What is roofing insurance? Why does it matter if your contractor has roofing insurance? How can you tell if they have it or not?
As a new homeowner (or even a seasoned homeowner), it can be hard to find a roofing company you can trust or even know where to start. Regardless who you hire, however, you need a roofing company or contractor with basic roofing insurance.
Here are some of the basics of roofing insurance, including the benefits, why it is essential that you should only hire contractors with insurance, and how to tell if they have roofing insurance or not.
What Is Roofing Insurance for Contractors?
Basic roofing insurance for roofing companies or contractors includes two types of insurance: workers’ compensation insurance and liability insurance. Of course, it’s even better if the company you are looking into has even more coverage. However, you need to make sure the company you hire has (at least) the basics.
Workers’ compensation insurance covers employees that get injured on the job. It also protects you and the roofing company (or primary contractor) from responsibility for paying for that worker’s injury.
Roofing is one of the most dangerous professions in America. While the people you hire will hopefully work safely and carefully, there is still a chance that someone could get hurt. Accidents happen, but you shouldn’t be the one to pay for them.
Liability insurance covers your property, especially your home. If a roofer causes damage to you or any property around your home, liability insurance will help insure the damage. Hopefully, you have your own home insurance to help keep you safe. But again, their accidents shouldn’t be your responsibility – especially financially.
Depending on the state of your roof, the law may automatically require your contractor to have both types of insurance. Workers’ compensation is a federal requirement, so anyone you hire should already have this if they are a legitimate, dependable company.
Smaller contractors may opt out of workers’ compensation (and even liability insurance), since they have so few employees and don’t want to pay expensive premiums. Beware of these companies, since any injuries or damages on your property will make you liable for any accidents on the job site. Instead, opt for a contractor – big or small – that puts your peace of mind above cutting corners.
Other types of insurance that roofing companies should possess include (but are not limited to) commercial vehicle insurance, and tool and equipment insurance. These insurances mainly protect them and their tools or property.
While these insurances don’t have much of an effect on you as a client, they prove that the company or contractor cares about taking care of what they have and strives for efficiency and excellence.
Why Does It Matter if the Person I Hire Has Roofing Insurance?
The most important reason to make sure you are working with someone adequately insured is safety. Basic roofing insurance helps protect everyone involved from damage. This provides security to you as the customer by safeguarding your money and home. It also protects the company’s money and employees.
The best way to distinguish reputable companies or contractors from less reputable ones is the number (or lack) of insurance types each holds. An insured company builds a reputation of honesty and care, which includes taking steps to protect everyone involved from potential financial turmoil.
Remember, these workers are working on your house and your property. If you aren’t protected, you are the only one responsible for anything they could break. This includes ruining your landscaping, destroying your car, or taking out an air conditioning unit. There is a lot of financial risk if you don’t choose an insured roofer.
Benefits of Roofing Insurance
Accidents happen, but they should not be standard practice. Your property should also not end up looking worse than before the roofing job started.
Remember that workers who aren’t held accountable for damage or mistakes likely won’t be careful around your property. If employees know there are no consequences for doing sloppy work, they may be less inclined to work harder. Why not? They don’t have an incentive to do better.
Trustworthiness
If a company or contractor doesn’t invest time or money in protecting their employees from basic accidents or mishaps, how much time and care will they put into installing or repairing your roof?
Insurance is a basic standard to ensure that the person working on your roof cares about and wants to produce the highest possible quality of work. This includes using skilled workers that the company (or contractor) trusts to work efficiently and not cause problems.
An uninsured company or contractor may be trying to avoid the penalties of consistent errors or damages. It may be looking to do a job as quickly as possible to collect the next paycheck from the next client. Whatever the reason, if roofing contractors and companies has no insurance, this should raise a red flag.
Job Completion
The work on your roof may take longer than you expect – especially if disaster strikes. Depending on what was broken or how an employee may have been injured, your financial obligations may last for years or cause serious damage to your bank account. With insurance, a report is filed and these things can be fixed quickly and simply.
Concern for Employees
Possessing workers’ compensation insurance guarantees that employers put thought and effort into who they hire, because it implies that they believe their employees are fit for the job and will keep insurance costs low.
It also allows companies and contractors the ability to hire or join the Certified Contractor Program. This can provide further peace of mind that the people working in your home are legitimate, hard-working, and dependable. After all, this certification shows that you have been specifically trained and that your company knows the importance of responsibility.
Top-quality contractors aren’t going to work for someone that doesn’t ensure their safety first and foremost, especially in a job field as dangerous as roofing.
How Do I Tell If My Contractor Has Roofing Insurance?
Read the company’s (or contractor’s) policies and know what scams to look out for and avoid.
The main things to look for when reading over a company’s policy are to make sure they have insurance in the first place, that their insurance covers roofing work, and that all of the employees that would be working on your home are covered.
If you looked over the company’s policies but still feel nervous, check out their reviews from past customers. Reviews are always an excellent place to determine if a company is reliable, careful, and does good work. However, keep an eye out for any review that seems off, as it may be fake. Look for non-specific wording, and the client’s review history, if possible. Regardless, you should still take care to examine the specific policy or insurance company.
Ultimately, the benefits of roofing insurance come down to protecting your money and your investment. Proper insurance is a good indicator of how much a company (or contractor) cares about protecting you, your home, and their workers. It also indicates the kind of work they provide and how they treat their employees and clients.
Always make sure the roofing company or contractor you are working with is properly insured to make sure that you – and your house – are in good hands.
