There is no such thing as being over protective with regards to your home as well as your finances. There are numerous roofing contractors out there that are willing to bend the rules to simplify things for themselves, leading to problems for you as well as your roof. Even honest contractors make mistakes every once in a while. That’s why it is important to know these 4 simple ways to protect yourself whenever choosing a roofing contractor.
Workers Compensation
Problem: You hire a roofing contractor to repair a leak on your own roof. One of their workers decides never to use proper safety procedures and falls, breaking his leg. The employee holds you responsible to cover his medical expenses, because he was hurt on your property.
Solution: Roofers Compensation is really a kind of insurance covering roofing injuries. If a roofing contractor has workers compensation, any injured employees are entitled to recover expenses for hospital bills and being unemployed. Make sure that your roofing contractor has workers compensation so that you will are saved the trouble and expenses of paying those bills yourself.
Liability Insurance
Problem: Your roofing contractor leaves your roof uncovered after removing your shingles. That night there’s an urgent storm. Water seeps into your house and damages your sheet rock, carpet plus some nice furniture. Your roofing contractor has liability insurance, but you can find exclusions preventing coverage of the interior of your building. You wind up paying to fix the damages yourself.
san antonio roofer : If damage occurs to your home or building this is the fault of a roofing contractor, you intend to be sure they have good liability insurance. This can cover anything from broken windows to damaged interiors as stated in the situation above. Some contractors have liability insurance, but their insurance company offers so many exclusions that it is almost like there is absolutely no coverage at all. Search for coverage that doesn’t exclude water damage resulting from leaving a roof open.
Business License
Problem: You hire a new roofing company to focus on your roof. A couple of months later you notice a leak. You try to contact the business, but can’t find their information. You make an effort to look them up by their business license and you also find that there was never a business license issued for that company. You are forced to cover the repairs yourself.
Solution: Check ahead of time that your roofing contractor has a business license. If they don’t possess a license, it could be a sign that they have no idea what they are doing. The business could easily disappear or walk out business.
In hawaii of Utah, your roofing company must have a shingle license and an over-all roofing license to install a pitched roof. A set roof installation only takes a general roofing license.
A general contractor is legally in a position to install a roof without a roofing license if they have a general contractor license. However, there have been a lot of cases of general contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves if they lack the correct training. This causes problems for building owners and home owners. It is perfect for a general contractor to possess a roofing license in addition to their general contractors license.
In Utah, the number for a general roofing licence is S280. The general contractors license is B100.
If your roofing contractor is in the middle of working on your roof and you also find that they have given fraudulent business license information, (in Utah) you have the option to terminate their service immediately. You are not required to pay anything to the contractor since they were operating illegally. You can then find a qualified contractor to repair your roof and finish the work.
Lien Waiver
Problem: Your roof has been completed and you pay the contractor. However, a couple weeks later, the contractor’s supplier contacts you requesting a payment for the materials installed on your own roof. You discover your contractor didn’t pay his supplier and that you will be now responsible for that payment. It has happened and can happen to you.
Solution: Be sure to request a lien waiver once the job is completed and before you pay. A lien waiver simply states that when the contractor does not make his payments to a supplier or employees, you aren’t responsible to cover them. It is ultimately in place to safeguard the house or building owner from paying twice. If you receive the lien waiver before you pay, it really is conditional upon your payment. However, once your payment has cleared, the lien waver becomes unconditional without any additional paperwork.