Additional Insured

When a property management company or general contractor hires your tree service, they will almost always require you to add them as an additional insured on your general liability policy. This means that if a third party sues over bodily injury or property damage caused by your tree work, the additional insured is also protected under your policy.

The most common scenario in tree care: you are trimming oaks on a commercial property and a falling limb damages a parked car. The vehicle owner may sue both your company and the property owner. Because the property owner was listed as an additional insured, your GL policy responds to defend both parties.

Additional insured status is typically granted through an endorsement — either a scheduled endorsement naming a specific entity, or a blanket endorsement that automatically covers any party you are contractually required to insure. Most tree service companies find a blanket endorsement far more efficient because it eliminates the need to request a separate endorsement for every new contract.

A critical detail: the additional insured's coverage under your policy is limited to liability arising from your operations. It does not cover their own negligence unrelated to your work. Make sure you review the endorsement language — some forms restrict coverage to ongoing operations only, while broader forms extend to completed operations as well.