Ben Jablanowski, arborist-in-training with Pro Arbor of Manassas, VA discusses some specifics of insurance requirements for tree service companies. He discusses some aspects of tree service insurance that are not discussed elsewhere. This is a very valuable guide to examining a firm's certificate of insurance. Pr Arbor specializes in large tree removal, and has insight on insurance that other firms do not offer.

You will never come across a tree service that claims to be uninsured. They all have a piece of paper that shows a 7-figure policy. Unfortunately, this can be quite misleading. A little bit of scrutiny is required to determine if the coverage is appropriate for tree work on your property.

There are three separate policies that must be listed on a tree service certificate of insurance:

1. General Liability is the policy that most all companies carry. It protects against damage done to your property during tree cutting operations, provided the company is qualified to do the work that they are performing.

2. Workers Compensation insurance is the most expensive policy of all, and so is most likely to be missing on the certificate. If it is not listed on the certificate that you have, then the company is working without Workers Comp.

3. Commercial Auto must also be listed on the certificate. If it is not, and there is an accident while working on your project, a private insurance policy will not cover the damages because the vehicle is being used for work.

Checking for these policies is a very simple matter. First, instruct the representative providing you with an estimate to have a certificate sent to you from the insurance company. When it comes (it can be emailed, mailed, or faxed), make sure that all three policies are listed. It really is that simple. If it is not, then the tree service does not have insurance. Do not accept any excuses for not getting a certificate from the insurance company, because the only reason for this would be that there is no insurance coverage.

http://www.proarbor.com/insurance.php