MISTAKE #11: Not asking if the roofing salesman is an employee or a sub-contractor of the company he represents
Recently we wrote about Mistake #7, which is hiring a roofer who does not have Workers’ Comp insurance. In El Paso County, to obtain a roofing contractor’s license, the contractor must have general liability and workers’ comp insurance IF he has employees. If he doesn’t have any employees, he’s not required to have workers’ comp insurance. Workers’ comp insurance is pretty expensive, so the way many roofing contractors get around this requirement is that they make their canvassers, inspectors/estimators, salesmen, and project managers “sub-contractors” instead of employees. That may seem legitimate, but in many cases, it is a clear violation of Colorado’s labor laws.
What Should You Do?
Ask the company representative if he is an employee or a sub-contractor. If he says that he is a sub-contractor, ask him for proof of having workers’ comp insurance for himself. This is too critical to overlook because if he or another uninsured person gets injured on your property, you (or your homeowner’s insurance company) could be liable for any medical costs that injured person incurs.