How to Check a Lawn Care Company Is Insured Before You Hire

Ask the company for a certificate of insurance before the first visit. It should show business liability coverage for property damage and injury. Then call the insurer or broker on the certificate and ask if the policy is active. Check the name and dates match. Last, check workers' comp. In BC and Ontario, you can look up a clearance from the board for free. Alberta's board offers clearance letters too.

Why does a lawn crew need insurance?

Lawn work throws things. A mower can flick a stone into a window. A trimmer line can chip a car door. A hedge trimmer can slip. Someone can twist an ankle on your back steps.

When the crew has business liability insurance, their policy pays for that kind of damage. When they don't, you may end up dealing with it yourself. New Brunswick's Financial and Consumer Services Commission says it plainly. Business liability insurance protects against damage caused by the contractor, or injury to a third party.

There are really two kinds of coverage to check:

• Liability insurance. This covers damage to your stuff and injuries to other people, like a neighbour walking by.
• Workers' compensation. This covers the crew if they get hurt on the job. Each province runs its own board.

Government pages in Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick all tell homeowners to ask for both before work starts.

What should you ask the lawn care company for?

Keep it simple. Ask for two things in writing:

1. A certificate of insurance showing public liability and property damage coverage. Alberta's hiring guide uses those exact words.
2. Their workers' compensation number, or a clearance from the board in your province.

A real company sends these fast, often the same day. If they stall, change the subject or say "we're covered, don't worry," take note. A promise isn't proof.

The City of Calgary goes a step further. It says to ask for a certificate of insurance as part of your contract. So if you sign anything for the season, the insurance details should be in it.

How do you read a certificate of insurance?

A certificate is usually one page. You don't need to understand every box. Check these five things:

• The name. Does the insured name match the company you're hiring? A different name is worth a question.
• The dates. Look for the start and end dates. Make sure your whole season falls inside them.
• The type of coverage. You want general or public liability, with property damage. Car insurance alone doesn't count.
• The work it covers. Some policies list the kind of business. It should fit lawn care or landscaping.
• The insurer or broker. Write down the company name and phone number. You'll need it next.

Keep a copy on your phone. If something breaks in July, you won't have to chase it.

How do you confirm the insurance is real?

A certificate is only a snapshot. A policy can be cancelled a week after the paper was printed. So call the insurer or broker listed on it. Use the number you find on their own website, not one the crew gives you.

Ask three short questions:

• Is this policy active today?
• Does it cover the business named on the certificate?
• When does it end?

The broker may not share every detail. That's fine. You only need to hear that it's real and current.

Big buyers check this way too. BC's Ministry of Transportation and Transit only accepts a scanned certificate if it comes straight from the insurer. Copies sent by contractors don't count. You can ask for the same thing. Request that the broker emails the certificate to you directly.

How do you check workers' comp in your province?

Each province has its own board. Here's how the checks work in three of them:

• Alberta. WCB-Alberta clearance letters show if a contractor has coverage and is in good standing. Without one, you may be liable for premiums the contractor didn't pay. The board says to get a clearance before you hire and before you pay.
• British Columbia. A free WorkSafeBC clearance letter shows if a business is registered and paying premiums. If it isn't, you could be held responsible for those premiums. Our guide to the WorkSafeBC clearance letter walks through the form.
• Ontario. WSIB clearances are free to look up. The WSIB's clearance policy doesn't apply to householders buying a service, so this is more about peace of mind. Read more in our WSIB clearance guide.
• Other provinces. Search your provincial workers' compensation board's website for "clearance" to see what it offers.

One more thing from Calgary's guide. A business that's exempt from workers' comp may carry private disability insurance instead. If your crew says they're exempt, ask what covers them.

What if the crew gets hurt and isn't covered?

This is the part people skip. Alberta's guide says that if uninsured workers get hurt on your property, you and the other party would have to agree on who is liable. That's a messy talk to have with someone holding a gas trimmer.

Saskatchewan's advice points the same way. Insurance certificates should cover property damage and liability. That keeps the homeowner's share small if someone is harmed or something is damaged.

What are the warning signs?

• They offer a cash discount with no receipt. New Brunswick's FCNB warns the contractor may be uninsured, and a cash deal may leave you with no recourse.
• They won't put anything in writing.
• The name on the truck, the invoice and the certificate are all different.
• The certificate ends in May, but they want to book you to October.
• They get upset when you say you'll call the insurer.

None of these prove a crew is bad. They just tell you to slow down and check before you book. Our list of questions to ask before hiring lawn care covers the rest, like who shows up each week and how a missed visit gets handled.

Can someone else do the checking for you?

Yes. That's the whole idea behind Golden Oak. Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local crew in your city. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.

Before a partner crew can take a job, they show us proof of insurance. They're background-checked too. You can read exactly what vetted and insured means for our network.

After that, the guarantee keeps them sharp. You get the same crew every visit and a photo after every cut. If your crew misses your scheduled window, that cut is free. Not happy? Text us a photo within 24 hours, and your crew re-cuts it free within 48 hours. That covers lawn mowing, trimming and edging and the rest. See how it works from first text to first cut.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Lawn Care Insurance Questions

Rules change, so check with your provincial board before you hire. Sources: Alberta: Hiring a contractor, Saskatchewan: What to ask before hiring a contractor, City of Calgary: Contracting tips, FCNB: Hiring a Contractor, BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit: Certificate of Insurance, WCB-Alberta clearance letters, WorkSafeBC: Homeowners, WSIB clearance FAQs, WSIB clearance policy.