Why “Bonded And Insured” Is Often A Meaningless Marketing Ploy
If They Went Cheap On Their Coverage, YOU May Be Left Fixing Your Roofer’s Mistakes
If a roofer in Greater Seattle installs your roof, and then your roof FAILS, you shouldn’t pay a dime to fix it.
That’s common sense.
Unfortunately, you might be on the hook if the roofer is minimally bonded and insured.
The fact is a $12,000 bond and $50,000 in property insurance aren’t enough to protect you if things go sideways.
And, in many cases, the HOMEOWNER is flipping a large portion of the bill when the ROOFER screws up.
RoofSmart makes sure this NEVER happens to you by offering superior craftsmanship AND one of the industry’s best warranties that ensures you pay $0.00 if we make a mistake.
More From RoofSmart
“Licensed, Bonded, And Insured” — An Overused Slogan
You’ve heard the slogan repeated time and time again by contractors trying to make a sale. You’ve likely seen it displayed on website home pages, TV ads, and everywhere else a roofer might advertise.
“Licensed, bonded, and insured.”
It sounds great. And, don’t get me wrong, it’s important.
But, it doesn’t necessarily mean the contractor is FULLY insured, and you’d be surprised just how easy becoming licensed, bonded, and insured actually is.
The issue is not all “bonded and insured” companies are the same. There’s a wide range — and we find it misleading (to say the least) for minimally bonded and insured roofing contractors to use the slogan as often as they do.
$12,00 Bond Only? And It’s Shared?!?
Too many roofers rely upon the homeowner not fully understanding what a bond is and how it works. A $12,000 bond is the minimum bond requirement in the state of Washington. That may sound adequate — until you hear the details.
So, what is a bond?
A bond is a way to resolve a dispute.
For example, let’s say Random Joe the Roofer gets their license (which doesn’t require a test, by the way), wows you with an insanely low quote, and then does a terrible job on your roof. The materials are bad, and they simply laid shingles over your existing roofing system.
Random Joe then goes to another home and does the same.
Then, when you ask them to fix it or refund you, Joe (not so surprisingly) refuses.
The bond covers you.
But here’s the real kicker — and here’s where you get into trouble. That measly $12,000 bond — it’s often shared with all of the other homeowners who file a dispute.
In the end, you’re left with very little coverage that is far short of what it’ll take to fix your roof.
Minimum $50K Property Damage Insurance
— YOU Could Be Liable For The Rest
$50K property damage insurance is an insanely low minimum — especially with inflation. Imagine another roofer is having a bad day and takes it out on YOUR roof by doing a poor job. Perhaps he overloads the roof, and it falls through.
As you can imagine, this is going to cost much more to repair than $50,000. Well, you’re left with the rest of the bill AFTER $50,000 — even though it’s not your fault
You can fight it, but the legal bills may add up quickly, and you still may not get the coverage you need.
Counting On Insurance And A Bond
Is the WRONG Way To Feel Protected
We’re not trying to scare you — there’s a better (and easier) way to ENSURE you’re protected adequately when you hire a roofer.
The simple way? Choose a roofer that does the right thing. That doesn’t hide behind legal minimums.
To make things simpler for you, choose RoofSmart. We guarantee that you’ll be fully covered if a mishap occurs.
Why?
Because our reputation is built on paying attention to all the meticulous, nerdy little details that make all the difference in your roof replacement.
More than that, we have a track record of successful project completions in Greater Seattle AND offer a lifetime warranty you can count on if anything goes wrong.
If you need a roof replacement and want a roofing company in Greater Seattle that is adequately bonded and insured, contact RoofSmart for a free quote.
