Consumers contract with contractors to perform home improvement projects or repairs. The purpose of this article is to educate homeowners on how to protect themselves from liability and unscrupulous contractor practices. I will be doing a series of these articles covering all aspects of contracting to help you, the consumer be better educated and less likely to be taken advantage. This first article deals with that infamous door to door solicitor.
Knocks On The Door
In a recession, contractor business declines, as does most business. Not uncommon is for licensed and unlicensed contractors to drive though neighborhoods looking for homes that appear to need repairs or new roofs. When the knock comes on your door, it is buyer beware.
The usual modus operandi is they work for or are a contractor who just happened to notice you are missing shingles, have cracked vinyl siding, or any number of other problems, and with that most infamous of smiles, says they would be happy to give you an estimate.
Most homeowners have no problem with them looking…that is their first mistake, and I will get to this in a moment.
Back to that knock on the door. If someone identifies themselves as working for or as a contractor, you should first ask for identification. Legitimate contractors carry business cards, their license, copies of their liability insurance, and copies of their coverage of Workman’s Compensation. Those without the credentials to work as contractors will normally produce a business card and a Business License. A Business License is not a license to perform any work. It is the license required to open a business only.
About them looking being your first mistake. Anytime you allow anyone access to your property for the purpose of giving an estimate to work, you a liable if they get hurt or injured in any way. The most common liability claims against homeowners involve people getting on their roof or using a ladder to check damage. If they fall or become injured in anyway, you could pay thousands in medical expenses, pay for their medical and living expenses for the rest of your life, or lose everything you have worked so hard to obtain. Your homeowners insurance does not cover these types of injuries and will have no sympathy for you. The only thing they might feel is thank God it was not their liability.
I am a retired licensed Florida Roofing Contractor and was an Executive in the Home Improvement business for 14 years. It is, and will always be my policy, I allow no one on my property to estimate anything unless I called them to give an estimate. This includes contractors who can produce the required documents on the spot.