We are in Illinois. My friend has received two bids for her roof. They are only $400 apart. Both roofers are insured but only one is licensed. What does the license actually mean and how important is it? Thanks.
2007-06-16 10:53:53 · 6 answers · asked by wyllow 6 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Whereas you already have several good answers, the bottom line with license vs. no license (at least in my state) is that you have recourse by legal action. Even a small claims court action would result in the roofer not being able to buy real estate in my state until all outstanding liens are satisfied. He might lose his license as well and a lost license is worse than never having had one to begin with. Be sure to withhold at least 50% (100% is better) of the total bill as final payment. Even at a 50% prepayment the roofer is more than covered for material cost. If you suspect something is wrong with the job...get a second and third opinion. Also be sure the materials that are to be used for your roof comply in specification to slope of the roof i.e. 4 over 12 etc. Most fiberglass or tar based shingles are not guarenteed for slopes less than 3 or 4 over 12 or greater than X over 12. These exceptions require a different roofing material.
2007-06-17 11:48:04 · answer #1 · answered by hsbt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I once bought a house that had a faulty roof and it cost much of my time and some money to fix it. It was about 20 years ago. Anyway, I tried to fix the leak myself, as I like to think I can fix stuff, anyway, I must have fooled with that mess for six months and never fixed the leak. I finally hired a licensed roofer and he and his crew fixed the roof for 750 dollars. He said the roof had not been properly shingled.
So, with that in mind, I would go with the guy who is licensed. But, make sure that you have everything in writing, and if he's licensed he shouldn't have a problem with that...in fact professionals I have known appreciate doing business that way.
Thanks
2007-06-16 18:08:19 · answer #2 · answered by telwidit 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would go for Licensed roofer and they are more up to date on new building practices and codes and being licensed means he is certified by the state to practice in the specific trades and has to pay for his license and to keep up with the license renewal requirement every three years (by taking courses and conventions that give credit hours to renew he has to get 10 credit hours every three years) and I do not mean business license that is required by the county he operates from--the state tests any person that applies for license for one or more trades which is called professional license and it is not easy to pass the test for knowledge of the trade you are applying for. Professional license is held by doctors, pharmacists,lawyers,registered nurses, contractors, electricians, plumbers and many other specific trades as for being bonded it is a requirement on any project 50K or more and any body working for the government as an civilian contractor and most licensed professional would have been bonded and keep it handy if it needs to be bonded(posted) for any project that requires one --being insured is enough for anything under that AND make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing a contract with a licensed professional---there are two types of insurance, one is for his employees(state required) and the other is for his company and for the homeowner while the professional is on site doing the work so it can protect him /homeowner from the lawsuits that might arise -- being bonded is a monetary guarantee that if a professional fails to finish the work it can hire a replacement to finish his work
2007-06-16 18:02:37 · answer #3 · answered by chrisItux 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does insured mean bonded also? Bonded protects you while insurance protects him for injuries to his employees. An unlicenced contractor has nothing to lose if the job is not done right. The licensed contractor can lose his license if he does a bad job. Getting a license involves taking a test to prove that he is qualified to do work for others.
2007-06-16 18:39:28 · answer #4 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If one has a license then your state requires a license and the one that does not have a license will not have insurance as the insurance company will not cover a non-licensed contractor.
2007-06-16 18:59:32 · answer #5 · answered by Bill O 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Licensed only means he has paid for a license. Are they both bonded? I would also check with the better business bureau for any complaints on either company.
2007-06-16 17:59:45 · answer #6 · answered by BamBam 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋