licensed and insured - contractors

how much does it matter if contractors you hire are licensed and insured? if they say you are, do you somehow verify that information (if so, how).

we used to live in an apartment, so this was a NECESSITY for anyone working on our place since we needed to show the super.

but in a house, how important is this? are there different levels of insurance that i should be looking for?

thanks!

Re: licensed and insured - contractors

If they don't have insurance and someone working on your property gets hurt, they are coming after you. If something they do causes a neighbor to get hurt and they don't have liability, you're on the hook.
Get a copy of the license and check the license number with the county. Have them name you as an additional insured on their policy. When you get the certificate, check with the insurance company to make sure it is legit.

Re: licensed and insured - contractors

You need to be smart about things.

Going with someone who is not licensed is not smart IMO.

How many threads have we seen on here where Jane hired X contractor because he was cheaper or a friend of the family and then 85 things went wrong and he damaged her personal property and now they're up shit's creek.

How many stories are we hearing now of people being screwed after Sandy because they didn't go with the licensed guy?

Also, DH, who is a licensed contractor, has been hired to clean up a lot of messes left by unlicensed people.

If you ask, the contractor should be able to show you that they are legit.

Re: licensed and insured - contractors

Both Nassau and suffolk county dept of consumer affairs issues home improvement licenses. You can check license status and check for unresolved complaints.
To have a license you must take a test that proves you have some understanding of safety, building codes and how things should be buit.
Also contractors have to have both workers compensation insurance ( so if one of the workers cuts his thumb off with a skill saw, you won't loose your house in the lawsuit) and liability so if they remove a weight bearing wall and your house collapses you would get money to repair it.

People who fly under the radar doing home improvements without licenses are really a thorn in my side. A lot of them don't follow thru, they often do not pay taxes like the rest of us and they unfairly take food off the tables of hardworking people.

Re: licensed and insured - contractors

thanks all. i just posted a spinoff question about licensed contractors.

i will def. get someone licensed. just not sure if the county matters....

thanks!