This One's Not Fun but It Matters
Nobody wants to talk about insurance. I get it. You're excited about your new patio or driveway, you've got a contractor you like, and the last thing you want to do is ask for paperwork. But I've seen what happens when people skip this step, and it's ugly.
This isn't about protecting the contractor. It's about protecting you.
What Can Actually Go Wrong
Last year I got a call from a homeowner over in Gulf Gate. She'd hired a guy off Facebook to pour a sidewalk. Decent price, seemed to know what he was doing. Two days in, one of his workers steps on a landscape nail and ends up in the ER. No workers comp. Guess whose homeowner's insurance got the claim? Hers.
That's not a worst case either. Say the crew backs a concrete truck into your fence, or cracks your water line during demolition. If your contractor doesn't carry general liability, you're paying for it yourself or filing on your own policy. Your rates go up. Their phone stops ringing. Nobody wins.
The Three Things to Ask For
Before any contractor starts work on your property, ask for proof of three things:
- General Liability (GL) - This covers property damage and injuries to third parties. If they damage your home, your neighbor's car, anything - GL pays for it.
- Workers Compensation - If a worker gets hurt on your property, this covers their medical bills and lost wages instead of your homeowner's policy. In Florida, any contractor with one or more employees is required by law to carry workers comp under Chapter 440 of the Florida Statutes.
- Commercial Auto/Vehicle - Concrete trucks are heavy. Mixers, dump trucks, equipment trailers - if something goes sideways between the road and your property, you want this in place.
"But He Gave Me a Great Price"
Yeah, there's a reason for that. Insurance costs money. Workers comp alone runs us thousands a year. When a guy undercuts every bid in town by 30%, ask yourself what he's cutting. A lot of times it's insurance, permits, or both.
I'm not saying every cheap bid is a scam. But I am saying you should ask. A legit contractor won't be offended. They'll pull up their certificate of insurance in about 10 seconds and send it over.
How We Handle It
At Merchant's Concrete we carry general liability, workers comp, and commercial auto on every job. That's not a sales pitch - it's the baseline. If you ask for a certificate of insurance before we start, we'll have it in your inbox the same day. Most of our Sarasota and Bradenton customers never ask, but the ones who do are the smart ones.
We've been licensed and insured since 2010. If something goes wrong on your job - and in 16 years of concrete work things do go wrong sometimes - you're covered. Period.
The Short Version
Before you sign anything, ask for proof of insurance. General liability, workers comp, commercial auto. If they dodge the question or say they'll "get it to you later," that's your answer. Move on.
Got questions about a project? Call or text me at (941) 374-8674. Happy to talk it through.
