Garden Center & Nursery Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a garden center & nursery business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for garden centers, nurseries, and greenhouse growers. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against the operation's stock, structures, and services.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery Stock / Growers Coverage | Covers living plants outdoors and in greenhouses — standard property forms exclude plants that are stock from outdoor coverage. | Core | |
| Greenhouse Structures | Covers glass, polycarbonate, and hoop houses against snow, wind, and hail. | Core | |
| Commercial General Liability (incl. Products) | Covers customer injuries, loading accidents, and products sold, including chemicals. | Core | |
| Equipment Breakdown / Spoilage | Covers plants lost when heating, cooling, or irrigation systems fail. | Prevalent | |
| Commercial Auto | Covers delivery trucks and dump trucks for bulk materials. | Prevalent | |
| Pollution / Chemical Liability | Covers spills or releases from stored pesticides and fertilizers, often excluded. | Situational | |
| Contractors Liability | Needed if the business plants or installs at customers' properties. | Situational | |
| Workers' Compensation | Required in most states; seasonal workers, lifting, heat, and equipment drive injuries. | Core | |
| Business Income | Replaces income after a loss during the short spring selling season. | Prevalent |
The coverage gap most often missed
The most commonly missed gap for this class is coverage for the plants themselves. Standard commercial property forms cover outdoor trees, shrubs, and plants only narrowly and exclude plants that are stock from that coverage — so a garden center's most valuable inventory may not be covered for wind, hail, or freeze without a dedicated nursery stock form. Greenhouse crops add equipment-breakdown exposure: a heating failure on a cold night can destroy an entire season's inventory, and plant quarantines can force destruction of stock.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your garden center & nursery coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Garden Center & Nursery Insurance · Garden Center & Nursery Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a garden center & nursery business need?
The core coverages for a garden center & nursery business are Nursery Stock / Growers Coverage, Greenhouse Structures, Commercial General Liability (incl. Products), Workers' Compensation. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my garden center & nursery coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.