Insurance Built for Tree Work
Tree work is one of the higher risk trades insurers look at. You're working at height, running chainsaws and chippers, dropping heavy limbs near houses, cars, fences and powerlines, and often doing it straight after a storm when conditions are at their worst.
That's why generic tradie insurance often falls short for arborists and tree loppers. Many insurers won't touch tree work at all, and those that do ask detailed questions about how you operate. Getting those answers right is the difference between a policy that responds and one that doesn't.
Monarch arranges insurance for tree businesses across Brisbane and South East Queensland, from sole operator loppers with a ute and a chainsaw to multi-crew operations running trucks, chippers and elevated work platforms.
Quick Summary
-
Public liability for property damage and injury on the job
-
Cover for chippers, stump grinders, EWPs, trucks and loaders
-
Tools, climbing gear and equipment protection
-
Options for consulting arborists and sole traders
Most tree businesses carry $10 million or $20 million in cover. Councils, property managers, schools and utility contractors commonly require $20 million before you can start work.
What Arborist &Tree Lopper's Insurance Covers
Public Liability
Your most important cover. It protects you if your work damages someone else's property or injures a member of the public. A limb that drops through a client's roof, a felled tree that crushes a neighbour's fence, a chipper throwing debris onto a parked car. These are everyday risks in tree work.
Tools & Equipment
Chainsaws, pole saws, climbing gear, ropes, harnesses and rigging equipment add up quickly, and they're a common target for theft from utes and trailers. Tools & Equipment Insurance covers portable gear on site, in transit and at your depot.
Personal Accident and Illness
Sole traders aren't automatically covered by workers compensation. If an injury stops you climbing for weeks or months, personal accident and illness cover can replace part of your income while you recover.
Mobile Plant & Machinery
Chippers, stump grinders, elevated work platforms, cherry pickers, loaders and cranes are often worth more than everything else in the business combined. Plant insurance covers accidental damage, fire, theft and, in many cases, rollover and overturning.
Professional Indemnity
If you provide arborist reports, tree risk assessments or advice for development applications, your advice carries its own risk. If a tree you assessed as safe later fails and causes damage, the claim may fall under professional advice rather than public liability.
What Insurers Want to Know About Your Tree Work
This is where tree businesses most often get caught out. Insurers rate arborist risks on the detail, and an incomplete or inaccurate answer can affect a claim later. Expect questions like:
Climbing or machinery only?
Maximum working height
Fire precautions
Do you use Subcontractors and Labour Hire?
Stump grinding and underground services.
Real Claim Scenarios: Brisbane Arborists and Tree Loppers
A limb drops through a roof. A crew in Kenmore is removing a large gum. A rigging point fails and a section falls onto the client's house, damaging the roof and ceiling. Public liability responds to the repair costs.
A stump grinder hits a water main. A grinding job in Carindale damages an unmarked water service. Water floods the client's yard and the neighbour's garage. Public liability covers the third party damage, subject to policy terms.
A chipper is stolen overnight. A chipper left on a trailer at a job site in Redcliffe is stolen. Plant insurance covers the replacement cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
They're generally the same cover. Arborist is the more formal term, while tree lopper is common across Queensland. What matters to insurers is the work you do, not the title.
Most tree businesses carry $10 million or $20 million. Check your contracts, as councils, schools, body corporates and utility contractors often require $20 million.
Yes. Climbing is rated differently to machinery-only work, and failing to disclose it could affect a claim.
Yes. Older plant can usually be insured on a market value or agreed value basis. We'll help you set a realistic sum insured.
Yes. Consulting arborists mainly need professional indemnity cover, with public liability for site visits.
Sole traders aren't automatically covered. Personal accident and illness insurance is the usual way to protect your income if you're injured. Your Employees on the other hand can be covered by a Worker's Compensation policy.
Why Monarch?
Why choose us as your brokerage
Personalised Service
We take the time to understand your business, tailoring insurance solutions to fit your exact needs rather than offering a one-size-fits-all policy.
Expert Guidance
Our team brings deep industry knowledge and explains your options in plain language, helping you make confident, informed decisions.
Trusted Claims Support
If the unexpected happens, we stand by your side. We’ll guide you through the claims process and advocate on your behalf to get the best outcome.
Local Focus, Real Relationships
As a Brisbane brokerage, we’re invested in our community and committed to building lasting relationships, not just policies.
Get Your Tree Service Business Insurance Sorted Properly
Whether you're a sole lopper in Logan or running multiple crews across Brisbane, Monarch can find a policy that matches how you actually work. Call 1300 130 463 or request a quote.
