Whether you need a new air conditioner or heater installed or you just need minor repairs on your HVAC system, you may be in the market for a qualified HVAC contractor. As you start looking for the right person for the job, one important detail to look for is insurance. Hiring a contractor who has liability insurance is a great way to protect yourself and your house. Here’s why that is.
When you hire an HVAC contractor, he or she may have to come to your house more than once to fix the issue. There may be a consultation to diagnose the problem, followed by one or more return trips once the contractor has the tools and replacement parts for the job. And every time the HVAC contractor is on your property, there’s a possibility that he or she will accidentally cause damage to your home.
For example, your contractor could drop a piece of equipment on your floor, meaning you’ll need at least a portion of your floor to be fixed or replaced. Or he or she could accidentally bump into a shelf while bringing a ladder through the home, causing expensive décor to crash to the ground. As long as the person you’ve hired has HVAC contractor liability insurance, you can rest assured his or her policy will pay for any property damage.
Even if you only notice damage months after the job is done, liability insurance will pay for repairs. This way, you can be sure you won’t be stuck with a bill to fix your house after your HVAC contractor has damaged it in any way. This is why it’s important to ask about insurance before you hire someone for home repairs.
Another risk of having someone repair your property is the possibility of injuries. When someone is handling heavy or sharp equipment and hazardous chemicals on your property, there’s always a small chance someone could get hurt. Whether you trip over bulky HVAC equipment and break a bone, or a neighbor’s child touches chemicals that your contractor left outside your home during repairs, there are going to be medical bills to pay.
And when your contractor has liability insurance, the policy will pay for those medical bills. In fact, insurance will even pay for missed wages in case you have to stay home from work while you recover. If you need physical therapy, medication, or other ongoing medical needs due to your injury caused by your HVAC contractor, insurance will pay those bills.
Without liability insurance, you’d likely have to pay for your own medical care, even if the injuries were the fault of your contractor. While you could bring a lawsuit against him or her to get reimbursed, this would take time and money that many people don’t have, and your contractor might not have the money to pay for your medical bills even if you win the case. This is why it’s simply best to hire someone who has HVAC contractor liability insurance, as this will protect you and anyone who may be injured on your property.
While it’s unlikely that you’ll ever need to make an insurance claim against the HVAC contractor you hire, knowing that you have that option if you have to will give you peace of mind. This alone makes it worth it to hire someone with insurance. Plus, most professionals in the HVAC field have liability insurance since it’s usually required, so this is one facet that often separates experienced contractors from those who are newer to the field or might not be very serious about their business.
This is why part of the process of hiring an HVAC contractor should be asking about insurance. In fact, before you sign any service agreements, you should ask if he or she has insurance for businesses in this field. Most contractors are happy to show customers their certificate of insurance before getting hired, so if the person you’re considering hesitates or claims not to have one, it may be wise to look elsewhere for your HVAC needs. After all, you need to protect yourself and your home!
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