There is no such thing as being over protective when it comes to your home and your finances. There are numerous roofing contractors out there which are willing to bend the rules to simplify things for themselves, leading to problems for you and your roof. Even honest contractors make mistakes every once in a while. That’s why it is critical to know these 4 simple ways to protect yourself when 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 own property.
Solution: Roofers Compensation is a type 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 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 urgent 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 inside of your building. You end up paying to fix 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 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. Search 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 work on your roof. A couple of months later you see a leak. You try 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 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 has a business license. If they don’t have a license, it could be a sign that they don’t know 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 a general roofing license to set up a pitched roof. A flat roof installation only requires a general roofing license.
A general contractor is legally able 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 correct training. This causes problems for building owners together with home owners. It is perfect 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 center of working on your roof and you find that they will 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. You can then find a qualified contractor to fix your roof and finish the job.
Lien Waiver
Problem: Your roof has been completed and you pay the contractor. However, The Great Lakes Roofing Advantage , the contractor’s supplier contacts you requesting a payment for the materials installed on your 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 is ultimately in place to safeguard the house or building owner from paying twice. In the event that you receive 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.