Whenever you need to find a good, reputable plumber to handle a plumbing issue at your home, you should always make sure that the plumber has adequate liability and workers compensation insurance. Whether your plumbing problem is a small job like a clogged toilet or faucet replacement, or a big job such as a complete residential repiping or water service line repair, there is always the potential for something to go wrong and if your plumber is not insured, you could wind up on the hook for the damages.
A reputable plumber will have both workers compensation insurance and liability insurance. If a worker is injured while working at your home, the workers compensation insurance will cover it. If there is an accident that causes any damage to your property or your neighbor’s property, then the plumber’s liability insurance will kick in.
You may think that insurance is not really necessary because how much damage can a bad plumbing job do. You would be surprised. Suppose your plumber is installing a new water service line and accidently cuts through the electrical wires serving your neighborhood. Or suppose a leak in your new water service line goes unnoticed until it erodes the neighbor’s foundation.
Both of these scenarios seem unlikely, but they have happened before and if it happened to you, you would be liable unless your plumber has the appropriate insurance. Your homeowners insurance policy might cover some of the damages, but you would have to pay the deductible and deal with the hassle of the claim filing process.
Don’t take unnecessary risks. Make sure your plumber has adequate insurance before they start work and avoid any liability issues that might arise.
