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C-27 · Trade coverage

Landscaping Contractor Insurance in California

Crews across multiple properties, equipment on trailers, chemicals on the truck — landscaping risk travels. We insure C-27 contractors with coverage that keeps up, from maintenance routes to full installs.

Get my landscaping quote Call 800-897-8221
Why landscaping is different

Small jobs, big exposure spread

A landscaping operation touches more properties in a week than most trades do in a quarter — which multiplies the everyday risks: a rock thrown by a mower, an irrigation trench that finds a utility line, a sprinkler main that floods a crawlspace. Add chemical application (often excluded from standard GL without the right endorsement) and tree work (frequently excluded or rated separately), and the gap between a cheap policy and the right one gets wide.

The other defining claim is theft: mowers and handhelds disappear off trailers constantly, and your liability policy covers none of it — that’s Inland Marine. We quote the whole operation together, and every policy comes with instant certificates for the property managers and HOAs that ask.

The landscaper coverage stack

  • General Liability — $1M/$2M for property damage across every site you touch
  • Pesticide & herbicide endorsement — chemical application coverage standard GL often excludes
  • Workers’ Compensation — required for every CSLB licensee since 2026
  • Commercial Auto — trucks and the trailers they tow, route after route
  • Inland Marine — mowers, trenchers, and handhelds; theft off trailers is claim #1
  • CSLB license bond — the $25,000 bond your C-27 license requires
Chemicals covered

spray applications matched with the right endorsement — not left to an exclusion

Theft-ready

equipment coverage that follows the trailer — the most common landscaping claim

Instant COIs

certificates for property managers and HOAs, issued in seconds, 24/7

Common questions

Landscaper coverage, answered

What insurance does a C-27 landscaping contractor need in California?
General Liability at $1M/$2M, Workers’ Compensation — required for every licensee since January 1, 2026 — Commercial Auto for trucks and trailers, the $25,000 CSLB license bond, and Inland Marine for mowers, trenchers, and the equipment riding on your trailer.
Does General Liability cover pesticide and herbicide application?
Often not by default — many GL policies exclude or limit chemical application claims. If you spray, you likely need a pesticide/herbicide applicator endorsement, and California separately requires a DPR applicator license for hire. Tell us exactly what you apply so the policy matches the work.
Is tree work covered under a landscaping policy?
Only if it’s underwritten that way. Tree trimming and removal — especially above height thresholds — is often excluded or rated separately, and dedicated tree-service (D-49) work was among the first classifications required to carry Workers’ Comp back in 2023. Describe your tree work honestly so a claim doesn’t hit an exclusion.
What about my mowers, trenchers, and trailer equipment?
Your liability policy doesn’t cover your own gear. Inland Marine coverage follows your equipment on the trailer, at the job site, and in the yard — and equipment theft is the most common landscaping claim we see.

Get coverage that knows the trade

Tell us about your landscaping work and we’ll come back with real options — usually within one business day.

Get my free quote Call 800-897-8221