Licensing and Insurance
MONROE FENCE CO. is licensed and
insured. We take pride in our professionalism and reliability.
We do not take any money as down payment before work is started.
We have references and many examples of our work. We are required to renew our licenses annually and to provide proof of insurance to each municipality in order to do so.
-How important is
it to hire a fence contractor that is licensed and insured?
While licensing isn't
necessarily a measure of competence, it does imply a
certain level of professionalism and suggests that the
contractor is committed to his job. More significantly,
licensing can protect you from a number of potential
problems, such as the following:
-Unlicensed usually
means uninsured.
If you use a contractor
who is uninsured, it means he has no way of reimbursing
you for any property damage he causes. This means you
end up paying the price. Likewise, if contractor carelessness
leads to injury or damage to someone else's property,
the problem is likely to become yours.
-No coverage under
homeowner's policy.
Most homeowner policies
require that any work to the property be done by licensed
contractors. Coverage is often specifically excluded
for damages caused by "bootleg" contractors.
-Noncompliance with
building codes.
Unlicensed contractors
are often unfamiliar with the applicable building codes
and are unable to obtain building permits. If your
fence is not permitted or does not comply with building
and zoning codes, you may - and probably will - be
ordered to remove or repair the job.
-Sloppy work.
Because unlicensed
contractors aren't subject to meeting specific standards,
they are often untrained, less experienced, and unqualified
to do certain types of work.
-Contractor "Red
Flags" to watch out for:
Unsolicited phone
calls or visits, high pressure sales tactics, no verifiable
phone number or permanent advertising, large down payments,
unwillingness to give a price or to sign a written
contract. Proposals provided by "third party" or "consulting" estimators. Inability to provide physical examples of previous work.
