There is not any such thing as being over protective with regards to your home and your finances. There are several 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 occasionally. Amish craftsmanship ‘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 roof. One of their workers 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 a type 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 sure that your roofing contractor has workers compensation so 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 and some nice furniture. Your roofing contractor has liability insurance, but there are 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 this is the fault of a roofing contractor, you intend to be sure they 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 provider offers so many exclusions that it’s almost like there is absolutely 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 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 is never a business license issued for that company. You’re forced to pay for the repairs yourself.
Solution: Check ahead of time that your roofing contractor has 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 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 install a pitched roof. A flat roof installation only takes a general roofing license.
A general contractor is legally in a position to install a roof without a roofing license if they have an over-all contractor license. However, there have been many cases of contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves when they lack the correct training. This causes problems for building owners and also 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 also 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 since 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, a couple weeks later, the contractor’s supplier contacts you requesting a fee for the materials installed on your own roof. You discover that your contractor didn’t pay his supplier and that you will be now responsible for that payment. This has happened and can eventually you.
Solution: Be sure you request a lien waiver once the job is completed and before you pay. A lien waiver simply states that if the contractor fails to make his payments to a supplier or employees, you aren’t responsible to cover them. It is ultimately in place to safeguard the home or building owner from paying twice. In the event that you have 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 any additional paperwork.
