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Pikorua Security

Landscaping & Grounds subcontractors

Landscaping & Grounds subcontractor COI requirements

Landscaping and grounds contractors carry lower bodily injury severity than structural trades, and their defect rate reflects it: 61% in Pikorua Security's 2026 benchmark. The exposures that do matter are auto-heavy (trucks, trailers and mobile equipment on public roads), chemical (pesticide and herbicide application) and seasonal (snow and ice work that many landscape policies exclude).

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Landscaping & Grounds audit

Fieldstone Landscape Group LLC

Lakeshore Corporate Campus

Deficient
CGL policy
GL 1188-2604-37
AM Best
A- VIII
Carrier
Allegheny Mutual Casualty Co.
  • DeficientSnow

    Snow and ice removal excluded; contract includes winter services.

  • DeficientCA 20 48

    Owner not designated on the business auto policy.

  • ReviewApplicator

    Herbicide application excluded; no CPL evidenced.

14 rules checked, 2 deficient. Scanned Oct 16, 2026, 7:38 AM ET. Notice sent to sub and broker.
of landscaping subcontractor COI packets are deficient on first review
61%
of landscaping subcontractor COI packets are deficient on first review
Pikorua Security 2026 Benchmark
trade rank by defect rate, 10 points below the all-trade average
13 of 14
trade rank by defect rate, 10 points below the all-trade average
Pikorua Security 2026 Benchmark
of subcontractor and vendor COIs contain material coverage deficiencies or missing endorsements on first review
71%
of subcontractor and vendor COIs contain material coverage deficiencies or missing endorsements on first review
AGC Risk Committee Audit
of COIs claiming additional insured status fail to attach the CG 20 37 completed operations endorsement
64%
of COIs claiming additional insured status fail to attach the CG 20 37 completed operations endorsement
IRMI Construction Risk Survey

Typical exhibit

Typical landscaping insurance requirements

The limits Pikorua Security's landscaping rule template starts from. Your subcontract exhibit controls; set it once per project and every landscaping certificate is checked against it.
Rules in template
14
Hazard tier
Moderate
Typical insurance requirements for landscaping subcontractors
CoverageTypical limitWhat to check
Commercial general liability (CG 00 01, occurrence)$1,000,000 each occurrence / $2,000,000 general aggregateConfirm the classification covers every service in the contract: installation, maintenance, tree work, irrigation and snow removal.
Products-completed operations aggregate$2,000,000Retaining wall, hardscape and irrigation failures after turnover.
Business auto liability$1,000,000 combined single limitTrucks towing trailers with mowers and skid steers. Confirm trailers are covered and CA 20 48 is attached.
Umbrella / excess liability$2,000,000 to $5,000,000 each occurrenceHigher on campuses and public property where crews work near pedestrians and traffic.
Workers compensation / employer's liabilityStatutory / $1,000,000 each accident, $1,000,000 disease each employee, $1,000,000 disease policy limitSeasonal labor and H-2B crews must be on the named insured's payroll and WC.
Pesticide and herbicide applicator coverage or CPL$1,000,000 each occurrenceChemical application is a pollution exposure. State applicator licensing does not replace coverage.

Endorsement checklist

Forms to see attached, not just checked

A Y in the ADDL INSD column is not an endorsement. Ask for each form below by number and edition, and read the landscaping sub's schedule of forms against it.

Exclusion watchlist

Exclusions that void landscaping coverage

These never appear on an ACORD 25. They sit in the declarations schedule of forms and the endorsement pages, which is where Pikorua Security reads.
  • Red flag

    Pesticide or herbicide application exclusion

    Many landscape policies exclude claims arising from chemical application, either directly or through the pollution exclusion. Drift onto neighboring property, plants or people is a recurring claim.

  • Red flag

    Snow and ice removal exclusion

    Landscape policies frequently exclude snow plowing and ice treatment, or limit them to scheduled locations. For property managers and REITs, slip-and-fall claims on unplowed or under-treated walks are a primary premises exposure.

  • Red flag

    Tree trimming or tree removal limitation

    Tree work at height and near power lines is rated separately from mowing and planting. A maintenance-only policy may exclude it.

  • Red flag

    CG 21 44 Limitation of Coverage to Designated Premises, Project or Operation

    Grounds contractors serving a portfolio sometimes carry coverage limited to scheduled properties. A new site added mid-contract can be uncovered until the schedule is updated.

    Read the CG 21 44 guide

Auto is the severity driver

Landscape crews spend much of the day on public roads with trucks towing loaded trailers, and mowers or skid steers that move between sites. That makes auto liability the coverage most likely to see a serious claim. Check that trailers are covered, that hired and non-owned autos are included for crew members using personal vehicles, and that CA 20 48 designates the GC or owner as an insured for covered autos liability.

Mobile equipment adds another wrinkle. Mowers and skid steers are mobile equipment under the CGL when used on site, but a machine driven on a public road may be treated as an auto. Pikorua Security does not try to resolve that classification; it confirms both policies are present and neither carries a gap for equipment operation.

Chemicals, licensing and the pollution exclusion

Fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides are pollutants under most CGL forms. Drift onto a neighboring property, an allergic reaction from a treated area or contamination of a water feature can all be excluded. States license commercial applicators, and Pikorua Security stores the license number and expiry with the vendor record, but a license is not insurance.

  • Ask whether the CGL restores coverage for chemical application, or require a CPL.
  • Confirm the GC or owner is an additional insured on whichever policy covers application.
  • Track applicator licenses on the same 60, 30, 15 and 0 day cadence as policies.

Grounds contracts for property managers

For property managers and REITs, the landscape vendor is an ongoing service relationship, not a one-time subcontract. Ongoing operations additional insured status (CG 20 10, or CG 20 26 naming the ownership entity and manager) matters for the full term, and snow and ice services deserve their own check because slip-and-fall claims follow every storm. Pikorua Security's property vendor template splits landscaping and snow removal into separate service lines so a snow exclusion is caught before the first forecast.

How to verify a landscaping sub's COI

A manual review of one COI and its endorsement packet takes 25 to 40 min (CFMA Time Study). These are the six checks, in the order Pikorua Security runs them.

  1. 1

    Match the named insured to the subcontract

    Compare the named insured on the ACORD 25 with the legal entity that signed the landscaping subcontract, including the LLC or Inc. suffix. A trade name or DBA is not the contracting entity, and additional insured coverage follows the policy's named insured.

  2. 2

    Check limits against your landscaping exhibit

    Confirm commercial general liability of $1,000,000 each occurrence / $2,000,000 general aggregate, an umbrella of $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 that follows form over CGL, auto and employer's liability, and statutory workers compensation. Then confirm pesticide and herbicide applicator coverage or cpl is evidenced, because it does not appear on a standard ACORD 25.

  3. 3

    Read the endorsement pages, not the checkboxes

    A Y in the ADDL INSD or SUBR WVD column is not an endorsement. Confirm CG 20 10, CG 20 37, CG 20 01, CG 24 04, WC 00 03 13, CA 20 48 and CG 20 26 are attached as forms, and that the ongoing and completed operations forms share the same edition date.

  4. 4

    Scan the schedule of forms for landscaping exclusions

    Look for pesticide or herbicide application exclusion, snow and ice removal exclusion, tree trimming or tree removal limitation and CG 21 44 Limitation of Coverage to Designated Premises, Project or Operation. None of these appear on the certificate; they sit in the declarations schedule of forms and the endorsement pages.

  5. 5

    Check carrier ratings and policy dates

    Confirm each carrier is rated A- VII or better by AM Best and that no policy expires before the landscaping scope and its completed operations period are finished. Set renewal reminders at 60, 30, 15 and 0 days.

  6. 6

    Hold payment and site access until resolved

    Keep the landscaping sub's pay applications and jobsite badges on hold until every finding is resolved, then file the verified packet so it is ready if you ever need to tender a claim.

Try it

Is this landscaping COI compliant?

Toggle what Fieldstone Landscape Group LLC's packet shows. The verdict updates the way Pikorua Security's landscaping template scores it.

What the packet from Fieldstone Landscape Group LLC shows

  • CG 20 10 or CG 20 26

  • On a contract with winter services. Red flag if present.

  • Business auto

  • CGL buy-back or CPL

  • Designated premises limitation. Red flag if present.

  • Both GL and WC

Switch on = present in the packet. Switch off = missing.

Deficient: 3 findings

  • Snow and ice removal excluded

    Slip-and-fall claims after storms are excluded.

  • Trailers covered and CA 20 48 attached

    Auto coverage gap for trailers or the owner.

  • Chemical application covered

    Pesticide and herbicide claims are excluded.

Pikorua Security would send a deficiency notice to the sub and its broker citing each item, and hold payment until a corrected endorsement arrives.

Related trades

All 14 trade guides

Questions

Landscaping & Grounds COI questions

What insurance should a landscaping contractor carry for commercial work?
A typical requirement is CGL of $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, $1,000,000 auto with trailers covered and CA 20 48 attached, an umbrella of $2,000,000 to $5,000,000, statutory WC with $1,000,000 employer's liability, and coverage for pesticide or herbicide application. Endorsements should include additional insured status and waivers of subrogation.
Does a landscaper's general liability cover snow removal?
Not always. Many landscape policies exclude snow plowing and ice treatment or limit them to scheduled locations. If the vendor's contract includes snow and ice services, confirm the CGL covers them explicitly, because slip-and-fall claims after storms are one of the most common premises claims.
Why is the landscaping COI defect rate lower than other trades?
Landscaping carries lower bodily injury severity than structural or high-hazard trades, so carriers attach fewer restrictive endorsements. Pikorua Security's 2026 benchmark puts the trade at 61% deficient on first review, against a 71% average. The findings that remain center on auto, chemical application and snow exclusions.

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