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Tree surgeon’s life insurance key points

  • Tree surgeons could secure life insurance at the standard depending on what height they usually work at and other occupational factors. Working at great height and using dangerous machinery on a regular basis could lead to increased premiums.
  • There is no specific cover called ‘tree surgeon life insurance’, this term simply refers to someone who works as a tree surgeon securing a form of life insurance cover
  • Tree surgeons should also consider other forms of cover, as well as life insurance, to protect their income, such as income protection or critical illness cover
  • Every insurer has different criteria when underwriting life insurance policies, so it’s important to compare multiple quotes to make sure you secure your best deal
  • During the last 10 years 24 tree surgeons have been killed during tree work and nearly 1,400 have suffered an injury, highlighting the importance of securing cover to protect your loved ones [1].

 

Does life insurance cover tree surgeons?

Yes, life insurance does cover tree surgeons. However, this type of occupation can affect your application, premium costs and eligibility due to being deemed as a high-risk occupation.

This can depend on the environment you work in and what risk you’re in when you’re at work.

Insurers may not refuse cover outright, but they may:

  • Ask extra questions when underwriting your policy (to gain a greater understanding of your role)
  • Review what training or qualifications you have relevant to your occupation
  • Look at how frequently you’re working from heights and if so, how high

Insurers will only inflate premiums to compensate for an increased risk. It’s important you make sure to tell the truth in your application and disclose all information required, as if you fail to do so your loved ones could risk not receiving a pay out due to non-disclosure.

Eligibility and premiums costs will vary between insurers, so make sure to explore different cover options to find the right one for you.

Should tree surgeons get life insurance?

Yes, tree surgeons should highly consider securing life insurance, especially given the high-risk elements of their work.

Whilst most jobs carry some risk, the handling of dangerous equipment and exposure to unpredictable conditions, makes being a tree surgeon significantly more hazardous than many other professions.

Life insurance provides financial protection to loved ones if you pass away, giving them a lump sum pay out which can help to cover a variety of financial commitments, including:

  • Mortgage or rent payments
  • Childcare and school fees
  • Living costs such as utility bills, groceries & transport
  • Funeral expenses
  • Outstanding debts
  • An inheritance

For some tree surgeons who are self-employed or running their own business, having a life insurance policy in place adds an additional safety net because there’s often no employer provided death in service benefit to rely on.

While you may be covered for accidental death, a life insurance policy will also pay out for many other causes of death, meaning you’ll be protected even if your death is unrelated to your occupation as a tree surgeon.

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Why use Reassured for tree surgeon life insurance quotes?

  • Free, no-obligation quotes from a panel of top UK insurers
  • We’re life insurance experts with more than 15 years industry experience
  • Our service is award-winning and rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot with over 90,000 customer reviews
  • We have a specialist impaired risk team who can help applicants find some form of cover with a high-risk occupation
  • We offer a variety of policy types to help protect your income & family
  • Reassured is a trusted broker and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Is being a tree surgeon considered high-risk?

Yes, most insurers would consider being a tree surgeon as high-risk.

This is due to the occupation typically involving working from heights, using heavy and dangerous machinery, like a chainsaw and sometimes operating in hazardous environments.

However, being considered high-risk may not automatically mean the insurer will decline your application. They will ask more detailed questions about your work practices and safety measures before offering a policy. If you are offered, this may result in higher premiums or exclusions being added.

How will being a tree surgeon affect life insurance?

With most insurers classing being a tree surgeon a high-risk occupation, this could affect both the cost and eligibility of securing life cover.

In many cases, a policy may include occupational exclusions. Meaning your life insurance policy would not pay out if you were to pass away as a result of tree surgery work.

Regularly working about 40 feet is often considered particularly high risk by insurers [2]. This can lead to higher premiums, stricter policy terms or in some cases declined.

The more frequent you work from heights or at risk, the greater impact this could be on your policy.

How much is life insurance for tree surgeons?

The price of your monthly life insurance premiums will be down to your personal circumstances, not just your occupation.

Each insurer will have different terms and conditions so it’s important to explore a variety of insurers to make sure you secure the best deal for you.

As standard, you’ll need to provide the following information at the point of application:

  • Your age
  • BMI
  • Medical history
  • Smoking status
  • Occupation
  • Lifestyle (hobbies and alcohol consumption)
  • Sum assured
  • Level of cover
  • Length of cover

This will help insurers calculate your premium costs or eligibility.

Some insurers may consider tree surgeons as less risky than others, so in some cases you may be able to secure life insurance at the standard price.

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How much life insurance do you need?

Find out how much life insurance may be right for you by using our simple calculator. Fill in the costs you would like your policy to cover.

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£121,687 is the estimated average outstanding mortgage per household in the UK.

Our property is generally the largest financial commitment any of us will make.

Your life insurance should cover this significant debt should you no longer be around.

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According to Money Advice Service, full-time childcare in the UK now costs £242 a week.

The loss of a parent could result in the need for additional childcare whilst the surviving parent increases their hours to account for lost income.

Your life insurance cover should factor in this additional required outgoing.

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The average level of debt (minus a mortgage) in the UK is £15,385.

Factoring in any outstanding debts in your name when arranging life insurance ensures this burden is not passed to loved ones.

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You may wish to leave your loved ones an inheritance or lump sum gift upon your passing.

Factoring in the gift amount when arranging your cover will ensure the pay out amount will be sufficient to provide your loved ones with this selfless gesture.

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According to SunLife, the average cost of a UK funeral is now £4,417, whilst the total cost of dying is £9,493.

This is a 130% increase over the past 16 years and shows no signs of slowing down.

A significant cost which should be factored into the amount of life insurance you secure.

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If you are one of the 65% of the UK who are lucky enough to have savings, this could be used as protection if you were to pass away.

Any pay outs from existing life insurance policies and investments can also be used as financial protection for your loved ones if you were no longer around.

Factor this into your required cover amount.

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Your total cover estimate

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Let us find you our best quote.

Best life insurance for tree surgeons

There isn’t a specific best life insurance, life insurance for tree surgeons is the same as for anyone else.

Reassured can help you explore all cover options to help you discover what’s most suitable for you. This can include:

Level term life insurance - Level term life insurance provides a fixed sum assured (pay out amount). This means the amount paid out won’t change during the term of your policy. You’ll be covered for a set period of time (up to 40 years). Suitable to help pay off an interest-only mortgage (or other large debts).


Decreasing term life insurance - With decreasing term life insurance, your sum assured with reduce over time (making it the cheapest form of cover). You’ll be covered for a set period of time (up to 40 years). This is suitable if you’d like your sum assured to reduce in line with your remaining mortgage balance.


Over 50s life insurance - Over 50 life insurance guarantees acceptance to UK residents aged 50 – 85, covering you for the rest of your life once your policy is in place. This form of cover can offer a pay out of up to £20,000 (after the 12 - 24 month waiting period) and doesn’t ask medical questions in the application, making it an affordable option for those in this age bracket with health issues.


Whole of life insurance - Whole of life insurance is a lifelong policy that will pay out when (not if) you pass away. It’s typically more expensive than other types of cover, however it offers peace of mind that your loved ones will be provided with a lump sum when you pass away.

Find out what’s right for you by getting in touch with one of our friendly professionals.

Income protection for tree surgeons

Income protection is a form of cover that is designed to pay out a monthly benefit if you’re unable to work due to an illness or injury.

It could pay out up to 70% of your usual income in monthly (tax-free) payments. It could be possible to get income protection insurance as a tree surgeon, but it’s important to shop around for a suitable policy, as terms offered will vary between insurers.

Income protection is worth considering if you’re a tree surgeon. If you were to suffer an injury or illness that prevents you from working, you may not be able to earn an income at all.

Especially with the physical demand, high-risk and ability to climb, lift and operate machinery on a daily basis as a tree surgeon.

Please note, it’s likely that the policy will include exclusions for injuries or illnesses sustained while carrying out your work, meaning these events would not be covered, so its important to check the terms before you secure this form of protection.

With a significant number of adults having little to no savings, income protection could help bridge that gap by providing a lump sum to cover essential expenses, mortgage payments while in recovery.

Critical illness cover for tree surgeons

Critical illness cover is a form of cover that provides a cash lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a specified illness.

This can be used to help cover costs such as replacing your income and cover essential costs while you’re unable to work.

It's an important form of cover to consider for tree surgeons, with a higher risk occupation who face unpredictable outdoor conditions, making the likelihood of serious illness or injury greater than in many other professions.

Policies may include exclusions for conditions linked to your work as a tree surgeon, such as total and permanent disability.

Tree surgeon insurance

As a tree surgeon you can secure specific insurance tailored to your job in the event of injury through specific specialist insurers.

The most common form of cover is tree surgeon public liability insurance, designed to cover you in the event of a claim for injury or property damage from a third party.

This can cover specific related issues to your occupation, such as:

  • Personal injury or damage to property concerning a member of the public
  • Accident or illness-related claims as an employee
  • Loss of income through unforeseen disruption to a project
  • Machinery issues affecting your equipment, susceptible to theft, damage and breakdown.

Please note, Reassured does not offer this form of cover.

Whilst it’s important to have all bases covered, securing life insurance ensures your loved ones are financially protected if the worst were to happen.

Compare life insurance for tree surgeons

Securing life insurance as a tree surgeon is essential to help protect your family in the event of you passing away.

If you have financial dependents, then taking out life insurance could be a priority, especially if your job includes risk.

Quotes are completely fee-free, no-obligation and from our award-winning insurance customer services. Why not get in touch today to become a step closer to safeguarding your financial future?