If one of the employee’s of your roofing contractor has an accident, it might-  will you take the fall?
You need to check the roofing contractors liability insurance coverage. Homeowners and businesses alike shop around to find the best deal when it comes to finding the right roofing contractor and roofing system for their building. But are you being short-changed by choosing one of the lowest bids? There is probably a very good reason why a roofing contractor is able to offer his services at rock-bottom prices.

Too little or no insurance coverage!

Before you hire a Suffolk roofing company or any contractor for that matter, we recommend that you follow these steps to protect your home and family.

• Require that all bidding contractors have their insurance companies issue you a “Certificate of Insurance.” This certificate will show you how much insurance coverage the contractor has. If they refuse, they probably don’t have coverage or the coverage which they have excludes roofing (i.e. home improvement insurance).
• Require that General Liability Coverage, including base and umbrella coverage, be between $1-2 million, preferably $2 million.
• Require proof of Worker’s Compensation & Employers Liability for every employee, even the company’s owner.
• Have the contractor name you as an additional insured on all insurance certificates.

General Liability Insurance Concerns

Adequate General Liability insurance coverage is the first thing to consider when choosing a roofing contractor for your home. General Liability Insurance is designed to protect the contractor from claims of bodily injury and property damage that can occur while completing work on your home. This in turn should cover you and your property if any accidents happen.

However, if they don’t carry enough insurance, a severe accident which causes major damage to a person or your property can leave you paying for what isn’t covered through your own insurance policies or even out-of-pocket.

Who Should Have Worker’s Compensation Insurance?

Everyone the roofing contractor intends to have on your property should be covered by his worker’s compensation insurance. Business owners are not required by law to carry worker’s compensation on themselves. By requiring that they do so, especially if they intend to work as part of the crew you will close a possible lawsuit loophole.

Here’s why. In New York State, an employee isn’t allowed to sue their employer for injuries sustained on the job. The employee will then sue you, the property owner. In turn, your recourse is to sue the employer. This turns a worker’s compensation claim into multiple liability claims where both the client (you) and the roofing contractor will be defended by the roofers General Liability policies.

If the employer doesn’t have coverage for himself and he’s injured while on your property, he can sue for claims against your homeowner’s policy.

The true cost of proper insurance

A properly insured NY roofing contractor will need to reflect the substantially higher insurance costs in the price of the work. But more importantly you’ll be protected from far greater loss if an accident occurs. Inadequate insurance coverage will leave the homeowner at risk of losing their home. In the event of an injury the contractor can declare bankruptcy leaving the homeowner to satisfy any lawsuits.

In essence, if your roofing contractor spends the money necessary to protect his business and employees, he’s also protecting you. The appropriate General Liability Insurance, Worker’s Compensation coverage should protect you against most every possible accident causing bodily injury or property damage.