BEFORE YOU HIRE!
Finding a licensed and insured contractor if vital but is it enough? There are many aspects to insurance that you should be aware of. The advice to follow is meant as a general guide to make you aware of “things” to ask for when you hire any independent contractor or sub-contractor.
The information provided here is not meant to replace legal advice and we are not in the law information business. For detailed advice consult with your attorney.
For the General Public, the Homeowner
Homeowner’s should always get referrals, make sure the contractor is licensed and be named on the contractor’s insurance as an additional insured.
The practice of obtaining referrals and being named on your contractors’ insurance is not new. Many homeowners’ mistakenly go with the lowest price thinking “What could go wrong?”
“Plenty is the answer!” Play it smart and do not take a chance on your entire financial future. For homeowner having a tree taken down could present plenty of risk liabilities.
Let me name a few:
- A tree falls on a neighbors home causing damage to the home and people
- A worker / friend falls out of a tree and is injured
- A spark from a piece of equipment igniters a major fire
The size of the potential claims can be enormous. And assumptions on your part could lead to financial ruin. Take the Calaveras County and Amador County Old Gulch fire situation in 2015 and the Paradise and Camp Fire in 2018. The fallout of these fires is more than any home insurance policy could bear.
Thus