Mowers, hedge trimmers and heavy bags
A gardener's day might include mowing, strimming, hedge cutting from a step ladder, digging borders and hauling green waste to the van. Backs and knees take the strain. Power tools bring the risk of cuts, and ladders bring falls.
Long hours in the sun also matter for skin health over a working life. Any of these can leave you unable to work during the months when you earn the most.
Gardeners usually work alone, often in large private gardens or on rural properties. That means no one to help with heavy loads and nobody to step in for you with clients if you are hurt.
A seasonal income and how insurers average it
Spring and summer are packed. Winter is pruning, clearing leaves and fewer hours. Insurers smooth this out by taking net profit from your tax returns, often over the last two or three years, and capping the benefit at a share of it.
Your mower, van and tools reduce your profit on paper. If you bought new equipment in a recent year, mention it so we can explain your figures to the insurer.
Some gardeners top up winter income with snow clearing, fencing or odd jobs. Include this if it appears on your tax return, as it counts towards the earnings an insurer can cover.
- Keep recent tax calculations or tax year overviews to hand
- Tell us if you also do landscaping or tree work
- Say if you employ anyone or work alone
Manual work and the incapacity test
Insurers rank jobs into risk classes. Gardening involves lifting, machinery and some work at height, so it sits in a manual class, which affects price. Maintenance gardening is usually viewed differently from tree surgery or heavy landscaping, so describe your work accurately.
Some insurers offer gardeners own occupation cover. Others may offer a suited occupation definition, which is wider and could question whether you could do other work. We check the wording on each quote.
Spraying weedkillers and handling chemicals is part of the job for some gardeners. Insurers rarely treat this as a problem on its own, but if you hold a spraying certificate and do a lot of it, mention it so the picture is complete.
Choosing a waiting period and life cover
Gardeners who put money aside in summer might manage a thirteen-week wait. If you live closer to the edge, a four or eight-week deferred period gets money to you sooner, at a higher price.
If you die within the policy term, life insurance pays out a single sum. It can repay a mortgage, cover van finance and support your family. Writing it in trust usually means a faster payout.
Most gardeners do not need a huge sum. Matching cover to the mortgage balance, plus a cushion for your family, is a sensible starting point, and we can help you work out the figure.
How Hi Tomorrow helps gardeners
We explain your work to insurers in their terms, so you are not rated as a tree surgeon if you mostly mow lawns. We compare full and short-term income protection, help with the application and support you if you need to claim.