What is completed operations coverage?

Completed operations coverage is part of your commercial general liability (CGL) policy, found under Coverage A — Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability. It specifically covers claims that arise from your work after it has been completed and you have left the job site. For tree service companies, this is critically important coverage because the consequences of tree work may not become apparent until weeks, months, or even years after the job is done.

Consider a common scenario: your crew prunes a large oak tree, making proper cuts according to ANSI A300 pruning standards. Six months later, a branch at one of the pruning sites fails during a windstorm, falls onto the client's roof, and causes $30,000 in damage. The homeowner sues, alleging that the pruning weakened the branch. Your completed operations coverage would respond to this claim, providing legal defense and paying any covered damages.

Without completed operations coverage, your general liability policy would only cover claims arising during your operations — while your crew is actively on-site. The moment you leave the job site, your exposure window under the basic policy closes. Given that tree failures can occur long after work is performed, the gap left by excluding completed operations is enormous.

Completed operations coverage shares the general aggregate limit with your other general liability coverages. If your policy has a $2 million general aggregate, all claims — both ongoing operations and completed operations — draw from that same pool. Some carriers offer a separate completed operations aggregate, which provides a dedicated pool of coverage for post-job claims. This is a valuable feature, especially for companies with high volumes of completed work.

Many commercial clients and general contractors specifically require proof of completed operations coverage in their subcontractor agreements. They want assurance that if your finished work causes damage or injury, your policy will respond. When reviewing your general liability policy, confirm that the products-completed operations hazard is not excluded or limited by endorsement. Some lower-cost policies restrict or eliminate this coverage to reduce premiums, which can leave you dangerously exposed.