Arkansas Landscaping Insurance

Last updated: September 14, 2026

Compare Arkansas landscaping insurance for the three-employee workers’ comp rule, Pest Control Class 4/5 licensing, and why §17-37-210 floors do not attach to lawn chemistry alone.

Requirements · Coverages · Costs · Quote checklist · FAQs

Arkansas landscaping insurance requirements to check first

The Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission states that most employers with three or more employees must carry workers’ compensation. Form A also flags lower triggers: two or more in building or building-repair work, and one or more when a contractor subcontracts any part of the work or when the employer is a subcontractor. For Form A counting, employees can include owners, sole proprietors, partners, full-time and part-time workers and volunteers — confirm your headcount with AWCC before assuming you are under the three-employee rule.

Ordinary for-hire mowing is not treated as agricultural labor for Arkansas classification purposes. If your crew only maintains lawns, you still follow the WC triggers above; do not claim a farm exemption for landscaping services.

Pest Control Class 4/5 — not DP-44, not §17-37-210 floors alone

When you apply pesticides or herbicides to lawns and turf for hire, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Pest Control Program licenses that work under Class 4 (Ornamental Tree and Turf) and/or Class 5 (Weed Control). That is separate from the agricultural Firm Commercial Applicator path and Form DP-44.

Ark. Code §17-37-210 bond and liability floors attach to structural, household-pest and fumigation classifications. They do not attach to Class 4/5 alone. Clients can still demand general liability by contract; do not invent a statewide Class 4/5 GL dollar floor from the structural statute.

Which landscaping coverages should you compare?

Commercial auto, trailers and tools

Trucks and trailers used for routes are commercial auto exposures. Personal policies often exclude business use. Ask about hired/non-owned auto when helpers drive their own cars, trailer liability and physical damage. Tools and equipment (inland marine) cover mowers and blowers at the shop, in transit and on jobs — separate from auto and from GL.

What these policies usually do not do

General liability does not replace auto or workers’ compensation. A Pest Control license is not an insurance policy. A COI does not add an additional insured by itself. Chemical damage may need specific applicator wording. Surety bonds answer different losses than liability insurance.

How much does Arkansas landscaping insurance cost?

Insureon’s national landscaping customer medians (page updated February 24, 2026; rechecked September 14, 2026) provide a starting reference: general liability $51/month ($610/year), workers’ compensation $169/month ($2,029/year), tools and equipment $38/month ($450/year), commercial auto $204/month ($2,452/year), license/permit bonds $9/month ($112/year), commercial umbrella $88/month ($1,060/year), and a business owner’s policy $94/month ($1,130/year). These are national Insureon landscaping-customer medians — not state-specific quotes and not Simply Business prices.

Do not add every row together. A business owner’s policy can bundle general liability with property, so those lines may overlap. Workers’ compensation, commercial auto, pesticide endorsements and surety bonds remain separate questions. Your provider needs services, revenue, payroll, vehicles, claims, limits and equipment values to quote the actual crew.

Request an annual total for the same service mix and coverage dates. Ask whether payment plans, certificates, additional-insured endorsements or midyear changes add charges.

Prepare your Arkansas landscaping insurance quote

• Business entity, operating address, start date and years in business.
• Services: mowing, planting, hardscape, irrigation, tree work, snow (if any) and pesticide/fertilizer applications.
• Revenue, payroll, worker roles, owner participation and any 1099 help.
• Truck and trailer details, drivers, and where equipment is stored overnight.
• Tool and equipment values, plus any pesticide products and application methods.
• Claim history, current policies, license or pesticide filings, and each client’s written insurance requirements.

Have providers quote the same activities, limits, deductibles and effective date. Ask for the annual total, payment charges and costs for required endorsements. Get written confirmation of unresolved exclusions before relying on the policy for a new Arkansas job.

Frequently asked questions

When does an Arkansas landscaper need workers’ compensation?

Most employers at three or more regularly employed workers. Building or building-repair work can trigger at two; a contractor who subcontracts (or a subcontractor) can trigger at one. Confirm counting rules with AWCC Form A guidance.

Do Class 4 or Class 5 licenses require the §17-37-210 bond and GL floors?

No. Those statutory bond and insurance floors attach to structural, household-pest and fumigation classifications — not Class 4/5 alone. Clients may still require general liability by contract.

Is Firm Commercial Applicator Form DP-44 the lawn-care path?

No. For-hire lawn and turf chemistry is under the Pest Control Program (Class 4/5). DP-44 is the agricultural Firm Commercial Applicator path.

Does a certificate make a client an additional insured?

No. Check the policy and endorsements against the written contract before you send the COI.

Related guides

Arkansas landscaping · Landscaping business insurance

Requirements and source benchmarks checked September 14, 2026. Policy terms and availability depend on the insurer and your business.

Sources

• AWCC — Basic facts — Most employers WC at 3+
• AWCC Form A — 3+ / 2+ building repair / 1+ contracting-sub triggers
• ADA — Pest Control Program — Class 4/5 ornamental turf and weed control
• Ark. Code §17-37-210 — Bond/insurance floors for structural/household/fumigation
• Insureon — landscaping insurance cost — National customer medians, updated Feb 24, 2026