There is no such thing to be over protective with regards to your home and your finances. There are many roofing contractors out there that are willing to bend the rules to simplify things for themselves, resulting in problems for you and your roof. Even honest contractors make mistakes every once in a while. That’s why it’s 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 roof. One of their employees decides never 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 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 out of work. Be commercial roofing that your roofing contractor has workers compensation so that you are saved the difficulty 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 and 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 repair the damages yourself.
Solution: If damage occurs to your home or building this is the fault of a roofing contractor, you intend to be sure they will have good liability insurance. This will cover anything from broken windows to damaged interiors as mentioned in the situation above. Some contractors have liability insurance, but their insurance provider offers so many exclusions that it’s almost like there is absolutely no coverage at all. Look 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 few months later you see 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 find that there is never a business license issued for that company. You’re forced to cover the repairs yourself.
Solution: Check ahead of time that your roofing contractor includes a business license. If they don’t have a license, it may 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 should 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 without a roofing license should they have an over-all contractor license. However, there were a lot of cases of contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves when they lack the proper training. This causes problems for building owners and also home owners. It is ideal for a general contractor to possess a roofing license in addition to their general contractors license.
In Utah, the number 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 also find that they will have given fraudulent business license information, (in Utah) you have the choice to terminate their service immediately. You are not required 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 also pay the contractor. However, a few weeks later, the contractor’s supplier contacts you requesting a payment for the materials installed on your own roof. You discover that your contractor did not pay his supplier and that you are now responsible for that payment. It has happened and can eventually you.
Solution: Make sure you request a lien waiver when the job is completed and before you pay. A lien waiver simply states that when 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. If you have the lien waiver before you pay, it is conditional upon your payment. However, once your payment has cleared, the lien waver becomes unconditional without the additional paperwork.