There is not any such thing as being over protective when it comes to your home and your finances. There are numerous roofing contractors out there that are willing to bend the guidelines to simplify things for themselves, leading to problems for you as well as your roof. Even honest contractors make mistakes every occasionally. 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 fix a leak on your roof. One of their employees decides not to use proper safety procedures and falls, breaking his leg. The employee holds you responsible to pay his medical expenses, because he was hurt on your own property.
Solution: Roofers Compensation is 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 in order that you 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 unexpected storm. Water seeps into your home 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 end up paying to fix the damages yourself.
Solution: If damage occurs to your home or building that is the fault of a roofing contractor, you want to be sure they will 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’s almost like there is no coverage at all. Look for coverage that doesn’t exclude water damage caused by leaving a roof open.
Business License
Problem: You hire a new roofing company to focus on your roof. A few 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 includes a business license. If they don’t possess a license, it may be a sign that they don’t know what they are doing. The company 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 set up a pitched roof. A flat roof installation only takes a general roofing license.
A general contractor is legally able to install a roof with out a roofing license if they have a general contractor license. However, there were a lot of cases of general contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves when they lack the proper training. This causes problems for building owners together with home owners. It is perfect for a general contractor to get a roofing license in addition to their general contractors license.
In Utah, the quantity for an over-all roofing licence is S280. The general contractors license is B100.
If your roofing contractor is in the center of working on your roof and you find that they have given fraudulent business license information, (in Utah) you have the choice to terminate their service immediately. You are not necessary to pay anything to the contractor because they were operating illegally. After that you can find a qualified contractor to fix 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 fee for the materials installed on your roof. You discover your contractor did not pay his supplier and that you are now responsible for that payment. This has happened and can happen to you.
Solution: Be sure to request a lien waiver when the job is completed and before you pay. Illinois home roofing waiver simply states that if the contractor fails to make his payments to a supplier or employees, you are not responsible to cover them. It really is ultimately in place to safeguard the home or building owner from paying twice. In the event that 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 the additional paperwork.