Landscape Architect Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a landscape architect 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 landscape architects providing planning and design only. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual services, contracts, and clients.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Liability (E&O) | Covers design errors in grading, drainage, and code compliance. | Core | |
| General Liability | Covers injury and damage during site visits. | Core | |
| Prior Acts / Retroactive Date | Keeps coverage for older projects whose claims arrive later. | Core | |
| Workers' Compensation | Covers staff visiting sites with active grading. | Core | |
| Extended Reporting Period (Tail) | Covers claims after you retire or close. | Prevalent | |
| Design-Caused Pollution | Covers stormwater and runoff claims pollution exclusions may bar. | Prevalent | |
| Cyber Liability | Covers CAD files and client data. | Prevalent | |
| Business Owner's Policy | Covers the office, plotters, and equipment. | Prevalent | |
| Hired & Non-Owned Auto | Covers staff driving to sites. | Prevalent | |
| Project-Specific Professional Liability | Covers large parks and stormwater jobs needing dedicated limits. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gap most often missed by landscape architects is relying on a landscape contractor's GL or a basic business owner's policy. Those forms usually exclude professional services, but the typical claim is drainage or pavement failure from site design — an E&O claim. Also check for a pollution exclusion that could bar stormwater runoff claims unless design-caused pollution is carved back.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your landscape architect coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Landscape Architect Insurance · Landscape Architect Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a landscape architect business need?
The core coverages for a landscape architect business are Professional Liability (E&O), General Liability, Prior Acts / Retroactive Date, 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 landscape architect 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.