There is not any such thing to be over protective when it comes 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, leading to problems for you as well as 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 when choosing a roofing contractor.
Workers Compensation
Problem: You hire a roofing contractor to fix a leak on your own 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 property.
Jersey City Roofing Repair : Roofers Compensation is really a kind of insurance covering roofing injuries. In case a roofing contractor has workers compensation, any injured employees have entitlement to recover expenses for hospital bills and being unemployed. 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 urgent storm. Water seeps into your house 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 want to be sure they 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 company 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 and mold resulting from leaving a roof open.
Business License
Problem: You hire a fresh roofing company to focus on your roof. A few months later you notice a leak. You make an effort to contact the business, but can’t find their information. You try to look them up by their business license and you find that there was 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 has a business license. If they don’t have 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 the state 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.
An over-all contractor is legally in a position to install a roof with out a roofing license should they have an over-all contractor license. However, there were plenty of cases of general contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves if they lack the proper training. This causes problems for building owners along with home owners. It is ideal for a general contractor to possess a roofing license besides their general contractors license.
In Utah, the quantity 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 find that they have given fraudulent business license information, (in Utah) you have the option to terminate their service right away. You are not necessary to pay anything to the contractor because 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 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 will be 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 house 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 any additional paperwork.