There is not any such thing as being over protective with regards to your home as well as your finances. There are plenty of roofing contractors out there which 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 critical to know these 4 simple methods 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 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 own property.
Solution: Roofers Compensation is really a type of insurance covering roofing injuries. In case a roofing contractor has workers compensation, any injured employees are entitled to recover expenses for hospital bills and being out of work. Be 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 is 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 wind up paying to repair 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 will cover anything from broken windows to damaged interiors as stated in the problem above. Some contractors have liability insurance, but their insurance provider offers so many exclusions that it’s almost like there is 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 work on your roof. A few months later you see a leak. You make an effort to contact the company, but can’t find their information. You make an effort to look them up by their business license and you also find that there is never a small business license issued for that company. You are forced to pay for the repairs yourself.
Solution: Check in advance 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 should have a shingle license and a general roofing license to set up a pitched roof. A set roof installation only requires 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 were lots of cases of contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves when they lack the correct training. This causes problems for building owners together with home owners. It is ideal for a general contractor to possess a roofing license as well as their general contractors license.
In Utah, the number for a general roofing licence is S280. The overall 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 choice to terminate their service right away. You are not necessary 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 job.
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 fee for the materials installed on your own roof. You discover your contractor did not pay his supplier and that you are now responsible for that payment. It has happened and can happen to you.
Solution: Be sure to request a lien waiver when 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 metal roofing has cleared, the lien waver becomes unconditional without the additional paperwork.