Anyone who has lived in Texas for any length of time knows that living in Texas is not for the faint of heart. In fact, the weather in Texas can be downright brutal. In the summer, many towns in Texas can regularly heat up well over 100 degrees. The record high temperature in Texas is 120 degrees. Summer also brings hurricanes to the Gulf Coast of Texas, as well as the Pacific Coast, where they can work their way east from California. Thunderstorms are prevalent in Texas, no matter what the season and Texas is the hailstorm capital of the United States. There are more hailstorms in Texas than in any other state. Texas doesn’t escape winter, either. There have been instances in Texas of ice, thundersnow, and temperatures in the Lone Star State can fall to subfreezing temperatures. It goes without saying that to live in Texas, you need to have a good roofing company.
If you’re in the market for an excellent roofing company, there are some things you need to look out for before you hire a roofing contractor to repair or replace your roof. One of the most important details about a roofing company you need to check is whether or not the company has business insurance. Here is some information about what business insurance is and why you need to make sure your roofing company carries business insurance.
What Is Business Insurance?
Homeowners carry a lot of insurance in order to protect their homes, property, and livelihoods. Businesses are no different. Whether the company is a huge corporation or a sole proprietorship, it is essential that the business carry insurance.
Business insurance protects the business–property, assets, and equipment–from losing everything if the unthinkable happens. Business owners face the unexpected all the time, and they need to prepare for accidents and injuries. For example, if a florist spills water from a vase by the front entry, and a customer slips, falls and breaks an ankle, the business may be liable for hospital bills and other damages associated with the injury.
When a business obtains business insurance, the business owners are protecting their company from any property damage done on a job, from lawsuits filed by clients or customers, theft, and employee illness or injury. Surveys of businesses find consistently that three out of four small businesses have had an illness, injury, theft, or property damage within the last year, but only two out of three businesses carry business insurance. This is important because, without the protection of business insurance, a company can be liable for millions of dollars worth of damage.
Why You Need To Make Sure Your Roofing Company Has Business Insurance
- Without business insurance, your property may not be protected in the event of an accident.
This is important because one of the most common reasons an employee needs worker’s compensation is due to a slip or a fall on a job site. Because roofing a business or a home does not take place on the ground, the risk someone could have an injury at your house is higher. If your roofing company does not have business insurance, you may be liable for the employee’s medical bills and lost wages from the accident.
Also, if the roofing company has business insurance, any property damage that occurs at your home would be covered by the company’s business insurance. For example, if one of the windows on the top floor gets broken by a ladder falling, the roofing company’s business insurance policy would cover the cost to replace the window.
- If your roofing company has business insurance, you have peace of mind.
Peace of mind is essential to every homeowner, especially when you are undergoing a roof replacement or a roof repair. You have enough to think about without worrying your roofing contractor isn’t insured.
- Business insurance means your roofing company is professional.
In a sole proprietorship (or a business owned by a single person), it can be tempting to cut corners and not carry business insurance. Small roofing contractors may even be able to offer you a cut-rate deal on your replacement roof or roof repair. However, the savings you might acquire for your roof is not going to matter if you have property damage or an employee claim against your homeowner’s policy.
If you hire a professional roofing company, the business will have enough insurance to make sure they –and you– are protected against property damage, theft of materials, fires, and injuries. Professional roofing companies are large enough to make sure they carry enough insurance to guard against any contingency.
- A roofing company with insurance is more reliable and credible.
Everyone has heard the stories about roofing companies that take payment for ½ of the cost of a new roof or a roof repair and then run off without finishing the job. When you hire a roofing company with business insurance, you know you are hiring a company that takes its reputation in the community seriously enough to have adequate insurance coverage.
- Businesses with business insurance are more likely to be licensed as well.
Texas does not require roofers to have a license, which means that anyone can claim they are a roofing expert. Many reputable roofing contractors in Texas belong to a licensing organization, such as the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas. These licensing organizations have requirements of their own that they require their members to adhere to. Often, one of the requirements licensing agencies requires is that their members carry business insurance.
How Can I Make Sure The Roofing Company I Hire Has Business Insurance?
It is easy to make sure that the roofing company you want to hire has business insurance. While you are in the hiring process, you can use the question of insurance to weed out roofing businesses you won’t want to hire.
When you make an appointment to have a roof inspection done by a roofing contractor, you can ask them to show you their certificate of insurance. All certificates of insurance will show you what the coverage limits are, the policy expiration dates, and everything the policy covers. If a roofing contractor can’t show you a certificate of insurance, you will want to move on to the next company. Most roofing companies have their certificates of insurance displayed at their business location, but if you don’t see it, you can ask.
Conclusion
Homeowners in Texas have enough to worry about without wondering whether that new roofing company they hired to repair or replace their roof is insured. Before you hire your next roofing contractor, make sure they carry business insurance. That way, you can stop worrying about whether your home is safe in case something happens. If you are looking for a company to repair your roof from the latest storm or replace your old roof with a new one, you need to give Roof Fix a call. We have been working for over 40 years in the San Antonio area, repairing and replacing roofs for thousands of happy customers. Why not reach out to us today and let us schedule an appointment with you so that we can come out and inspect your roof?
