A Melbourne arborist should carry public liability ($20m minimum), WorkCover for their crew, and tool / equipment cover. Here’s what each one protects you from, and why uninsured operators are the most expensive option there is.
1. Public Liability — $20 Million Minimum
This is the big one. Public liability covers damage to your property (fence, roof, shed, garden) and injuries to anyone on the site during the work. Reputable Melbourne arborists carry $20m policies, which costs them $1,500-$3,000 per year per operator.
If they damage your property and aren’t insured, you’re on the hook to pay for the repair. A typical "fence and pergola" mistake claim sits around $8,000-$15,000. Ask to see the certificate of currency before work starts.
2. WorkCover for the Crew
If a tree worker is injured on your property and the company doesn’t carry WorkCover, they may try to claim against your home insurance. WorkCover is legally required for any employer with paid workers. Sole-operator arborists working solo aren’t required to carry it but smart ones do.
3. Tool and Equipment Cover
If their chainsaw or chipper breaks down mid-job, this covers them so they can finish the work without delay. Not directly relevant to you, but a sign of a well-run business.
What "Cheap" Operators Skip
Quotes that are 30-50% below the going rate often skip public liability entirely. The savings come straight out of the $1,500-$3,000/year insurance premium they don’t pay. The risk gets transferred to you.
How to Verify Coverage Before Hiring
Three checks before signing a quote:
- Ask for the certificate of currency. A real insurance certificate has the broker’s name, policy number, and expiry date. We’ll send it on request.
- Check it’s current. Some operators carry insurance but let it lapse. The certificate has the dates.
- Confirm the trading name matches. The certificate should list the same business name that’s on the quote.
What Our Quote Includes
Every Precision quote includes $20m public liability cover, current WorkCover for the crew, and full insurance on the equipment we bring. We’ll provide the certificate of currency before work starts — every time.
What "$20m Public Liability" Actually Covers
A $20m public liability policy isn’t about expecting $20m worth of damage. It’s about ensuring the policy can cover the rare catastrophic claim — a fallen tree striking a person, a major property damage event, or simultaneous claims from a single incident affecting multiple parties. The realistic claim distribution looks more like this:
Most claims are small — broken fence, damaged paving, scratched car. The big claims are rare but matter enormously: a 2024 incident in NSW resulted in a $4.2m liability claim when a falling tree branch caused permanent injury [1]. That’s why the $20m floor matters even though it’s rarely used.
Subcontractor Risk You Might Not See
A growing trap in Melbourne’s tree removal market: a quoted arborist subcontracts the climbing or chipping work to a separate operator who isn’t covered under the same policy. If something goes wrong, the subcontractor’s insurance (if any) is what responds — not the company you booked.
How to check: ask the arborist whether the entire crew is employed under their business or whether anyone is subcontracted. If subcontractors are used, ask for both certificates of currency. Reputable operators carry their own crew and have no reason to push back on this question.
WorkCover Details — What to Ask For
WorkSafe Victoria requires employers to carry WorkCover for any paid worker, with very limited exceptions for owner-operators. For a multi-person tree removal crew, WorkCover should be in place. Three things to verify:
- WorkCover registration number. Every WorkCover-registered Victorian employer has a number. Ask for it on the certificate of currency.
- Number of workers covered. Should match the crew size on your job. A "1-worker WorkCover" for a 3-person crew is a red flag.
- Renewal date. WorkCover renews annually. If the certificate expires in 6 weeks and your job is in 2 months, ask about renewal status [2].
- "Don’t worry, we’re fully insured" (no document)
- Photocopy from 2 years ago
- Insurance under a different business name
- Sub $5m liability cover
- "Insurance is extra" on the quote
- Certificate of currency sent without asking
- Current renewal date (within 12 months)
- Trading name matches the business
- $20m+ public liability
- Insurance included on every job
Three Claim Examples From Our Books
Real claims from the last 24 months, with how each was handled (anonymised):
- Brunswick property, June 2025: A small section of dropped branch ricocheted into a Colorbond fence panel, leaving a 15cm dent. Claim filed, fence repaired by a contractor, $480 total. Client was unaffected.
- Eltham property, October 2025: Crane operation lifted a section of tree that brushed against an outdoor pendant light during transit. Light replaced, $320 claim. Total client involvement: a 2-minute phone call to confirm the replacement.
- Caulfield property, March 2026: A ground crew member tripped over a hidden garden border and twisted an ankle. WorkCover claim, no client involvement at all. The work was completed by the rest of the crew.
In each case, insurance handled the claim, the client was not financially involved, and the work was completed. That’s the point of carrying proper cover [3].
How to Verify Insurance Without Making It Awkward
If you feel weird asking an arborist for an insurance certificate, here’s a script: "Hey, my insurance recommends I verify any contractor’s public liability cover before they work on the property — can you send through the certificate of currency?" This frames it as your insurer’s requirement rather than personal scrutiny. Any professional arborist will send it within an hour.
Free insurance verification
We send the current certificate of currency to every customer with their quote. If we’ve quoted you, you should already have it on file. If not, just reply to the quote email and we’ll resend.
“Asked for insurance details, Rob sent them within an hour without a hint of frustration. After a previous bad experience with a ‘fully insured’ operator who definitely wasn’t, this was reassuring.”
“A branch nicked our shed roof during the job. Rob noticed before we did, claimed it himself, sorted the repair in 8 days. That’s what proper insurance looks like.”
Keep reading
More tree removal guides
Want the quote with the cover details included? See our free quote page or call Rob directly.
Related reading
- Our Tree Removal Melbourne page — full service overview.
- Tree Removal Quote Melbourne — goes deep on the specific topic.
Related service
Tree & Palm Removal in Melbourne
When a tree genuinely needs to come down, we handle it cleanly — safety-first, full insurance, fixed price agreed before any chainsaw starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do reputable arborists charge more?
What’s a certificate of currency?
How much does $20m public liability cost an arborist?
Is WorkCover legally required for sole-operator arborists?
What if the arborist damages my property and isn’t insured?
Sources
Ready when you are
Get a free, fixed tree removal quote — usually the same day
Rob calls back personally — usually the same day. We talk through the tree, book an on-site visit within 24-48 hours if it needs one, and give you a written, fixed-price quote with everything itemised. No surprises at the end.
Written by
Rob Tufuga
Founder & Lead Arborist, Precision Arbor Care
Rob has been climbing, cutting and shaping trees across Melbourne for more than 15 years. He started Precision Arbor Care to do tree work the way he always wished he could when he worked for bigger crews — one job at a time, no upselling, and an honest number on the quote.
