I'm getting my plumbing done from a licensed plumber, but he doesn't have insurance or his own company.
He is ready to sign a contract but I don't know what to write in the contract. I'm going to pay him partial amount for material before he starts the work and rest after completion of work. He is going to give me three years warranty.
Could you please help me with a proper form that covers everything?
How is he licensed? if he doesn't have insurance, In department of buildings an active licensed plumber must be insured to continue his licensure and pulling permits.
Forget it - something's not right here.
Liability insurance, worker's comp coverage, and a company name are required for a license in all state and local jurisdictions I'm aware of.
Chances are his 'license' number is phony, probably the license number of someone he used to work for, but in any case, DO NOT use ANY non-insured worker for any work. For one thing, he won't be allowed to pull a permit on your work, which means that it won't be inspected and your own homeowner's insurance will not cover you in the event of a mishap (leaks, flood, etc.).
In addition, the guy could actually turn around and sue you if he is injured on your property.
In short, this guy's breaking the law, and there is no good scenario that can result. You may be tempted because he's probably the low bidder, not having to pay licensing fees, company overhead, or insurance costs, but be warned: you're the one that will suffer in the long run.
Look for a licensed, registered master plumber; call your local licensing agency or use handymanamerica.com for a qualified plumber.
Not sure what state you are in, but in Florida, if your license is active, you are required to carry general liability insurance, and have either a workers comp policy, or be registerd workers comp excempt. If he or any of his help get hurt on your property, you could be liable to pay their medical expenses.
Hiring any licensed contractor that does not have the proper documents is very risky. He can offer the best warranty in the world, but, if there is an issue, and something really bad happens to your home, floods, backups, etc, your homeowners insurance may not cover the loss due to the contractor you contracted with. He has no insurance, so you could be stuck with the repair expenses, out of your pocket.
Spend the money, hire a licensed, insured plumbing contractor, make them produce copies of their paperwork, ask for references, check the BBB, no money up front, pay them when they are done.
Good Luck
I think the fact that he is not insured and not incorporated would make me hesitate. There is no form that I know of.
Before you start any project...
They need to have insurance this is require by state of florida in case something worth happen, you never not what can happen. Went he show you a prevue of the real insurance make a contract write by him and you, then you give some money to start the project i
I hope this help for you, thanks.
Sincerely,
D&l wall design and painting corp
To start you should not hire any contractor that has no insurance. This is a big problem!
You can offer him a hourly wage at 25.00 to 40.00 per hour to domthe work. I can provide you with the time frame needed to dom ost work.
I would ask for a material list and go to a plumbing supply and buy it yourself. If he is a licenced plumber he would be able to give you a exact list in what is needed to do the work.
Pay him at the end of each work day or when the job is completed. Most plumbing materials are not expencsive!
Good luck!
As with General Contractors like myself you have to have insurance in order to have a building license, same goes with Plumbers, HVAC, Electricians etc. I wouldn't let anyone so much as walk on my job site who does not have insurance.
Walk away is my advice, there are plenty of plumbers out there that are fully licensed and insured.
It would really depend on what kind of plumbing he's performing, to know this would help write the contract.
Is he installing a Hot water heater, replacing a sewer line, repiping water lines?
In order to protect you the homeowner their would be different ways of writing the contract to cover all areas that could potentially cause you a severe headache in the future.
Handyman Solutions
There is a web site called rocket lawyer.com go there and create a contractors agreement it will tell you how to construct one and then you can buy it and print it or just copy and save it and use it as a template to write your own.
Jonathan Hain
Concrete Tradition
thanks for the responses
Don't hire anyone that doesn't have their own insurance.
Not a good idea
1. Licensed as a plumber is good but the most important is that he is insured and has business license. Warranty means nothing if you cant find him later.
Warranty means nothing if your house floods and he have no insurance to cover the damages.
Dexter
www.lbimprove.com
littlebusiness@live.com
If this plumber is a friend of yours or a person recomended from some one else and works for a plumbing company but does not have Insurance or a License... The only contractural agreement is a sub contract agreement or he can work directly for you, you are his employer at an hourly or daily rate.
You should be responsible for all the materials needed to do the work. I have hired trades in the past to work as a sub contractor who do not hold insurance, but I know these people and trust them.
If you are letting this individual work on your property the main concern here is if he gets hurt while working in your house on your property you may be open to a huge lawsuit...Make sure you know and trust this individual before letting him work in your house. By having a License and Insurance does not qualify any individual to do the work properly, You need to speak with real live people and get references from previous jobs. Just get a sub contract agreement and have him sign it, this should give you the protection you need. If you do not know this person...walk away!
Good Luck!
MJS
I would only recommend getting a plumber that is both licensed and insured, especially on such a big project like this. It might be safe if you were just hiring him for a small job like a clogged drain. There are so many other options out there, though, that I would recommend finding someone you can trust.
Claire Reynolds
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