Auto Draft

There is not any such thing as being over protective when it comes to your home and your finances. There are several roofing contractors out there that are willing to bend the guidelines 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 important to know these 4 simple methods 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 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 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 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 house 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 inside of your building. You wind up paying to repair the damages yourself.

Solution: If damage occurs to your house or building that is the fault of a roofing contractor, you intend to be sure they have good liability insurance. This will cover anything from broken windows to damaged interiors as mentioned 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 focus 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 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 pay for the repairs yourself.

Solution: Check in advance that your roofing contractor has a business license. If they don’t possess a license, it could be a sign that they don’t know what they are doing. The company could easily disappear or go out of business.

In the state 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 requires a general roofing license.

A general contractor is legally in a position to install a roof with out a roofing license should they have a general contractor license. However, there were plenty of cases of contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves when they lack the correct training. Amish values in roofing causes problems for building owners and home owners. It is perfect for a general contractor to have a roofing license in addition to 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 choice to terminate their service immediately. You are not necessary 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 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 payment for the materials installed on your own 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 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 really is ultimately in place to protect the home or building owner from paying twice. If 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.