With all the law suits that hit our courts this question should be the first one to ask when you hire someone to work on your property. You can pick any newspaper across the country and find at least on article dealing with someone suing for damages. Criminals have sued homeowners for damages caused during robberies and winning their cases. Little Billy playing football with your son falls and hurts himself and his parents want you to pay for damages. How can you protect yourself?
In the construction industry many of the fields require licensing through the state, such as, plumbers, electricians, irrigation specialist. In the fencing industry there is no such requirement. Anyone can decide to start installing fences who has the equipment to do the work. That may not seem to scary until you start to really look at the homeowners liability.
There are several things that can and do go wrong. Any time a person digs a hole, even if it is just to bury Fido, the pet hamster, they run the risk of hitting any number of underground cables and pipes. The State of Texas has very strict rules governing digging and the reporting of hitting pipes that come with steep financial penalties if not reported appropriately. If the fence company is just a guy working out of the back of his truck the state and/or the provider of the service that is interupted will hold the homeowner liable for the expense of any damages and penalties incurred. In addition, if the contracted worker or his helper gets injured while on your property and doesn’t have insurance as the homeowner, you are liable.
Asking to verify that your contracter is insured is the best way to protect your self from the risk of lawsuits and penalties. When you begin to understand why the price of one fence may be more than the next, it is VERY important to that reputable companies are going to practice responsible business practices to protect not only themselves but you the homeowner as well. So remember to ask “Are you insured?”
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Is Your Contractor Insured?
With all the law suits that hit our courts this question should be the first one to ask when you hire someone to work on your property. You can pick any newspaper across the country and find at least on article dealing with someone suing for damages. Criminals have sued homeowners for damages caused during robberies and winning their cases. Little Billy playing football with your son falls and hurts himself and his parents want you to pay for damages. How can you protect yourself?
In the construction industry many of the fields require licensing through the state, such as, plumbers, electricians, irrigation specialist. In the fencing industry there is no such requirement. Anyone can decide to start installing fences who has the equipment to do the work. That may not seem to scary until you start to really look at the homeowners liability.
There are several things that can and do go wrong. Any time a person digs a hole, even if it is just to bury Fido, the pet hamster, they run the risk of hitting any number of underground cables and pipes. The State of Texas has very strict rules governing digging and the reporting of hitting pipes that come with steep financial penalties if not reported appropriately. If the fence company is just a guy working out of the back of his truck the state and/or the provider of the service that is interupted will hold the homeowner liable for the expense of any damages and penalties incurred. In addition, if the contracted worker or his helper gets injured while on your property and doesn’t have insurance as the homeowner, you are liable.
Asking to verify that your contracter is insured is the best way to protect your self from the risk of lawsuits and penalties. When you begin to understand why the price of one fence may be more than the next, it is VERY important to that reputable companies are going to practice responsible business practices to protect not only themselves but you the homeowner as well. So remember to ask “Are you insured?”