There is no such thing as being overprotective when it comes to your home and your finances. There are plenty of roofing contractors out there that are willing to bend the rules to simplify things for themselves, resulting in problems for you and your roof. Even honest contractors make mistakes every once in a while. That's why it's important to know these 4 simple ways to protect yourself when choosing a roofing contractor.

Workers Compensation
Problem: You hire a roofing contractor to fix a leak on your roof. One of their employees decides not to use proper safety procedures and falls, breaking his leg. The employee holds you responsible to pay his medical expenses because he was hurt on your property.

Solution: Roofers Compensation is a type of insurance covering roofing injuries. If a roofing contractor has workers' compensation, any injured employees are entitled to recover expenses for hospital bills and being out of work. Be sure that your roofing contractor has workers' compensation so that you are saved from the trouble and expenses of paying those bills yourself.

Liability Insurance
Problem: Your roofing contractor leaves your roof uncovered after removing your shingles. That night there is an unexpected storm. Water seeps into your home and damages your sheetrock, carpet, and some nice furniture. Your roofing contractor has liability insurance, but there are exclusions preventing coverage of the interior of your building. You end up paying to fix the damages yourself.

Solution: If damage occurs to your home or building that is the fault of a roofing contractor, you want to be sure they have good liability insurance. This will cover anything from broken windows to damaged interiors as mentioned in the situation above. Some contractors have liability insurance, but their insurance company offers so many exclusions that it is almost like there is no coverage at all. Look for coverage that doesn't exclude water damage resulting from leaving a roof open.

Business License
Problem: You hire a new roofing company to work on your roof. A few months later you notice a leak. You try to contact the company but can't find their information. You try to look them up by their business license and you find that there was never a business license issued for that company. You are forced to pay for the repairs yourself.

Solution: Check ahead of time that your roofing contractor has a business license. If they don't have a license, it could be a sign that they don't know what they are doing. The company could easily disappear or go out of business.

In the state of Utah, your roofing company should have a shingle license and a general roofing license to install a pitched roof. A flat roof installation only requires a general roofing license.

A general contractor is legally able to install a roof without a roofing license if they have a general contractor license. However, there have been a lot of cases of general contractors branching out and installing roofs themselves when they lack the proper training. This causes problems for building owners as well as homeowners. It is ideal for a general contractor to have a roofing license in addition to their general contractor's license.

In Utah, the number for a general roofing license is S280. The general contractor's license is B100.

If your roofing contractor is in the middle of working on your roof and you find that they have given fraudulent business license information, (in Utah) you have the option to terminate their service right away. You are not required to pay anything to the contractor because they were operating illegally. You can then find a qualified contractor to fix your roof and finish the job.

For more info:

Flat Roofing Contractors Oregon

Roseburg Roofing Services