Workers' Comp Insurance for Landscapers

Workers' comp for landscapers starts with two class codes

In states that use NCCI's system, workers' comp for landscapers is split between two codes. 0042, Landscape Gardening & Drivers, is for new landscape installation. 9102 is where routine lawn maintenance goes: mowing, edging, trimming and upkeep of existing grounds, under the wording "Lawn Maintenance – Commercial or Domestic & Drivers."

Getting that split wrong is common. NCCI's own inspections list 0042 among its most-reclassified codes, and most corrections move employers from 0042 to 9102: 73% of 0042 changes in 2022 and 69% in 2023.

The code matters because the rate does. In Indiana's 2026 advisory rates, 0042 costs about 1.5 times as much per $100 of payroll as 9102. A maintenance-only company sitting in 0042 may be overpaying. Splitting one worker's payroll between two codes usually takes clean time records; without them, the higher-rated code can apply to everything.

Other codes that show up on landscaping policies

0106, tree pruning and trimming: California's rating bureau spells out a common rule. If any of the pruning on a job needs ladders, lifts or climbing, that job goes to 0106, ground crew included. Pruning with no elevation stays in 0042. Other states word it their own way, so ask before you assume.
5183, plumbing: NCCI's scope for this code includes underground sprinkler installation. Larger irrigation or drainage construction may fall under 6229.
Hardscape: a separate crew building walls and patios may be rated under a masonry or concrete code. Ask before you assume.
8810, clerical: office staff who stay in the office.

Pennsylvania runs its own bureau and its own numbers: 0012 covers both landscape and lawn maintenance contractors, 0005 is tree work, and lawn sprinkler installs and French drains are listed under 0663. Hiring for the first time? Our guide to starting a lawn care or landscaping business covers when comp usually kicks in.

Landscaping crew in gloves and safety glasses planting shrubs in a new bed

What workers' comp covers for a landscaping crew

Usually covered	Usually left out
Medical care for a crew member hurt on the job	Injuries to customers or passersby (that's general liability)
Part of the wages they lose while they recover	Owners who opted out, where state law allows it
Employer's liability if an injury turns into a lawsuit	Employer's liability in Ohio, where the state fund leaves it out
Seasonal, part-time and H-2B employees on your payroll	Benefits for 1099 helpers who carry their own comp
Heat illness and strain injuries caused by the work	Occupational accident plans, which aren't comp

Example comp situations on a landscaping crew

These are made-up situations meant to show how codes and claims interact.

A mowing company filed as an install company

Example scenario: An Indiana company with nine employees mows, edges and runs spring and fall cleanups for HOAs. Its first policy put all $300,000 of field payroll in 0042. At Indiana's 2026 advisory rates, that's about $6,291 in base premium, against about $4,131 if the same payroll sat in 9102. Correcting the code at renewal is worth roughly $2,160 a year before any experience mod or carrier pricing.

One limb, one ladder

Example scenario: A bed-maintenance crew agrees to take down a heavy limb hanging over a client's garage. One worker goes up a ladder with a pole saw while two others drag brush below. That job needed elevation, so all three workers' hours may belong in 0106. If the worker on the ladder falls, the carrier sees tree work it never priced. Ask us before you take that job.

A hot week in the Central Valley

Example scenario: A new seasonal hire on a California install crew gets dizzy and confused while setting pavers in July and is taken to urgent care for heat exhaustion. Comp pays the visit and part of his missed days. California's heat rule names landscaping among the industries that need high-heat procedures at 95°F, and an auditor or underwriter may ask to see your written plan.

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Seasonal, H-2B and 1099 workers

Seasonal crews, H-2B workers and 1099 helpers

Seasonal hires count. Short-season workers go on your comp policy and your audited payroll like anyone else. Many states count part-time and seasonal staff toward their employee thresholds.

H-2B crews are employees. The DOL's H-2B rules require employers to follow all federal, state and local employment laws, health and safety laws included, for the whole certified period. That paragraph is 20 CFR 655.20(z), and it's how state comp law reaches H-2B crews; the H-2B rule has no separate comp clause. If you drive those crews in company vans or trucks, a separate paragraph requires that transport to meet federal motor carrier standards for vehicle safety, driver licensing and vehicle insurance, so review your commercial auto limits before the season. For the job order itself, talk to your immigration attorney.

1099 helpers can land on your bill. If a sub or helper can't show a comp certificate of their own, an auditor can treat their pay as part of your payroll. Under the Basic Manual rule many states use, the auditor can count the whole subcontract price when there are no payroll records and nothing in the price shows how much was labor. Even when job records show a payroll amount, the floor is 90% of the price for labor-only work and 50% when the contract also covered materials. Our guide to comp audits and seasonal crews shows the records that prevent it.

How landscaping comp premiums are built

The math is payroll divided by 100, times the class rate, adjusted by your experience mod. The premium you pay up front is a deposit on estimated payroll. A year-end audit trues it up by class, which is why seasonal growth and loose records show up as a bill months later.

Code (Indiana, 2026 advisory)	Rate per $100 of payroll
9102 lawn maintenance	$1.377
0042 landscape installation	$2.097
0106 tree pruning and trimming	$3.264
5183 plumbing, incl. lawn sprinkler installs	$0.924
8810 clerical	$0.073

These are one state's advisory rates; carriers file their own deviations, and other states differ. For a policy-level view, the landscaper median at one large online insurance marketplace is about $150 a month, while MoneyGeek's average is about $202 a month per employee. Your price depends on your payroll and class codes, your revenue, the services you offer (especially chemical work), your trucks and trailers, your claims history and the limits you choose.

Who needs it most

The first hire is the usual trigger. A solo owner on a mowing route may not need a policy yet, but the helper who rides along on Saturdays often changes that; see insurance for lawn care businesses. Install crews lift stone, run skid steers and work near trenches, so their rate and injury risk run higher, as covered on the landscape contractor page. Property managers and HOAs ask for proof of comp, and often a waiver of subrogation, before a grounds crew starts; see commercial grounds maintenance insurance.

As crews grow, employment practices liability (EPLI) is worth a look. It answers claims from employees and applicants, such as wrongful firing, harassment or discrimination, and it's usually written claims-made.

Workers' comp requirements by state

Thresholds, exemptions and even who sells comp vary by state. A few that change the picture:

Ohio: comp comes only from the state fund (BWC), and it doesn't include employer's liability. Private carriers can add stop-gap employer's liability, usually on your GL. Landscaping insurance in Ohio
Texas: most private employers may opt out, but non-subscribers lose key defenses if an injured worker sues, and government building or construction contracts require comp. Landscaping insurance in Texas
Florida: landscape gardening (class 0042) is on the state's construction class list, so comp is required from the first employee. Maintenance-only work rated 9102 isn't on that list, and the general threshold is four employees. Landscaping insurance in Florida
California: every employer with even one employee needs comp, and C-27 licensees with employees must keep proof on file with the license board. Landscaping insurance in California
Pennsylvania: L&I requires coverage even for limited part-time hours and family members, with the PCRB codes noted above. Landscaping insurance in Pennsylvania

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Frequently asked questions

What is the workers' comp class code for lawn care?

In NCCI states, routine lawn maintenance belongs in 9102, and new landscape installation goes in 0042. Pennsylvania uses 0012 for both. Your carrier and the state's rating bureau make the final call.

Do I need workers' comp for H-2B workers?

Generally, yes. H-2B workers are your employees, and the H-2B rules require you to follow your state's employment and safety laws, comp law included. In Texas, where most private employers can opt out of comp, the usual Texas rules apply.

I run a one-person lawn care business. Do I need workers' comp?

Often not until you hire, though rules differ. Many states let sole owners skip coverage on themselves or elect it, while a few, like Florida for construction work, require it at the first employee. Check your state page before that first hire.

Does workers' comp cover tree trimming?

It can, but trimming that needs ladders, lifts or climbing is usually rated under a separate tree code at a higher rate. If your policy only lists landscaping codes, tell us before you take on tree work.

Can a private insurer sell me workers' comp in Ohio?

No. Ohio comp comes only from the state fund, BWC, or approved self-insurance. A private carrier can add stop-gap employer's liability to cover what BWC leaves out.

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Workers' comp for landscaping crews