You should avoid some bad apples mixed in with great small businesses. Reports of fraud, poor workmanship and accidents are all too common. So you have to do your homework if you want to work with a small business and not a national brand.
You should begin by consulting any contractor with insurance
landscapers insurance is the easiest to verify but the most overlooked part of a landscaper’s credentials. It must come from an insurance company and contain your information to be valid. It is the easiest to confirm because all you have to do is tell the landscaper to have your insurance company send you a certificate.
They can do it by email, regular mail, or fax. If you encounter any resistance to this request, remove that landscaper from your list and move on; they are not insured. It is unacceptable to have a copy of the insurance certificate in the quote package.
Insurance is the most overlooked part of a landscape designer’s mandate because consumers rely too heavily on bogus insurance coverage claims. A truck or billboard has a fully licensed and insured sticker, which doesn’t mean the insurance covers what you need.
These uninsured or underinsured contractors are easily avoided by simply examining the contractor’s insurance policy. Look for these items on the certificate.
General liability is insurance against damage caused to property during the project, as long as the contractor performs the type of work specified in the policy.
Workers’ compensation is insurance against injuries to workers while working on a project. It is the most important part of the certificate because it is the most expensive linked policy and can cover the most costly claims.
At the end
There are other things to consider when hiring a landscape contractor. But if you start with insurance, you will immediately eliminate many unqualified companies.
