As the weather warms up, many homeowners turn their focus to home renovations, repair projects, or general maintenance for their property. Spring and summer are great times to take care of home projects like redoing your cabinets, building a deck, repainting your home’s exterior, or trimming tree branches. No matter what the project is, one thing is for sure - hiring the right contractor for you is a top priority.
People often base their hiring decision on quotes, referrals, and reviews. However, insurance is another important aspect to keep in mind. Hiring an uninsured or underinsured contractor can make you vulnerable to financial and sometimes legal risk.
Let’s look at how to hire a reputable contractor and dive into why their insurance matters to help protect your home and your wallet.
What To Look for In an Artisan Contractor
Great artisan contractors not only build, fix, or maintain properties, but they also offer a level of professionalism that brings homeowners peace of mind.
If you’re looking to hire a contractor, you’ll most likely want someone with:
- Experience with projects similar to yours
- A solid reputation in the community
- Clear communication and a history of being reliable
- Proper licensure, insurance, and/or bonds, depending on the requirements of their profession and your area
Do you provide skilled services or improvements such as carpentry, plumbing, landscaping, or cleaning services to a customer’s home or business? You are likely an artisan contractor (learn more about artisan contractors here). Give us a call at (844) 358-5605 today to discuss your business and what types of insurance you may need.
How to Hire the Right Contractor for Your Project
Hiring a contractor can feel overwhelming, but it becomes much simpler when you know what to look for. Here are five essential steps to take to ensure you hire the right contractor for you.
1. Make a Clear Project Plan
Before you contact any professionals for quotes, define what you want. Know your goals, budget range, and basic timeline you’re looking to have the project completed. This can help a contractor provide accurate estimates, and it helps set expectations and parameters around the project.
2. Do Your Research
Check online reviews, browse online portfolios, and ask friends or neighbors for referrals. When you narrow your list, talk to at least two or three contractors. Pay attention to how they communicate and how transparent they are about the process.
3. Ask the Right Questions
Don’t be shy. Ask if they are licensed in your state, whether they use subcontractors, how they handle permits, and what their payment terms are. Now is your time to learn more about their process and get a better understanding of how they work. The conversation is the time for you to gain clarity and have all your questions answered before hiring.
4. Get a Detailed Contract
A strong contract protects both you and the contractor. It should outline the scope of the work, payment schedule, materials used, start-to-finish dates, and what happens in case of delays or changes. If you’re hiring someone for recurring services, such as lawncare, your contract should outline service dates or frequency, scope of the work being done, and payment schedules.
Do you run a landscape or lawncare company? Learn about the types of insurance you may need for your landscape business.
5. Verify Their Insurance and Licensing
Some trade contractors are required to be licensed. Ask the contractor to provide licensing information or verify their license is current by searching online databases. While it varies from place to place, licenses can often be required for those who work in construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and demolition of buildings. This may include general contractors, plumbers, electricians, masons, and more.
Ask to see a valid license and request a Certificate of Insurance (COI) to check that their coverage is current. The COI will outline active insurance policies, including coverage limits and expiration dates. You can always call the insurance company to verify their coverage as well.
Why Insurance Matters for General Artisan Contractors
Accidents happen every day, and you can’t assume your homeowners insurance policy will cover any injuries a contractor or their worker sustains while working on a project on your property.
If you don’t have any homeowners insurance or are interested in seeing what other options are available to you, we can help you shop around for insurance protection for your house, condo, mobile home, or rental property. Complete our quick homeowners form to request a quote or give us a call at (844) 358-5605 to discuss your options today.
Without the right insurance coverage, the property owner and the contractor could both end up in a long, stressful legal process trying to get things sorted out if an accident occurs.
Insurance is a safety net. It can help protect:
- The property owner or renter from lawsuits or liability claims
- The contractor so they can continue operating responsibly
- Property in case of damage during the project
- Any subcontractors or workers, if injuries happen on-site
The details of what is and is not covered are outlined in the insurance policy. It’s important to know what type(s) of insurance any contractor carries, so you have a better understanding before hiring the person or company to do work on your property.
Essential Types of Insurance for Artisan Contractors
Not all insurance policies are the same, and contractors may need different types of insurance coverages, depending on their business. Here is a breakdown of the types of insurance coverages a contractor may need:
General Liability Insurance
General liability is important for every contractor to have, regardless of their trade. It covers property damage and bodily injuries that happen on the job. For instance, if a worker accidentally knocks a piece of lumber down that breaks a homeowner’s window, general liability insurance will likely cover the repair costs, per the terms of the policy.
Are you a contractor looking for general liability insurance? Call us at (844) 358-5605 or complete our general liability form to request a quote .
Professional Liability Insurance
Also known as errors and omissions, professional liability insurance helps protect the contractor’s work if it is faulty workmanship (due to no fault of the contractor) or creates other types of damages.
This might include installing a defective piece of equipment as part of a repair or if a shower leaks and causes water damage shortly after a bathroom remodel. The covered incidents will depend on the type of work being done and the policy terms. Many things can be covered and it serves to protect both the contractor and homeowner.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
This is required in many states and covers injuries to workers while on the job. If a contractor does not have workers’ compensation insurance insurance, and their worker gets hurt on your property while working on the job, they might sue you for medical expenses or lost wages. Do not assume your homeowners insurance will cover a situation like this. The contractor should carry workers’ compensation, and may even be required by law to do so.
Are you a contractor looking for workers’ compensation insurance? Call us at (844) 358-5605 or complete our workers' compensation form to request a quote.
Commercial Auto Insurance
If the contractor drives a company vehicle to transport tools or materials to your property, they should have commercial auto insurance. This covers any damage or injury caused by work-related driving.
Great contractors protect their businesses as much as they protect their clients’ property. They are transparent, respectful of you and your property, and they take measures to keep everyone protected, such as being well insured.
Remember, it’s about more than who can do the job. It’s about who can do the job safely, responsibly, legally, and well. Your home is a valuable asset. It’s worth taking the time to hire a great contractor and doing all the research you need to do before signing a contract for a job.
Are you a contractor looking for commercial auto insurance? Call us at (844) 358-5605 or complete our commercial auto form to request a quote.
About InsureOnline.com
InsureOnline.com is a digital insurance agency that provides affordable insurance to consumers who want to shop and purchase insurance online while still having the option to work with an agent if they wish. The agency offers auto, home, life, health, and commercial as well as other specialty lines of insurance. Our goal is to provide an easy, fast, convenient, and safe online shopping experience for consumers looking for the best price by utilizing all the latest and greatest technology. Based in Bedford Park, Illinois, we are licensed to write business in many states and have a multilingual staff licensed and certified in a variety of insurance lines. We partner with many highly rated insurance companies to provide the best insurance solutions to meet your individual needs and your budget. Buy insurance online or talk to a licensed insurance agent! It's your choice.
For information and quotes on insurance coverage, please visit InsureOnline.com or call (844) 358-5605.
The general and educational information here supports the sales, marketing, or service of insurance policies. Individuals should seek advice from their own qualified and duly licensed independent tax or legal advisors based upon their own particular circumstances.