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Insurance for Gardeners
Last updated: 09/01/2026
Working outdoors, maintaining lawns, pruning hedges and just generally keeping people’s gardens looking pristine – work as a gardener has its many perks, but let’s not beat around the bush (excuse the pun), it carries its risks as well.
Gardening and landscaping work can be physically demanding and hazardous at times. With sharp tools, heavy machinery, uneven ground and members of the public often nearby, the risk of something going wrong is higher than many people realise. That’s why having the right Gardeners Insurance in place can be paramount for you and your business.
What is Gardeners Insurance?
Gardeners Insurance is designed to protect anyone carrying out gardening, landscaping or outdoor work in domestic or commercial settings. It helps financially cover your business if your work results in injury to a third party or damage to property, as well as protecting against a wide range of other risks.
With Rhino, Gardeners Insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. You can build a policy around your business, adding only the covers you need. Whether you’re a sole trader, employ staff, or take on larger contracts, you can tailor your insurance to match the risks you face day-to-day. Rhino offers protection from property damage and injury to third parties, to tool theft and legal expenses, and from injury and sickness cover to protection against HMRC investigations. Below breaks down each of the options available to your business.
Learn more about Public Liability Insurance for Gardeners here.
Covers injury to third parties and damage to their property caused by your work.
Covers claims from employees who are injured or made ill due to work carried out for you, and against claims of professional negligence from employees.
Covers ongoing contracts, materials left on site and plant and machinery against loss or damage.
Covers theft, loss or damage to tools and equipment.
Helps cover legal costs for legal issues such as employment issues, health and safety prosecutions or recovery of debts from non-paying customers.
Provides support and cover for HMRC tax investigations.
Receive a tax-free lump-sum payment if you’re injured and unable to work.
Helps replace lost income with tax-free monthly payments if you can’t work due to illness or injury.
Covers essential business and personal gadgets such as phones and tablets.
Why do I need Gardeners Insurance?
Gardeners Insurance protects both you and your customers if something goes wrong.
Key benefits include:
Protecting your reputation
Customers are far more likely to trust a gardener who is properly insured. It shows professionalism and reassures them that they’re protected too.
Peace of mind
Knowing you’re covered allows you to focus on the job at hand without worrying about the financial consequences of an accident.
Meeting contract and accreditation requirements
Some contracts, councils or commercial clients require a minimum level of Public Liability cover – often £2 million or more.
How much is Gardeners Insurance?
Gardeners Public Liability Insurance with Rhino starts from £72.80. This is an indicative starting price based on £1 million worth of cover and may change depending on factors such as:
The type of gardening or landscaping work you carry out
Your turnover
Whether you employ staff
The level of cover you choose
For most policies, you’ll need to hold an active Public Liability Insurance policy with Rhino. We don’t offer standalone covers, except for Income Protection Insurance and Personal Accident Insurance, as Public Liability forms the foundation of Gardeners Insurance.
What insurance do Gardeners need?
Protection is key for gardeners. Not only does insurance protect your business, but it also protects your customers if something goes wrong. Neither party wants to be left footing a large bill after an accident.
Public Liability Insurance
This is the essential starting point. It covers you if your work causes injury to a third party or damage to their property.
You can read more about Public Liability Insurance in our guide here.
Employers’ Liability Insurance
If you employ anyone - even casually, for example, you take on someone for working experience - you’re legally required to have Employers’ Liability Insurance. It covers claims from employees who are injured or become ill due to their work for your business.
Tools Insurance
Tool theft is a major issue in the trades. Our 2024 survey found that over 80% of tradespeople know someone who has been a victim of tool theft.
Rhino’s Tools Insurance protects your tools while loading or unloading, when stored in your vehicle overnight (subject to conditions), and while on the job. You can read more about Tools Insurance here.
What doesn't Gardeners Insurance cover?
While Gardeners Insurance provides wide-ranging protection, exclusions can apply. Common exclusions may include:
Deliberate or reckless damage
Poor workmanship or faulty materials
Wear and tear to tools or equipment
Work carried out outside the scope of your declared trade
Claims arising from uninsured activities
Always check your policy documents to understand exactly what is and isn’t covered.
How much cover do I need?
The amount of cover you need depends on the work you do and the contracts you take on. Rhino offers Public Liability limits from £1 million to £5 million.
Many larger contracts require at least £2 million cover. Whereas if you’re a one-man band, £1 million of cover may be preferable to you.
Something to note: Public Liability Insurance protects you per incident, not on an aggregated basis across the year. For example, if you have £1 million cover and make a £750,000 claim, you’re still fully covered for future claims up to £1 million each during the time of your cover.
If you’re unsure of the amount of cover you require, our team are on hand to talk through any questions or queries. Just give us a call on 0116 243 7904.
Claims Examples
Gardening and landscaping work isn’t your average job, and those working in specialist trades face unique risks and challenges. Some gardeners have employees working under them, some work with hazardous equipment and machinery, and some work closely alongside members of the public. These risks need to be reflected in the insurance taken out; otherwise, your business could be at risk of expensive compensation claims or costly legal battles.
Personal injuries
You’re carrying out general garden maintenance at a customer’s property. While working at height using a ladder, you lose your footing and fall, suffering a serious leg injury.
The injury requires surgery and several months of recovery, leaving you unable to work during that time. With no work coming in, you still have ongoing bills, mortgage payments and day-to-day living costs to cover.
Because you have Personal Accident Insurance, you receive a tax-free lump sum payout, helping to ease the immediate financial pressure following the accident. On top of this, your Income Protection Insurance provides regular monthly payments, replacing a portion of your income until you’re able to return to work.
Without this cover in place, you’d have no financial support while off work. With Personal Accident and Income Protection Insurance, you’re able to focus on recovery without worrying about your financial stability.
Damaging client property
You’re hired to carry out hedge trimming and general garden maintenance at a customer’s property. While using a hedge trimmer near the house, you lose your footing and accidentally strike a large patio door with your equipment.
The glass shatters, causing significant damage to the door and surrounding frame. The customer is unable to secure their property properly and urgently needs the door replaced.
Without Public Liability Insurance, your business would be responsible for paying the repair costs and any legal fees. With Public Liability Insurance in place, the insurer covers the cost of the damage and handles the claim on your behalf, protecting the business from an unexpected financial loss.
Injuries to employees
One of your employees is helping with some general grounds maintenance, and whilst working on a sloped garden, you ask the employee to carry heavy equipment across uneven ground. Due to poor footing and a lack of suitable safety guidance, the employee slips and falls, seriously injuring their back.
The injury requires medical treatment and forces them to take several months off work. During this time, they lose income and are unable to carry out their duties. The employee makes a claim against your business, alleging that inadequate risk assessments and unsafe working conditions caused the injury.
Without Employers’ Liability Insurance, the business would be responsible for covering legal fees, compensation costs and associated expenses. With the correct cover in place, these costs are handled by the insurer, protecting the business from significant financial loss.
Gardeners Insurance FAQs
Getting insured with Rhino is quick and straightforward. Our online quote engine can provide a price in under 30 seconds (trust us, we’ve tested it!). Once you’ve answered a few questions about your business, cover can be put in place almost immediately, with documentation sent straight to your email upon payment.
Yes - Rhino allows cover for multiple trades, but please note that some trades may carry more risk than others, which may have an effect on your premium.
Yes - free and straightforward with no admin fees.
Rhino don’t charge interest on Direct Debit payments, but we do charge an administration fee for monthly payments, starting at £3.00 per month. Annual payments are exempt from this.
Rhino Trade Insurance is a specialist insurance provider dedicated solely to tradespeople. Our expertise is focused entirely on you and the industries you work in, meaning we understand the real risks you face on the job.
We’re an industry-recognised provider with a five-star reputation, backed by over 4,000 five-star reviews from tradespeople across the UK. We don’t appear on comparison websites, allowing us to offer competitive pricing without compromising on cover or service.
You can sort your insurance quickly online, or speak directly with our team throughout the week on 0116 243 7904.
