What you're actually
protected from.
Every homeowner deserves to stay informed and in control of the biggest investment they'll ever make. That includes understanding what happens if something goes wrong on your property, and exactly who is on the hook for it.
You already understand this. We just carry a lot more of it.
You carry car insurance so an accident doesn't wipe out your savings. You carry homeowner's insurance so a fire or a burst pipe doesn't leave you stranded. If you get seriously hurt, health insurance covers a majority of the bill so you don't go bankrupt.
A home project works the same way, just with more policies involved. Closer to ten, because a construction site puts heavy equipment, multiple trades, ladders, tools, and workers on your property for months at a time. Every coverage below exists to answer one question: if something goes wrong, who pays for it?
If a contractor is underinsured, you can be the one who gets sued.
Picture this: a painter falls off a ladder in your backyard. If the company doing your remodel carries real workers' compensation, that painter's medical bills and lost wages are covered by the insurance company, full stop. If the company doesn't, because it's small, cutting corners, or paying workers under the table, that painter (or their attorney) can come after you, the property owner, for those costs instead.
This is simply how the law works in California. Plenty of small operations are careful and well run, so this is about asking a direct question before you sign, rather than assuming the worst about anyone.
Ten coverages, in plain language.
Two of these are required by California law. We carry the rest because a job site creates more ways for something to go wrong than most people realize, and we'd rather be the ones holding that risk than you. Tap any one for what it is, what it means for you, and what it typically costs to carry.
A lower bid can mean risk shifted to you. Cheaper to start, but open to mayhem.
Some contractors carry less coverage to offer a lower price. That's a real, understandable trade-off, not evidence of bad intent. But it's worth knowing what a bid might be leaving out before you compare two very different numbers side by side. If a bid doesn't account for real insurance cost, ask directly what is and isn't covered, before you're the one holding the risk.
Five questions worth asking, no matter who you hire.
- 01
Can I see your CSLB license number and a certificate of insurance?
- 02
Do you carry workers' compensation for everyone who'll be on my property, including subcontractors?
- 03
If something is stolen or damaged while my home is under construction, whose policy covers it?
- 04
If there's a design mistake, is that covered, or would I pay for the rework?
- 05
If something about my project fails, or hurts someone, after you're finished, are you still covered for it?
Ask us these same
five questions.
We'll walk you through every answer before you ever sign anything.
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