The roofing system is arguably the most important component of your home exteriors. After all, it protects you and your family from outside elements and is usually the first line of defense against extreme weather events. However, it is also one of the many components that takes the most damage, thanks to its constant exposure to direct sunlight or heavy rainfall.
Being proactive when it comes to your roof helps ensure that it remains intact. When having it repaired, replaced or maintained, you’ll want it to be handled by a reputable contractor. When hiring one for the job, however, it’s not enough to base on skills and experience alone. You also have to make sure they are properly insured. Doing so gives you peace of mind that your roofers are reliable and trustworthy.
Today, we explain the importance of hiring a fully insured roofer for roof work.
Why Does Insurance Matter for Roofers?
Finding out if a roofer is insured is an important consideration when planning a roof repair or replacement. Many homeowners forget to ask prospective roofers about this. Just because a company looks legitimate or has done work for their neighbors doesn’t mean it’s safe to assume that they’re insured. Many dishonest contractors take advantage of homeowners that do not have a full understanding of insurance to win your business.
Here are a few reasons why you need to put an insured contractor at the top of your priority list:
- Insurance and License
Before hiring roofers for a job, you must first ask them for proof that they are licensed and insured. Keep in mind that an insured roofer is almost always a roofer with a license. In fact, most states require roofing contractors to carry insurance before they even get their license.
Licenses give you the assurance that you’re working with a professional who knows what they’re doing. Not only that, but many contractors put their license at stake with every roof work they perform. They make sure to do their best – otherwise, they risk losing their license because of unreliable workmanship.
- Added Protection
Roofing installations and repairs are risky. Since roofers have to work from an elevated platform like your roof, one wrong step can lead to serious injuries – not only to the worker, but also to anyone on the ground. In addition to that, property damage may also be a concern. For instance, roof debris during tear-off can damage the landscaping below or hit a parked car.
Insurance can financially and legally protect you from such liabilities. The policy they carry will cover medical expenses for injuries as well as any damage your roofer and their crew may have caused, whether accidentally or intentionally.
- Lower Costs in the Long Term
In most cases, roofers without insurance offer lower rates for their services. Some homeowners may think they can save money by hiring someone without any insurance. However, the opposite is true. An uninsured roofer is likely unlicensed and may cost you more money in the long term. The company’s workmanship may leave plenty of mistakes, for example, and you will need to have these corrected by a more reliable roofing contractor.
Additionally, you will also be responsible for any injury or property damage an uninsured roofer may make. This means you will be the one to pay for everything out of pocket for any medical or financial issues that may arise during the project.
Types of Insurance That Roofers Carry
There are two types of insurance your roofer should have: general liability and worker’s compensation insurance. Below, we explain why the ideal roofer should have both.
General Liability Insurance
Regardless of the roofing services you require, your roofer should have general liability insurance.
- Injury claims: In the event your roofer causes an accident that injures the client or any third party, liability insurance can cover any costs. This includes medical or litigation expenses as well as compensation awarded by the court. In case the accident leads to loss of life, this insurance also covers funeral expenses.
- Property damage claims: Liability insurance also covers any expenses for repairing or replacing any damaged property caused by the roofer while doing work on your roof. For example, if your roofer damaged your window while replacing your roof, this insurance ensures they will replace the damaged item.
- Job completion claims: If your roofer’s finished work is subpar, you can file a claim. As such, the company will have to partially or fully pay for the cost of fixing these mistakes.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance
According to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2019, roofers had a work fatality rate of more than 10 times the average rate of work fatalities per year. Even if the job is only going to take a few hours, you don’t want to risk hiring a roofer without worker’s compensation.
Accidents can happen while the crew does its roofing work on your home. In case something untoward happens that results in injury, the roofing contractors’ worker’s compensation helps protect the injured crew from paying out of pocket for their medical expenses. Like the general liability insurance, workers’ comp insurance exempts you from any responsibility for these costs.
Need an insured roofer for your project? Look no further than Sterling Exteriors. When you work with us, you can be sure of our commitment to professionalism. Our team is committed to professionalism and includes project managers that oversee each project to ensure quality work.
We are fully bonded, insured and licensed, and always provide personalized and conscientious service. Because of the outstanding service that we’ve provided over the years, we’ve been recognized from the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating in each community we serve. Also, we are proud to be a referral on Angie’s List, mainly because it is based on the feedback from our customers whom we consider to be our most essential resource. You can trust us when we say that you are our first and only priority.
Count on our skilled and experienced team of roofing pros to provide outstanding services. Call us today at (513) 685-8055, or fill out our online contact form to request a quote. We proudly serve homeowners in Cincinnati, Loveland and Newton, OH.
