Moon Insurance Managers, Inc.
Menu
Tel. (281) 484-8320

Moon Insurance Managers, Inc. · TDI license #5595

Tree Service Insurance in Texas

A tree service can end up on a policy with a landscaping label, and the label alone doesn’t tell you what the policy covers. This page sets out what Texas cities and customers ask a tree service to show, and the questions to put to any policy before you climb, rig or hire a crane.

What’s required: We found no state tree service license or state insurance rule for the trade. San Antonio’s city license asks for at least $300,000 in general liability, and a contract can ask for much more.

Talk through your tree work
  • 41years in Houston
  • 20+markets compared
  • Same dayDPS filing
  • #5595TDI license

State first, then the city

Do you need a license or insurance to run a tree service in Texas?

We found no state license. The Texas Occupations Code does not mention arborists or tree service at all when we searched its full text. That is not proof that no rule anywhere touches you, because other codes and most cities’ ordinances were not part of that search.

Cities can step in, and San Antonio does. Its FAQ says it is against the city code “to engage in the business or occupation of pruning, treating, or removing trees without a valid tree maintenance license”. A homeowner can do their own work, but a contractor they hire must hold the license.

We have not read every Texas city’s code, so check with the city before you work somewhere new. Spraying or injecting trees may be a separate licensing question, which we could not settle for this page.

Sources: Tex. Occ. Code (full text searched); City of San Antonio, Tree Ordinance FAQ, marked 2021-04-15. Verified .

Published Texas examples

Who asks for proof, and exactly what they ask

There is no one right number. These are the published Texas examples we read.

City of San Antonio, license. The application asks for a certificate of liability insurance “with the City of San Antonio listed as the certificate holder”, and proof of general liability, “minimum $300,000”. That page does not say whether the figure is per occurrence or in total, so ask the city. It also lists fees and continuing education, with a 50% fee reduction for ISA Certified Arborists.

Source: City of San Antonio DSD, Tree Maintenance. Verified .

City of Mansfield, contract. Its FY 2023/24 bid for trash, debris, tree trimming and landscape work asked for general liability of $2,000,000 per occurrence “or its equivalent”, including completed operations and contractual liability. It also asked for auto at $500,000 per accident “or its equivalent”, and statutory workers’ compensation with employer’s liability of $100,000/500,000/100,000. Insurers had to be “approved by the State of Texas and acceptable to the City”. That is one city’s 2023 bid, not a state standard.

Source: City of Mansfield, Bid 2023-41-09-02, pp. 17-18. Verified .

Houston and Fort Worth, public trees. Both pages regulate the tree, not the trimmer. Houston requires a permit for trees on city property or a setback. Fort Worth requires City Forester approval for work in public spaces, and its pruning application asks for “contractor’s credentials” without defining them. Neither page names an insurance limit.

Sources: Houston Permitting Center, PRD1001; City of Fort Worth, Forestry. Verified .

Homeowners. Sugar Land’s brochure tells residents to consider an arborist’s “proof of insurance”.

Source: City of Sugar Land, Tree Trimming Brochure. Verified .

We found no published limit from a Texas HOA, property manager or general contractor, so we won’t print a “typical” figure for them. If one sends you a clause, the wording is what counts. Our guide to why certificates get rejected covers the paperwork, and our general liability page explains the policy itself.

Read the policy, not the label

Will a landscaping policy cover tree work?

Don’t assume it will. We have not read a policy form for this page, so we can’t tell you what yours says. A wholesale broker’s article tells contractors to check their general liability for “other possible exclusions, such as work-height limitations or residential exclusions”. That is a seller’s description, not a statement about your policy.

Read the declarations and every endorsement, then ask these in writing:

  • What work does the policy’s class actually describe? Does it name tree work?
  • Is there a height limit? Does it apply to climbing and to lifts?
  • Are removals, stump grinding and crane work included, or trimming only?
  • Is there a limit on work near power lines or structures?
  • Does a residential exclusion apply? CDC’s 2009 study of tree care worker deaths found 44% happened at a private residence, so ask if homes are your market.
  • How does it treat subcontractors? A Dallas/Fort Worth wholesale broker says “some policies” exclude all work done by subcontractors, and that uninsured subs are common in Texas.
  • Are there sublimits on coverages you rely on?

Sources: Burns & Wilcox, published 2024-04-03 per page metadata; CDC MMWR, 2009. Verified .

Know who is on the quote

Why your quote may come from a surplus lines company

Progressive’s own page says tree businesses “generally need to get general liability insurance from the excess and surplus lines (E&S) market”. It also says tree companies “usually pay more” than other landscaping businesses. That is one large carrier’s description, not a rule for every policy.

Ask which kind of company is on your quote, because it changes what protects you. TDI says a surplus lines insurer is not licensed by TDI, though TDI approves which ones can do business in Texas. It says an agent must first try to find a Texas-licensed company. And it warns that surplus lines companies “aren’t members of a guaranty association”, so claims could go unpaid if the company fails. TDI’s Help Line, 800-252-3439, can confirm a company may sell in Texas. Our glossary entry on surplus lines has more.

If a contract says “approved by the State of Texas”, as Mansfield’s did, ask whoever wrote it whether a surplus lines policy satisfies it.

Sources: Progressive Commercial, Tree Service Insurance (undated); TDI, Surplus lines insurance guide. Verified .

Two distances, one crane rule

Power lines and cranes

Six feet, Texas. Apart from the workers on electrical and communication systems that § 752.002 exempts, the rule says no one may do work where a person, tool, equipment or material could come within six feet of a high voltage overhead line, more than 600 volts, unless the danger is guarded against as the chapter prescribes. An employer may not require an employee to do it. For temporary work closer than that, you must notify the operator at least 48 hours before work begins, reach an arrangement with them first, and pay the operator’s actual expense.

Who pays. This is the insurance point. If a violation results in contact, the violator is liable to the line’s owner or operator “for all damages to the facilities and for all liability that the owner or operator incurs”. Ask how your policy would treat that, and whether it limits work near lines.

Ten feet, federal. The Texas figure is not the only one. OSHA defines line-clearance tree trimming as work within 10 feet of energized lines, and says electrically unqualified employees must keep at least 10 feet away. Working closer takes specialized training.

Sources: Tex. Health & Safety Code §§ 752.001, .002, .003, .004, .008; OSHA, Line-Clearance Tree Trimming Operations. Verified .

Cranes. OSHA’s construction crane rule says, “This subpart does not cover”, and lists “Tree trimming and tree removal work”. That is the rule’s own reach, and it does not mean nothing else applies to you. A Dallas/Fort Worth broker’s article also says “crane exclusions are also possible” on these policies.

Before a hired pick, ask whose policy answers for the crane and the load, and get the crane company’s certificate. In Bay Village, Ohio, a local station reported a crane tipping during residential tree removal, damaging two homes, a driveway, a sidewalk and power lines. No one was hurt. Our crane and rigging page covers the coverage for the load on the hook.

Sources: 29 CFR 1926.1400(c)(13); Burns & Wilcox, above; News 5 Cleveland, published 2026-05-15 per page metadata. Verified .

Questions no page settles

Oak wilt, wrong trees and stumps

Oak wilt rules differ by city. Texas A&M Forest Service advises avoiding pruning from February through June and painting all oak wounds immediately. That is guidance. Some cities go further:

  • San Antonio: the city’s FAQ says cuts and wounds on oaks “shall be painted within 30 minutes”. It says to minimize oak pruning between February 1 and July 1, while a city training deck says February 1 to June 30.
  • Lakeway: oak pruning is prohibited February through June unless completely unavoidable for safety or the tree’s health. Failing to seal a wound within 10 minutes is a violation, with a fine of up to $1,000 a day. The copy we read is dated 2016.
  • Horseshoe Bay: the same February to June rule, with paint applied “immediately”. A knowing violation can bring up to $1,000 a day.

We found nothing on whether a liability policy responds to spreading oak wilt or to a fine, so ask.

The wrong tree. A wholesale broker’s article cites a 2021 KXAN report of an Austin homeowner who said a contractor cut down a large tree by mistake, possibly at the wrong address. That is an allegation. Ask how your policy treats it.

Stumps and buried lines. Texas defines “excavate” as using powered tools or mechanized equipment to disturb soil “to a depth of 16 or more inches”, and, with exceptions in the chapter, an excavator must notify a notification center at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays. Stump grinding isn’t named, so we won’t tell you a depth that is safe to skip. Ask how your policy treats damage to buried lines too.

Sources: Texas A&M Forest Service, Feb 5, 2024; San Antonio FAQ, above; San Antonio DSD Academy deck; Lakeway Sec. 14.06; Horseshoe Bay Art. 8.09; Tex. Util. Code §§ 251.002(5), 251.151. Verified .

Depends on how you run it

The rest of the mix

None of these is a requirement we found for tree services as a group. They depend on how you run the business.

  • Saws, chippers and climbing gear. General liability is not there for your own equipment. That is inland marine, a separate question.
  • Trucks. See our commercial auto page, especially if you tow a chipper.
  • Your crew. Texas makes workers’ compensation elective for most private employers, so going without it is lawful, though that status carries filing and notice duties and a defined exposure if a worker sues. A contract can still ask for it, as Mansfield’s did. Our workers’ compensation page has the detail.
  • A higher limit. If a contract asks for more than your policy carries, ask about a commercial umbrella, whether the contract accepts one, and whether the primary policy’s limits on height or cranes carry into it.
  • Reports and appraisals. If you are paid for your opinion, ask about professional liability.

Source: Tex. Labor Code §§ 406.002, .004, .005, .033. Verified .

No obligation

Talk it through with the Houston office

Moon Insurance is an independent agency in Houston, licensed in Texas. Send us the work you actually do, including how high you go, whether you rig or hire cranes, and any clause a customer has sent you. We will tell you plainly what we can and cannot help with. Our Houston office page has the address.

Moon places general liability for tree services. Which market fits depends on the work you describe, so the conversation starts there.

The phone is fastest: (281) 484-8320, or use the form below.

Monday to Thursday, 9:00 to 5:00; Friday, 9:00 to 4:00. 360 FM 1959, Houston, TX 77034.

Keep this to the basics — no incident details, customer names or payroll detail. Those come later, on the phone or through a route we will name.

Tree service insurance questions

Does a tree service need insurance in Texas?

We found no state law requiring it for the trade in what we read, but a city or contract can. San Antonio’s license asks for at least $300,000 in general liability, and other cities and customers set their own terms.

Does a tree service need a license in Texas?

We found no state license, but San Antonio requires a city license to prune, treat or remove trees as a business. We have not read every city’s code, so check with the city where you work.

How much liability insurance should a tree service have?

There is no single figure, so start from the contract or license in front of you. San Antonio’s license floor is $300,000, and Mansfield’s 2023 bid covering tree trimming asked for $2,000,000 per occurrence or its equivalent.

Does my landscaping policy cover tree removal or climbing?

It may not, so read the policy rather than the label. We have not read a policy form for this page, and a wholesale broker’s article lists height limits and residential exclusions among the possible exclusions. Ask in writing what your form says about removals, climbing and stump grinding.

Do I need workers’ comp for a tree service in Texas?

Not by state law for most private employers, because Texas makes it elective. That choice carries duties and an exposure if a worker sues, and a contract can still ask for it. See our workers’ compensation page.

Does a tree service need to be bonded?

We found no Texas bond rule for tree services in what we read, though we did not read every city’s code. If a customer asks for a surety bond, ask what it should guarantee, because a bond is not liability insurance.

Do I need different insurance if I write tree reports or appraisals?

Ask about professional liability, because that work is advice rather than physical work. Tell your agent if you consult, and see our professional liability page.

How much does tree service insurance cost, and is my quote normal?

We don’t publish a figure, because a number here would read like a quote we can’t back up. Progressive lists time in business, location, employees, services, vehicles, equipment, and claims and driving history among the common rating factors, so compare quotes on the same work and the same exclusions, not just the price.

From the library

Further reading

Related