Imagine this scenario: You’ve met with your roofing contractor. They arrived on time, were polite and informative, gave you a free inspection and estimate. They show you the certificates for installing the materials that you have chosen. Everything seems right and they are ready to start on your roof in the morning. A roofer falls off a ladder and injures his leg, suddenly you have lawyers showing up at your door talking about compensation because you missed one crucial step in the hiring process. You forgot to check to see if your roofer has insurance.
The Importance of Insurance
Checking to make sure your roofers are insured is one of the most important steps in making sure your job is done right and without any worry from you. We spoke with Alan Parks, owner of RoofCorp Inc. to find out what you should look for in making sure your roofing contractor is properly insured. “There are two pieces you need to look for, check to see if they have both general liability and worker’s compensation. Many times roofing companies will have only one or the other.” Mr. Parks also recommended that you see the proof of insurance and call the company to make sure it is up to date. It is uncommon but some companies might forge insurance documents.
General Liability
General liability contractor insurance is coverage to protect a business from a variety of claims including personal injury and property damage. Any company that you let on your roof should have general liability insurance.
Worker’s Comp
Worker’s Compensation is the second type of insurance that you need to make sure your contractor has. Worker’s Compensation provides wages and medical compensation for a worker that is injured on the job. This insures that the worker does not sue the employer or homeowner for damages in the case of the injury. Once again, ask to see proof of the contractor’s worker’s compensation. Call the number and make sure that they are up to date.
Checking to make sure that both of these credentials are valid is a great way to make sure you don’t risk being involved in a lawsuit and that worst have to pay for damages to your crew or home.
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