General Liability
Help protect against covered third-party bodily injury and property damage claims.
Additional limits for significant liability risks
Excess Liability Insurance for Landscapers
A major claim can exceed your primary insurance limits. Explore excess liability coverage that adds another layer of protection above specified underlying policies.
Larger Claims Deserve
a Closer Look at Your Limits.
Your landscaping business may work around valuable properties, busy public areas, and vehicles on the road. When a covered liability claim exceeds the available limits of your underlying insurance, excess liability coverage may help address the covered amount above those limits.
Build on your existing liability coverage
What Is Excess Liability Insurance?
Excess liability insurance provides an additional layer of liability limits above the underlying coverage identified in the policy. It is designed to respond to qualifying losses after the required underlying limits have been exhausted as specified by the policy.
For example, your business could face a covered claim that is larger than the available limit of its general liability policy. An applicable excess policy may help pay the covered amount above that limit, subject to its own available limits, exclusions, and conditions.
Excess coverage must be coordinated with your existing insurance. It does not automatically cover excluded activities, replace missing primary insurance, or increase every limit across your insurance program.
Explore Excess Liability Coverage
Understand your additional layer
Where Excess Liability Coverage Can Apply
Depending on the underlying insurance scheduled in your policy, excess liability may provide additional limits for:
- General liability claims: Qualifying third-party bodily injury or property damage claims above the applicable underlying limit.
- Commercial auto liability: Covered liability claims involving business vehicles, when the auto policy is included as underlying insurance.
- Employers’ liability: Certain covered employer liability claims, when included. This does not increase statutory workers’ compensation benefits.
- Additional liability layers: Higher layers above other excess or umbrella insurance, when specifically arranged as part of your insurance program.
Not every excess policy covers each exposure listed. Attachment points, exhaustion requirements, defense provisions, and policy exclusions must be reviewed.
Review Your Liability Limits
Plan around your projects and contracts
Additional Limits for a Growing Landscaping Business
Larger contracts, commercial properties, and an expanding vehicle fleet can change your potential liability exposure. Customers may also request insurance limits above those available through your primary policies.
Before agreeing to contract requirements, share them with your insurance professional. Review the required limits, covered operations, additional insured terms, and how your primary and excess policies work together. Higher limits alone do not confirm that every contract requirement has been met.
For a quote, prepare your underlying policy documents, revenue, payroll, vehicle details, services, and claims history. Disclose specialized work such as tree removal, excavation, pesticide application, or snow removal so eligibility and exclusions can be assessed.
Request Your QuoteBuild Your Landscaping Insurance Protection
Coordinate excess liability with your underlying policies and review separate protection for your crew, equipment, and business property.
Commercial Auto
Explore liability and selected physical damage coverage for your business vehicles.
Workers’ Compensation
Support eligible employees after covered work-related injuries or illnesses.
Tools & Equipment
Review protection for mobile tools and machinery in storage, in transit, and at jobsites.
Commercial Property
Consider coverage for insured business premises and contents against covered losses.
Commercial Umbrella
Compare another option for additional liability limits, with coverage determined by its own terms.
Excess Liability Insurance FAQs
What is the difference between excess liability and umbrella insurance?
Excess liability generally adds limits above specified underlying coverage. An umbrella may provide additional limits and, in some cases, broader coverage for certain exposures. However, product names are not enough to establish the difference. Compare the actual insuring agreements, exclusions, and conditions.
What does “follow form” mean?
A follow-form excess policy generally adopts specified terms of an underlying policy, except where the excess policy states otherwise. It can still contain its own exclusions, conditions, and limitations. Follow form does not mean every provision is identical.
When does an excess liability policy begin paying?
It responds only when its coverage requirements are met, including the applicable attachment point and exhaustion provisions. These terms determine how the required underlying limits must be used before the excess layer can respond to a qualifying claim.
Does it cover claims excluded by my primary policy?
Generally, you should not expect excess insurance to fill exclusions in your underlying coverage. It can also have additional exclusions of its own. Review all relevant policies before assuming that a particular service, accident, or claim is covered.
Does excess liability replace my underlying insurance?
No. You must maintain the underlying policies and limits required by the excess policy. Cancellation, reduced limits, or changes in primary coverage can create gaps. Notify your insurance professional before changing your underlying insurance.
Are legal defense costs included?
Defense obligations vary. An excess insurer may have a right to participate in a defense without an immediate duty to defend, or its obligations may begin only after specified conditions are met. Whether defense costs reduce available limits also depends on the policy.
How much excess liability coverage should I consider?
Consider your contract requirements, services, vehicle exposure, business assets, and potential claim severity. Review available limits alongside your primary insurance. The appropriate amount depends on your business rather than a single standard for all landscaping companies.
What affects the cost of excess liability insurance?
Pricing depends on the requested limit, attachment point, underlying coverage, operations, business size, vehicles, and claims history. Specialized services and insurer eligibility rules can also influence your options.
Strengthen Your Liability Limits.
Prepare for Bigger Risks.
Explore excess liability coverage that works with your existing insurance and the landscaping projects ahead.
Get an Excess Liability Quote
Coverage is subject to policy terms, limits, exclusions,
attachment points, underlying insurance requirements,
eligibility, and availability. Examples do not guarantee
coverage for a particular claim.