Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Licensed Contractor

1. HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical an even Gas projects sometimes seems as if a “Do-it-Yourself-er” could perform them or even save costs by having a NON-Licensed Contractor or individual work on them. This rarely leads to saving any money in the long run and even worse rarely leads to the job being done properly. Instead most homeowners end up bringing in a licensed contractor mid way through or at the end, to come in and fix the original issue, plus now the additional work added by the inexperienced individual.
2. By having a Licensed Contractor perform your project you will have permits pulled and the necessary inspections scheduled and approved. Without pulling permits and notifying the county/state about your addition, you are not helping add any value to your property. Counties assess houses each year with the previous years information, along with any additions or modifications made to the structure to help make a justified assessment of your overall property for that year.
3. Certain states and most insurance companies prohibit Non-Licensed Contractors and individuals from performing any construction projects on their houses. By having a Non-Licensed Contractor and/or individual perform construction tasks in your home you are taking a risk that if anything happens your insurance company will not pay for it. For instance, if you have a Non-Licensed Contractor and/or individual come out to replace an outlet. Then that outlet starts a fire at a later point, for any number of reasons. The insurance company will then ask for the paperwork for the work performed and find out that a Licensed Contractor or Individual did not install the item. They will then deny your claim and you will be held holding the bill, and your burnt house!
4. Your “Dream Vision” of your knew space is best described by yourself, while your “Dream Vision” is best built be a Licensed Contractor. Someone with the skills, experience and knowledge are normally going to reach your end goal faster pace and more cost effective.
5. Any disputes in the work performed by a licensed contractor can be claimed through D.P.O.R (Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation) and/ or the B.B.B (Better Business Bureau). Those claims will then be forced to be addressed before they can be removed or even cause a contractor to lose their licenses. Non-Licensed Contractors and/or individuals do not have to worry about such things because they are not using a licensed trade name and can up and move whenever they wish. Making it harder to track, prosecute and recover from Non-Licensed Contractors and/or individuals.
6. Licensed contractors are required to carry worker’s compensation. This means that if a worker is injured at your home, they are covered under your contractor’s worker’s compensation. If you have a Non-Licensed Contractor and/or individual, you are taking the risk upon yourself and your insurance company for any injuries that occur on your property.
7. Licensed Contractors are well versed and up to date with the State and Local Codes. These codes exist to help ensure proper installation, function and safety of various construction tasks. “Cutting Corners” is NEVER the answer, it always comes back!
8. With a licensed contractor their work holds a warranty for up to a year. Also, you will get any material warranty information to file away as well. Without a warranty on their work, they cannot guarantee your satisfaction and proper functioning systems once they leave your house. Never let a contractor work on your house without giving your a warranty for their work.
9. Accountability! Having a Licensed contractor usually means a listed phone number, email address, website or even an office for you to reach out to with any issues or questions. With Non-Licensed Contractors and/or individuals you are taking a chance every time you need to get a hold of them or need them to fix an issue.
10. Most Licensed Contractors hold Liability Insurance and should be able to offer you a copy of their Certificate of Insurance. This protects you and you house from any and all damages that may occur from the construction. Again, a contractor without insurance is the same as using a NON-Licensed Contractor; you are assuming large responsibilities and all the liability for the employees working on the project.