if I seriously get into this business I am going to buy a compact tractor with a Wood Chipper and Stump Grinder later. The only experience I have is a Forestry Class I took in college and that is it. As I said I have been working off the books for I would say five or more years now and guess I cannot prove that since it has been off the books.

So basically without having to insure any equipment right now how much can I expect to pay to get my self insured to remove trees and trim trees? I am not asking for a exact number but what do you guys think I am looking at? Like can I expect to pay $15.00 a month, $250.00 a month, per job, or what? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Call a insurance agent and they will be able to tell you.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[Hexa Fox]

I know this is old but I found a insurance place that said they would be able to insure me. The agent called me back yesterday with a questionnaire to determine exactly what I would need as far as coverage goes. Right now the only equipment I have to insure is some basic gear and my Chainsaw. I have been reading up on how much I can expect to pay and it looks like people are saying $1,000-$2,000 for one person based on several factors.

I will also have to get a business license on top of this. If I have to pay this much money a year it is definitely not going to be worth it unless I advertise myself this year. I am thinking about buying some colored computer paper, laminating them, and then hanging them various places around town and hoping to find business.

However one of the things I am scared of is having to turn down certain customers because of them having a very dangerous job too close to anything that cost money. I do not have much climbing experience other than a couple ropes and ladders. So I really might have to turn some work away. I would rather have a customer upset at me for declining the job than a customer with a tree in their living room.

The chances of this are slim but if I can afford the insurance I am really going to have to be careful on what jobs I jump on until I get some more experience.