Managing Risk Specifically for the
Landscape & Tree Care Industry
Through our risk management process, we have identified the specific exposures unique to the Landscape and Tree Care Industry and have gained an understanding as to how we can make the greatest impact on your business.
It is absolutely necessary for landscape, lawn care and tree care service professionals to understand, improve, and control their risk profile in order to differentiate their company, and maximize their strength in the insurance marketplace. Through this process, we are able to generate the most competitive pricing today and sustain it in the future.
The days of letting the market dictate your insurance cost is in the past; controlling your risk profile will allow you to control your premiums.
Our Clients
Joanna LaBahn Cornett, CEO, LaBahn's Landscaping
"They have hit the ground running with excellence. They do everything with the utmost professionalism...”
Jim Vitale, President, J. Vitale Landscape & Maintenance
"Their knowledge of the landscape industry has helped protect our experience MOD and insulate our insurance cost…"
Jon Parry, General Manager, Bemus Landscape
"Drew takes a proactive approach in understanding the landscape industry as it relates to insurance…"
Craig Gerber, President, Landcare Logic
"Drew has specific knowledge of the landscape industry and his service plan…has road mapped our ability to control our risk…"
Weekly Landscape and Tree Care Toolbox Talk Safety Trainings
Industry News
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The National Safety Council introduced the Hierarchy of Controls in the 1950s as a safety framework. The framework is organized as an inverse pyramid of risk mitigation practices that can help organizations reduce workplace hazards.
Rancho Mesa President and CEO Dave Garcia speaks with California State Fund CEO Vern Steiner about the current state of California’s workers’ compensation market. They discuss key industry trends, cost drivers impacting employers, and offer considerations for the future of the workers’ compensation system in California.
Author, Rory Anderson, Partner, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Fleet safety technology is rapidly shifting from reactive to proactive. Modern telematics and artificial intelligence (AI) tools now give companies real-time visibility into driver behavior, helping identify and correct risky habits before they turn into accidents.
Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Partner, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Recently, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) of California released its Quarterly Experience Report that offers insight into the state of the California workers’ compensation market. While at a glance, the market may seem stable; however, there are evolving claim patterns that are creating challenges for insurers and employers alike.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) recently released a proposed pure premium rate increase of 10.4% across all class codes. As a reminder, the proposed increase does not mean every class code will see a 10.4% increase on their specific class code, rather that is the blended average increase across all class codes. These proposed rate increases will be reviewed by California’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara sometime in mid-July for the new rates to go into effect September 1, 2026.
As part of Rancho Mesa’s ongoing efforts to support meaningful reform around cumulative trauma claims, I want to share an important update on recent developments within the California workers’ compensation system.
Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Claims involving Cumulative Trauma (CT) injuries are growing significantly, across California. Data collected by the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) shows growth of these types of claims accelerated in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The WCIRB now estimates that more than 25% of indemnity claims involve CT.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Rancho Mesa provides our clients the key components for building the infrastructure of a modern-day safety program through the SafetyOne™ Platform. By fundamentally layering your safety program through SafetyOne, you will build a system that can keep up with your growth, measure your goals, and keep your organization engaged.
Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Partner, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
On April 22-24, I had the opportunity to attend the Big “I” Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. The Big “I” is the national organization affiliated with IIABCal and IIAB San Diego. It represents and supports independent insurance agencies at the federal level and maintains a strong presence in Washington, advocating tirelessly on behalf of independent agents and our carrier partners.
During a recent interview at NALP’s ELEVATE Conference, RMI Landscape Vice President Drew Garcia joined Bill Arman from The Harvest Group to discuss how landscape companies can take greater control of their insurance outcomes. The conversation dives into practical ways businesses can reduce risk, tighten operations, and make everyday decisions that lead to stronger coverage and more favorable premiums. Fewer incidents in the field, better processes, and a proactive mindset can make a measurable difference.
Rancho Mesa would like to provide you with an update on our efforts related to the growing cumulative trauma issue impacting the California workers’ compensation marketplace. As many of you have experienced firsthand, cumulative trauma claims continue to rise and are having a significant, negative effect on premiums and experience modification rates (EMRs) across all industries.
Author, Rory Anderson, Partner, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Many tree care contractors are familiar with the ability to split workers’ compensation payroll between tree care and landscape codes when specific conditions are met. This has led some contractors to believe the same approach applies to general liability, particularly when trimming small shrubs, fruit trees, or clearing small trees and brush from the ground. While this assumption is understandable, workers’ compensation and general liability are governed by different classification systems. Applying workers’ compensation logic to general liability classification is one of the most common reasons tree care contractors experience unexpected additional premium at audit.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
This year’s National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Leaders Forum took place in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA, just up the coast from San Diego. As always, this is one event that my brother Drew Garcia and I really enjoy going to every year. In fact, this marks Rancho Mesa’s 8th consecutive year sponsoring this event.
Author, Megan Lockhart, Marketing & Media Communications Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The National Equipment Register (NER) plays an important role in protecting heavy equipment owners from theft by maintaining a national database of equipment ownership and stolen machinery that is used by both law enforcement and insurance agencies.
Rancho Mesa's Vice President of the Landscape and Tree Care Group, Drew Garcia, interviews Bryan Mours, founder of Mours Enterprises, where they explore the technology being used to reduce risk within the landscape industry.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The experience modification rate (ExMod or MOD) is a measure produced by insurance rating bureaus to summarize a company’s claim history versus their industry peers. A rating generated below 1.00 is considered a credit to the workers’ compensation policy while a number above 1.00 is a debit. The ExMod has a direct impact on the cost of workers’ compensation insurance.
Author, Rory Anderson, Partner, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Tree care remains one of the most hazardous professions in the country. Whether crews are pruning, removing hazardous trees, clearing storm damage, or performing routine maintenance, the work demands planning, precision, and strong safety practices. Despite ongoing improvements in training and equipment, three accident types continue to cause serious injuries and fatalities: falls, electrical contact, and struck by incidents.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
One of the biggest liabilities that any landscape company faces occurs every day. This liability has nothing do with planting, mowing, trimming or irrigation work, in fact this exposure begins before any of the actual work takes place. Auto liability continues to be one of the most significant exposures every landscape company takes on when sending commercial vehicles out onto the road.
Rancho Mesa President David Garcia and Erik Vandermaus, Executive Vice President with BrokerPRO, a data and insight company that’s transforming the insurance industry. Discover how their technology is empowering brokers to streamline workflows, personalize client interactions, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. discuss how to deal with current or former employees who post slanderous videos online, and ways to prevent it from occurring.
Author, Rory Anderson, Partner, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The tree care industry has always carried a unique set of risks, but in today’s insurance climate, business owners are facing challenges unlike anything they have seen before. What used to be a straightforward cost of doing business has evolved into one of the more complex and expensive aspects of running a company. Nearly every major coverage line is feeling rate pressure, stricter underwriting standards, and fewer carriers willing to take on the exposure.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Landscape businesses are well aware of the risks associated with their employees operating vehicles on a daily basis. The commercial insurance market has also taken notice of the risks and responded with rate increases and a diminishing appetite to write the policies.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Travelers Insurance’s peer data from 2020 to 2025 report showcases the top work-related injury causes within the landscape industry. Looking at the top of this list, slip/trips/falls as well as strains account for roughly 40% of the injuries reported.
Landscape maintenance contractors with large fleets of service trucks are tough to place in the current insurance market. This, along with a hardening general liability market has lead to some frustrating insurance renewals.
Rancho Mesa Insurance’s Green Industry Practice Group has helped over a 100 landscape and tree care customers currently operating across the country with navigating this turbulent market. Connect with them for a more detailed review of your company’s insurance placement needs.
Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and President David Garcia discuss California's approved 8.7% workers' compensation insurance rate increase, its impact on businesses, and practical steps business owners can take to prepare for the changes effective September 1st.
In the final episode of a three-part series, President David Garcia and Margaret Hartmann, Sr. VP and Chief Marketing Officer with BHHC, discuss the WCIRB's proposed 11.2% workers’ compensation rate increase in California. They explore how this may impact employers, and actionable steps businesses can take to mitigate rising premiums.
In the second episode of a three-part series, President David Garcia continues his discussion with Margaret Hartmann, Sr. VP and Chief Marketing Officer with BHHC, and explains how companies can mitigate cumulative trauma claims in light of the WCIRB’s recent 11.2% recommended rate increase.
President David Garcia sits down with Margaret Hartmann, Sr. VP and Chief Marketing Officer with BHHC, to offer insight on the outcome of WCIRB’s recent 11.2% recommended rate increase, what areas are driving this increase, and what employers can do to mitigate it.
Author, Rory Anderson, Partner, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
When it comes to insurance, your broker is responsible for representing your business to the marketplace. And, how your company is presented makes a real difference. There is a clear distinction between a submission that includes only the basics, an application and loss runs, and one that provides a full picture of your operations, safety practices, and credentials. Underwriters respond more favorably to businesses that take risk management seriously and can show it.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The property and casualty insurance market continues to impact landscape contractors resulting in increased costs, changes to carrier appetites, and overall concerns for insurability. There are four areas of focus your business can review to help manage the things that are somewhat unpredictable during this difficult insurance market
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
At Rancho Mesa, we conduct annual insurance pre-renewal meetings with all of our clients and it has always been a crucial part of the insurance renewal cycle. Now with increased pressure on all lines of coverage, the importance of the pre-renewal meeting is even more critical.
Landscape/Tree Care Safety & Risk Management Podcast
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Vice President of the Landscape and Tree Care Group, Drew Garcia, talk about the tactic of applying the Hierarchy of Controls to landscape maintenance companies, particularly as an effective way to approach fleet safety.
Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley sits down with Rory Anderson, Partner with the Tree Care Group, to talk about how telematics and AI are changing fleet risk.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Vice President of the Landscape and Tree Care Group, Drew Garcia, talk about building a scalable safety program for landscape professionals with our SafetyOne™ mobile app and website.
Rancho Mesa’s Marketing & Media Communications Specialist Megan Lockhart sits down with Rory Anderson, Partner with the Tree Care Group, to talk about general liability classification for tree care contractors.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley interviews Greg Garcia, Account Executive in the Landscape Group, as he recaps his experiences attending Leaders Forum 2026 in Santa Barbara, CA.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Vice President of the Landscape and Tree Care Group, Drew Garcia, talk about the impact of claim frequency and severity on a landscape company’s experience modification rate.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Vice President of the Landscape and Tree Care Group, Drew Garcia, talk about the impact of claim frequency and severity on a landscape company’s experience modification rate.
Rancho Mesa’s Marketing & Media Communications Specialist Megan Lockhart sits down with Rory Anderson, Partner with the Tree Care Group, to talk about the deadliest hazards in the tree care industry.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Vice President of the Landscape and Tree Care Group, Drew Garcia, recap NALP’s ELEVATE Conference and share takeaways for the landscape industry.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Greg Garcia, Account Executive with Rancho Mesa discuss why fleet safety starts with strong MVR guidelines.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Greg Garcia, Account Executive with Rancho Mesa discuss Aspire’s recent Ignite Conference for the landscape industry.
Rancho Mesa’s Marketing & Media Communications Specialist Megan Lockhart sits down with Rory Anderson, Partner with the Tree Care Group, to discuss how tree care companies can navigate the insurance hard market.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Vice President of the Landscape and Tree Care Group, Drew Garcia, talk about the importance of training landscape fleet drivers.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Greg Garcia, Account Executive with the Landscape and Tree Care Group, discuss the top work-related injuries for landscapers
Rancho Mesa’s Marketing & Media Communications Specialist Megan Lockhart sits down with Rory Anderson, Partner with the Tree Care Group, to talk about several ways tree care companies can strengthen their insurance profile.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Vice President of the Landscape and Tree Care Group, Drew Garcia, explains the current hard market and highlights four key areas landscape contractors should focus on during this time.
In the final episode of a special series, Bill Arman, head harvester at Harvest Group Landscape Business Consulting sits down with Rancho Mesa's Drew Garcia and discusses the key ways landscape companies can protect their assets while at work on customer grounds.
In the second episode of a special series, Bill Arman, head harvester at Harvest Group Landscape Business Consulting sits down with Rancho Mesa's Drew Garcia and discusses the key ways landscape companies can prevent risk while at work on customer grounds.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Greg Garcia, Account Executive with the Landscape and Tree Care Group, talk about why it's important to have an insurance pre-renewal meeting. Greg, welcome to the show.
In the second episode of a special series, Bill Arman, head harvester at Harvest Group Landscape Business Consulting sits down with Rancho Mesa's Drew Garcia and discusses the key ways landscape companies can ensure security while at work on customer grounds.
Landscape Group Vice President Drew Garcia sits down with John Fischl, Regional Executive with Sentry Insurance, to discuss premise liability risks for landscape maintenance companies, focusing on preventing slip and fall accidents and strategies for mitigating these risks.
In the first episode of a special series, Bill Arman, head harvester at Harvest Group Landscape Business Consulting sits down with Rancho Mesa's Drew Garcia and discusses the key ways landscape companies can ensure a safe environment for their customers and team members.
Rancho Mesa Partners Alyssa Burley and Rory Anderson talk about the critical role of third-party EPLI coverage specifically for the tree care industry.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Landscape and Tree Care Group Vice President Drew Garcia discuss the creation of a standard operating procedure for work-related incidents, injuries and illnesses.
In this second episode of a special two-part series, Landscape Group Vice President Drew Garcia, is joined by Josh Ferguson, attorney with Freeman Mathis & Gary, to discuss contract strategies and risk mitigation for slip and fall incidents.
In this first episode of a special two-part series, Landscape Group Vice President Drew Garcia, is joined by Josh Ferguson, attorney with Freeman Mathis & Gary, to discuss risk management for snow and ice operations and what landscape contractors should know.
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Greg Garcia, Account Executive with the Landscape and Tree Care Group, review the 2024 landscape insurance market and discuss what 2025 has in store.
Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Coordinator, Brenda Khalil, discuss the importance of keeping your employee count up-to-date in Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal.
Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Coordinator, Brenda Khalil, discuss slip and fall prevention for the winter months.
Area of Expertise
Commercial
Construction
Design
Enhancement
Hardscape
Installation
Irrigation and Back Flow
Maintenance
Residential
Softscape
Tree Trimming
Insurance Offerings
Worker’s Compensation
General Liability
Commercial Auto
Property / Inland Marine
Pollution Liability
Professional Liability
Umbrella / Excess
Builder's Risk
OCIP / WRAP
Employment Practices Liability
Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley interviews Greg Garcia, Account Executive in the Landscape Group, as he talks about the recently proposed increases in workers’ compensation insurance pure premium and what it means to landscape companies.