Yes, absolutely, and you should receive an accord that states their limits on both the liability and workers comp policies. Don’t accept a cover declaration page for their policies because their policies may no longer be in effect. The accord from their insurance provider can save you a ton of preventive potential problems if someone gets hurt on your job and you find out later their insurance has been cancelled. Why would anyone not check if a person is duly licensed to work in that field or in that state. ALWAYS do yourself that favor and check them all.
They should have their license with them in the field and in the office. Workers comp or an exemption is acceptable. Regarding GL insurance, a home owner should be made a certificate holder to show that insurance was active and in place at the time of the project.
Absolutely. If workers get injured on the job you will be liable unless they’re properly insured.
Any contractor who has the proper documentation will be happy if you ask for the paperwork verifying their company. It means they are working with an informed consumer and that is always the best way to have a great outcome. The relationship between the property owner and the contractor is a partnership that is built on trust, and trust is usually earned. We are proud of our compliance to all rules and regulations, and we are happy to provide proof of that to anyone we work with.
Yes. It is common practice to put all of your requirements in writing prior to asking for bids. This includes proof of insurance.
Make a checklist of tasks that need to be done. Ensure that you are clear about what needs to be done and by whom.
Example: The contractor shall provide and install 5 security cameras. 1 camera in the rear of the house, 1 camera in the garage facing the door, 2 cameras in the driveway facing in opposite directions covering the length of the driveway. 1 camera at the porch facing the entrance.
This will ensure the contractor knows what they need to do and if their insurance will cover it. It will also protect you (as a business / home owner) and their employees as you can define what should or should not be done.
If workers were injured working on something they should not have been doing in the first place, you may have some level of protection.
If a contractor gets offended, that’s your first warning to look elsewhere, unless you want to be responsible for all his or her employees and responsibility for your property if damaged.
An experienced contractor will typically include that information with his / her submittal, and typically has a contractual clause in their proposal to maintain proper insurance to minimize risk / exposure to their customers. Do not ever hesitate to request insurance and license information.
On a side note, many states offer online services to verify workman’s comp data that are accessible to the general public.
Absolutely! All reputable contractors are required to carry insurance and it should not be a big deal that you request copies. If the contractor seems shady about giving you the required information, don’t hire them.
Of course.
Get them to add you as an additional insured - most of the time it is free for the contractor to do so.
Absolutely. You want to be certain that whoever you hired is properly licensed and insured just in case something unfortunate happens while work is being performed. We give a copy of our license and insurance(s) to every prospect at our very first meeting.
Yes, it is the consumers right to request for proof of coverage of these insurance policies under the contractors names.
Yes. It is required by law to provide this information when requested. This is one of the ways to ensure that you get a quality General Contractor. We are always happy to provide this information, as it helps us in developing a long lasting trusting working relationship with our clients.
Yes it is most definitely the proper way to go without these items the contractor is not really a contractor but a scam artist
Yes most certainly!! You can and should be added to the to the accord… This will help protect you in the event your contractor has his insurance cancelled, which means all the sub contractors he has hired and was covered by him are no longer covered under his insurance, they are uninsured!!! You would then be at risk to say the least and should NEVER yes NEVER have uninsured workers on your property… While you are checking also if a license is up for renewal you should also check on status this could also affect your Homeowners Insurance for coverage of a non-licensed individual doing work on your property…