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Who Should Have an Illinois State Contractors License?Every roofing contractor serving the Chicago area needs to carry a license. Per state law, they are not allowed to perform work on your home or business without one. Additionally, unlicensed contractors are unable to obtain the necessary permits required for your project. Homeowners who hire an unlicensed roofing contractor risk legal problems that are both time consuming, as well as very costly.Contractors looking for information on how to become licensed in the state of Illinois should head on over to the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. Using their website, you'll be able to find information pertaining to the process and requirements for obtaining a contractors license. You may be required to complete certain courses, or a certain number of hours in additional training before you're issued a license. Is Your Chicago Area Roofing Contractor Licensed & Insured?According to Illinois state laws, all roofing contractors must have workers' compensation and unemployment insurance for their employees, post a $10,000 bond, have $250,000 of property damage insurance, and $500,000 of personal injury insurance. Prior to entering any contracts with your contractor, you need to find out whether or not they are properly insured. Some small-time contractors are either uninsured, or they have minimal insurance. Often times, these contractors will try to camouflage that information under a veil of lengthy paperwork. All contractors are required to be upfront and honest about their insurance status. If your contractor is covered by Commercial Liability Insurance, you will be protected from most instances of bodily injury or property damage. Contractors covered by this type of insurance are lawfully required to disclose the name and telephone number of their insurance provider. Hiring an uninsured contractor puts you at a huge risk for financial and legal troubles should something happen.What Does it Cover? Is it Required?In nearly all policies, the insurance carried by roofing contractors will cover any medical and related costs for anyone who sustains bodily injury while on the job site. In addition, these insurance policies protect your home from property damage sustained due to the contractor. Keep in mind that not all insurance policies are created equal. Some Chicago roofing contractors will carry a high level of coverage, while others may carry just enough to claim they are insured. Do not mistake insurance for a guarantee of service, however. It is recommended that you ask your contractor what kind of guarantees they make regarding the quality of the installation. Be sure to get any kind of service guarantee in writing.OK, I'm Worried Now. How Can I Check Out My Roofer?Contractors serving the Chicago, IL area are lawfully required to provide you with copies of their license, as well as their insurance information. Simply providing the information, however, does not necessarily mean that you can trust the accuracy. Unfortunately, there are shady contractors who will provide falsified documents in the hopes that the unsuspecting homeowner won't bother to verify the information. By calling the insurance company, you'll be able to not only verify the status of coverage, but you'll also be able to get clear information on what is covered, as well as how much is covered. When you're ready to verify the contractor's license, a quick visit to the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation can confirm whether or not it is a valid license. Last but not least, ask your roofing contractor for references. Any contractor worth investing money in will be happy (and ready) to provide references. These references, ideally, will be customers who've used the contractor's services in the past, and are able to give you an honest opinion on his quality.A friendly reminder is you can always use this site for free! We screen all of our roofing contractors to make sure they have insurance, license, and have a clean criminal background before we ever even sign them up to our program. Click Here for an Estimate |
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