Published June 10, 2026 · Last updated June 10, 2026

TCIA and ArborMAX are ending their endorsement partnership: what tree care companies should know

TCIA and ArborMAX have mutually agreed to conclude their endorsement partnership effective June 26, 2026, ending a relationship that began in 2009. Existing ArborMAX policies do not cancel on that date — they run to their own expiration. Any changes for policyholders would surface at renewal, not before.

The announcement was published by TCI Magazine, the Tree Care Industry Association's magazine. This page separates what is verified, what is unchanged, and what is still unknown — and it carries a dated changelog at the bottom that we update as the story develops over the next year. We are an independent brokerage with no affiliation to TCIA or ArborMAX, which is exactly why we can track this neutrally.

What did TCIA and ArborMAX announce?

TCIA and ArborMAX announced they have mutually agreed to conclude their endorsement partnership effective June 26, 2026. The endorsement began in 2009. TCIA says it will continue providing safety analysis and loss-prevention services to the industry and is moving away from endorsing specific insurance programs. The announcement was published by TCI Magazine.

What we know — every item sourced

According to the TCI Magazine announcement:

TCIA and ArborMAX mutually agreed to conclude their endorsement partnership effective June 26, 2026.
The endorsement began in 2009, introduced at TCIA's Winter Management Conference.
The partnership helped expand access to insurance for tree care companies, including enabling the addition of workers' compensation coverage — a critical need in the industry at the time.
Funds from the endorsement helped develop TCIA safety programs and provided industry-specific loss-control services, including more than 2,000 on-site evaluations over the course of the partnership.
Both organizations describe the conclusion as a reflection of current market conditions: changes in the insurance market, increased mechanization, and evolving risk factors.
TCIA states it is moving away from endorsing specific insurance programs and will continue safety analysis and loss-prevention services.

What changes on June 26, 2026?

June 26, 2026 is the date the endorsement relationship between TCIA and ArborMAX concludes. It is not a policy cancellation date. Insurance policies run to their own expiration dates, and any changes a policyholder experiences would surface through the normal renewal process, not on the day the endorsement ends.

An endorsement is a partnership and marketing arrangement between an association and an insurance program. Concluding it does not, by itself, change any policy already issued. If you hold an ArborMAX policy, its terms, limits, and expiration date are stated in the policy itself, and that is what governs.

What stays the same for ArborMAX policyholders right now?

Existing policies continue on their current terms until their own expiration dates. TCIA has stated it will continue safety analysis and loss-prevention services for the tree care industry. The announcement describes the conclusion of an endorsement — a marketing and partnership arrangement — not the cancellation of any policyholder’s insurance.

What's unchanged

Existing policies run to their own expiration dates on their current terms.
TCIA says its safety analysis and loss-prevention services for the industry continue.
Nothing in the announcement states that the ArborMAX program is closing.

What is still unknown after the announcement?

Several practical questions are not answered by the announcement: how loss-control services will be delivered to insureds going forward, whether eligibility requirements tied to TCIA credentials will change, what happens to the program’s historical support of industry safety initiatives, and whether TCIA will be associated with any future insurance arrangements.

What's still unknown — open questions we're tracking

Loss-control delivery: the partnership funded industry-specific loss-control services. How will those services be delivered to insureds after the endorsement concludes?
Eligibility and credential terms: will program eligibility requirements tied to TCIA credentials (such as accreditation or CTSP) change at future renewals?
Industry safety funding: endorsement funds historically supported TCIA safety programs. What replaces that funding mechanism, if anything?
Successor arrangements: will TCIA be associated with any future insurance arrangement? Its stated direction is away from endorsing specific programs.

We do not speculate on these. As primary-source answers appear, they get added to the changelog below with links.

What should tree care companies review at their next renewal?

Treat your next renewal as a checkpoint. Confirm how loss-control services will be delivered, ask whether eligibility or credential requirements are changing, review assault and battery and professional liability sublimits, update equipment schedules, and compare overall pricing and terms against at least one alternative quote.

The renewal review checklist

Loss-control delivery — ask your broker or carrier, in writing, how site evaluations and loss-prevention services will be handled for your next policy term.
Eligibility and credential terms — confirm whether any TCIA-linked requirements on your account are changing.
A&B and professional liability sublimits — check the actual dollar sublimits, not just whether the coverage exists.
Equipment schedules — chippers, cranes, stump grinders, and trucks acquired mid-term are often missing or undervalued on the schedule.
Pricing comparison — renewal is the natural moment to benchmark terms and premium against at least one alternative. That is standard practice in any year, and especially sensible while open questions about the program are being resolved.

Changelog: how this story develops

Dated entries, newest first, each tied to a named source. This page's "Last updated" date reflects the most recent entry.

2026-06-10 TCIA and ArborMAX announce they will conclude their endorsement partnership effective June 26, 2026, closing a relationship that began in 2009. TCIA states it will continue safety analysis and loss-prevention services and is moving away from endorsing specific insurance programs. Source: TCI Magazine