Okay, so you found a roofer that would re-roof your home for far less than the other bids you received. You are a savvy buyer, able to save money and still get your roof installed properly - or are you a mindless GAMBLER willing to risk your home, cars, and your family's financial future to save a few dollars on your new roof?
In Alabama, there is no requirement that roofers carry workers' compensation insurance or general liability coverage before working at your home, so it's BUYER BEWARE when it comes to making a choice of which roofing company to hire.
As we tell prospective customers quite often, all roofers have insurance while working at your home, but most likely it's YOUR insurance that has them covered.
You did not ask the roofers to provide proof a valid certificate of insurance coverage, so YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE if anyone is injured while working on your new roof.
Google this phrase: "Personal Injury Settlements in Alabama" and read through the various law firms' success stories of the millions and millions of dollars they "won" for their clients. This could be you making the list of success stories after you are found responsible for the medical bills, lost work, etc., for an uninsured worker that was injured on your property.
Think that all roofers have valid coverage? That would be a serious mistake given that there are 130+ licensed roofers in our two-county area (Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama), and a best-guess would be that maybe 25% of them have the proper coverage in place today.
Spend a few minutes completing this recommended confirmation process, again, do this before anyone begins working on your roof.
1. Ask your contractor to have his/her insurance agent send you a Certificate of Insurance via email. NEVER assume that a hardcopy provided by the roofer is valid.
2. Specify that the certificate denotes residential roof replacement and that you must be listed as a "certificate holder" on the certificate (again, only from the agent's office).
3. Call the agent and ask for a verbal confirmation of the certificate, and again, that the coverage extends to residential roof replacement (not repairs).
4. Send an email to the issuing agent, confirming what you were told by (include person's name you spoke to) that the contractor's coverage was valid and that it does include coverage for residential roofing for work to be performed at (include your address).
5. If you are not familiar with the insurance agency, or they are located far from your home, call the insurance company (shown on the certificate) and ask them to confirm the policy.
Taking these five steps could save you from years of suffering through the legal issues involved to settle a personal injury lawsuit.
Still not convinced that this is an absolute necessity before allowing workers to access your roof - please call your insurance agent, any lawyer that you might know, or just ask a total stranger what he/she thinks about this subject --- anything but rolling the dice on an uninsured roofing company.
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