Insurance in Connecticut: Homeowner's Liability

Thinking about hiring someone to do some work around the yard or on the house this spring? If so, be sure to read the following before you hire anyone. Based on recent advice that one of our insurance professionals provided to a client, the following information helped our client stop a potential homeowner’s liability nightmare before it happened. Be sure you know your facts about Insurance in Connecticut before you hire anyone.

As spring finally starts to move into the scene, many homeowners are starting to consider spring projects. Possibly you want to hire someone to build that deck you’ve always wanted. Or, maybe you want to have someone remove that huge tree on your front lawn that always clogs up your gutters. Regardless of what your project is, there are a few important things to consider regarding insurance in Connecticut so that you don’t wind up with that homeowner’s liability nightmare on your hands.

It’s important to understand that when you hire someone to do work on your property, it’s highly recommended to hire a recommended and reputable contractor with the appropriate insurance coverage. If a contractor is not protected with the appropriate insurance coverage, you could be on the hook for damage to your property or potential injuries sustained by the contractor, the contractor’s workers and possibly even others.

The following is a checklist of things to review, courtesy of Trusted Choice®. Be sure to read each one and call to speak with a reputable, Trusted Choice® insurance professional before you hire anyone to perform work in your home or on your property.

• Estimates – Consider at least three contractors and get estimates in writing. Make certain all estimates clearly comply with job specifications, quality of materials, labor, and time needed for project completion. Be clear on pricing and never assume that the lowest estimate is necessarily the best.
• References – Ask for them, call them, go by and see the work.
• Research – Check with the Better Business Bureau for business and complaint history, contractor licensing offices to verify licensing and permits, and their insurance agency to verify coverage.
• Contract – Never work purely with oral agreements. A contract will establish firm requirements for a proper job, completion benchmarks, lien filings and/or releases, payment schedules (never pay full price in advance), and what constitutes proper completion of work (inspections and a local building ordinance compliance visit).
• Certificates – Always obtain a current certificate of insurance for the contractor verifying the existence of the coverages required by the work (such as general liability, workers compensation, and commercial auto insurance). Too often, homeowners accept a certificate of insurance as proof of insurance coverage without double checking that the coverage is still in force.

Lastly, even if you follow all of the suggestions above to reduce the chance of risk, it’s still important to have a good understanding of how your own homeowner’s liability will respond for damages to your property, injury to the contractor or employees, and even liability to others such as a neighbor’s child who wanders unsupervised onto your property while construction is taking place.

The best way to have a good understanding is to speak with a reputable, Trusted Choice® insurance agent. An experienced insurance professional will take the time necessary to explain your homeowner’s insurance coverage to you and help you make informed decisions.

For additional questions on insurance in Connecticut and for any questions relating to your homeowner’s insurance, please call V.F. McNeil Insurance today at (203) 481-2684. We’ve been a Trusted Choice® for Insurance in Connecticut for over 125 years. We are always happy to help.