Georgia requires landscaping and lawn care businesses to carry workers compensation once they regularly employ three or more people, counting officers and LLC members toward that total. That threshold is set under O.C.G.A. Sec. 34-9-2(a)(2). Beyond that state-specific requirement, Georgia landscaping businesses typically carry the same core coverage as landscaping businesses anywhere: general liability, commercial auto, inland marine for equipment, and pesticide or herbicide applicator liability if they apply chemicals. See the state-agnostic landscaping and lawn care insurance overview for the coverage mechanics that apply everywhere.
What does Georgia require?
Georgia law requires workers compensation coverage for most employers that regularly have three or more employees in the same business within the state, counting corporate officers or LLC members toward that total. This is set under O.C.G.A. Sec. 34-9-2(a)(2). The Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation exempts employers that "regularly employ three or more persons"; below that, coverage is not mandatory unless the employer and employees voluntarily elect it. This threshold applies per employer, not per job site, so a landscaping company running multiple crews out of one business entity counts its total regular employee count, not the size of an individual crew.
Example: a Georgia lawn care company that starts with two partners and hires a third full-time crew member crosses the three-employee line and becomes subject to the requirement at that point, not before.
What does Georgia require beyond workers compensation?
If a Georgia business applies pesticides or herbicides to client lawns and landscaping, that work is commonly treated as a separate exposure from general lawn maintenance. A standard general liability policy may exclude chemical-related property damage under a pollution exclusion, which is why pesticide and herbicide application is frequently covered through a separate applicator liability endorsement rather than assumed to be automatically included in general liability.
How does Georgia's threshold compare to Alabama's?
Georgia's three-employee workers compensation threshold is lower than some neighboring states. Alabama, for example, sets its mandatory threshold at five or more employees, a different number under a different statute. A business that operates crews in both states needs to check each state's rule separately rather than assuming one applies to the other.
Common Georgia landscaping and lawn care insurance questions
Does a two-person crew need workers compensation in Georgia? No. Georgia's requirement applies once a business regularly employs three or more people, counting officers and LLC members. A two-person crew falls below that threshold unless the owners voluntarily elect coverage.
Does general liability cover chemical drift onto a neighbor's property? It depends on the policy's pollution exclusion language. Many standard general liability policies limit or exclude chemical-related property damage claims, which is why applicator liability coverage is typically carried separately. A coverage review can confirm how a specific policy's pollution exclusion is written.
Source: Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation, "Workers' Compensation Insurance FAQs" (O.C.G.A. Sec. 34-9-2(a)(2)).
Explore more Georgia insurance facts and statistics, each cited to a government or research source →
What do Georgia landscaping and lawn care businesses commonly overlook?
Crossing the three-employee line
Georgia's workers compensation threshold counts a business's total regular employee count, not the size of an individual crew, and includes officers and LLC members. Example: a Georgia lawn care company that starts with two partners and hires a third full-time crew member crosses the three-employee line and becomes subject to the requirement at that point, not before.
Chemical drift onto a neighbor's yard
A standard general liability policy may exclude chemical-related property damage under a pollution exclusion, which is why pesticide and herbicide application is frequently insured separately from general landscaping liability. Example: a herbicide application drifts onto a neighboring Georgia yard and damages a homeowner's flower bed or shrubs -- whether that claim is covered depends on the pollution exclusion language and whether applicator liability coverage is in place.
Equipment stolen from a trailer or storage lot
A standard commercial property policy tied to a fixed shop address typically does not cover equipment that travels. Inland marine insurance covers mowers, trimmers, and other equipment while they move between sites, whether a crew is working a single metro Atlanta subdivision or driving between counties.
Trucks and trailers on the road between job sites
A personal auto policy typically will not cover a truck titled to or used primarily for the business. Commercial auto insurance covers the trucks and trailers used to move crews and equipment between job sites across the metro area or between counties.
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Common Georgia landscaping or lawn care business insurance questions
Yes, once the business regularly employs three or more people, including officers and LLC members, under O.C.G.A. Sec. 34-9-2(a)(2).
No. Georgia's requirement applies at three or more regular employees. A two-person crew falls below that threshold unless the owners voluntarily elect coverage.
It depends on the policy's pollution exclusion language. Many standard general liability policies limit or exclude chemical-related property damage claims, which is why applicator liability coverage is typically carried separately.
Georgia requires coverage at three or more employees; Alabama's threshold is five or more, under a different statute. A business operating crews in both states needs to check each state's rule on its own terms.
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Olive Cover works with Georgia landscaping and lawn care businesses statewide, including Alpharetta, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Buford, Cumming, Duluth, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Macon, Sugar Hill and Suwanee.