Learning About Contractor Insurance and Bonds

You want only the highest-quality service and guarantees for your landscaping services, and one of the easiest signs of this in a landscaping professional is their insurance, bond and licensing status. Insurance and bonds are important forms of protection for you as a consumer, and licensing will tell you what sort of work they’re approved to be completing professionally.

At Impressions Landscape, Pools & Spa, we’re fully insured and bonded, with all the appropriate licenses necessary to serve you. Let’s look at what each of these terms means, and how they can impact you.

Contractor Bond

A bond protects you, the customer, anytime the contractor fails to complete a job, doesn’t pay for permits or fails to meet any other basic financial requirement. Companies desiring to be bonded typically pay a premium to a surety company which helps guarantee these financial thresholds are met.

If you have any concerns here with us or any other independent contractor, just ask for a bond number and certification, which you can use to confirm the appropriate bonds are held. You can also contact the surety company directly if you have subpar or incomplete work. Requirements for bonding vary by state and potentially by municipality, so do your research.

Contractor Insurance

There are two common types of contractor insurance: liability insurance and workers’ compensation.

Liability insurance covers situations like damage to your property caused by a contractor – it doesn’t cover shoddy work, as that’s what bonds are for. Workers’ compensation provides payment to any injured workers for lost wages and medical services, regardless of who was at fault. It will also provide benefits to the contractor’s family in the case of a work-related death. Ask your contractor for certificates of insurance, and make sure their policies are current.

Contractor Licensing

While you’re checking on insurance and bonds, don’t forget to inquire about whether a given contractor requires a license. At Impressions Landscape, we have all the proper documentation for all our technicians.

Want to learn more about insurance and bonding, or any of our landscaping services? Speak to the experts at Impressions Landscape, Pools & Spa today.