Many tree service companies advertise “Fully Insured” but do not carry Workman’s Compensation Insurance. Tree work is dangerous work, and if a worker is injured (or worse) on your property, he/she (or their family) is likely to seek compensation from you. To be sure that your tree service (or any other) contractor is covered by Workman’s Comp., ask them to have their insurance company issue you a Certificate of Insurance that includes, not only General Liability Insurance, but Workman’s Comp. Once you have this certificate straight from the insurance company, if the tree company or individual cancels their insurance, you will be notified. Allowing any company that cannot produce this insurance certificate to work on your property could put your assets at risk.
Workman’s Compensation is very expensive so many companies and individuals try to save money by not carrying it. If a company has no employees, they are not required by law to carry Workman’s Comp. However, the fact still remains that if the owner of the company gets hurt on your property, without any means to pay his/her medical bills and/or lost wages, he/she is likely to seek compensation from you.
Don’t fall into the trap of hiring a tree service contractor based on the cheapest price alone. Be prepared to pay a fair price for a good company to do a quality job. They may not be the cheapest but they will always be the best value. And don’t forget to ask for that Certificate of Workman’s Comp. Click here to see a copy of ours.
