Unless you work in the construction industry, you may not have any knowledge about residential roofing companies in your area. After all, the average homeowner doesn’t have to replace their roofs often.
If you are in the process of trying to find a roofing contractor for your home, you may be struggling with your choice. You know enough about roofing to know that you shouldn’t just accept the lowest bid, but how do you choose among all the residential roofing companies in your area?
One way to narrow down your options is to research which companies have roofing contractors’ insurance. After all, roofing is dangerous work, and you should only hire a company that has all of the insurance roofing contractors are required to have. Otherwise, you may face potential liability if a negative event occurs on-site with an uninsured contractor.
Also, some states require roofers to be adequately insured. If a roofing company doesn’t follow this requirement, how much should you trust them to install a new roof on your home?
Here’s what you need to know about roofing contractor insurance. Having this knowledge will help you select the right roofer for your job.
The Types of Insurance Roofing Contractors Must Have
All roofing companies should have two primary types of roofing contractors’ insurance: general liability and workers’ compensation.
General Liability Insurance for Roofing Contractors
General liability insurance provides coverage if the roofers damage your property or injure a non-worker.
For example, suppose a roofer climbs to your roof to fix a few shingles near your chimney. While on your roof, a worker accidentally hits the edge of your chimney and breaks some bricks. The bricks fall and hit the head of the delivery driver visiting your property.
The general liability insurance for roofing contractors would pay for damage to your property and (more importantly) the injury to the delivery person’s head.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Please don’t give your business to companies who don’t do everything possible to protect their crews. Check the safety rating of each roofing company. Also, your residential roofer needs to have worker’s compensation insurance to protect their employees and protect their customers.
Suppose a certified roofer suffers from a severe injury while working on your property. Even though it is unpleasant to think about, roofers sometimes die while working their dangerous jobs.
Workers’ compensation covers the employees should they become sick or injured while on the job and unable to return to work.