Have a massive tree directly over the house that needs to come down before more comes down on its own.

Way too big and close to the house for me to even think about doing and no power lines anywhere near by for the power company to take down for free.

If anything goes sideways with this job a large portion of the house will be destroyed.
What types of insurance should they be carrying?

So far estimates range from $1500-$3300

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Black92LX,

At a minimum, liability and workers compensation insurance.

^^^This

quote:

Originally posted by h2oys:
At a minimum, liability and workers compensation insurance.

That's what I verified when I hired mine.

Liability to protect your property from errant damage, and Worker's Comp to protect your Homeowners Policy from someone getting hurt on your property.

Email sent.

quote:

Originally posted by h2oys:
At a minimum, liability and workers compensation insurance.

This.
Ask to see a Certificate of Insurance.

quote:

Originally posted by Snake207:

quote:

Originally posted by h2oys:
At a minimum, liability and workers compensation insurance.

This.
Ask to see a Certificate of Insurance.

Wouldn't hurt to call the carrier or agent to verify that the policy is actually in force too if you want to be sure.

quote:

Originally posted by h2oys:
At a minimum, liability and workers compensation insurance.

Yep, and ask for copies of not only these insurance policies but also a current business license and verify the dates on those documents. Twice I've had tree crews hand me insurance docs with expired dates.

Hi Chuck,

In my previous employment in insurance loss control and safety consultation, I performed loss control surveys of various types of contractors who worked for industrial, commercial, governmental, and private employers. Such contractors included loggers, groundskeepers, roofers, arboreal (aka "tree service"), carpenters, general, ambulance service, and various others.
Each state has its own requirements for contractors, but insurance policies typically required include workers' compensation, public liability, products liability, general liability, inland marine, and business interruption. I would recommend you contact your state's insurance commission to determine which lines of coverage your state requires and also required policy minimums ( how much of each line of overage the
state requires). Also check if the contractor actually does have a policy and check his loss experience and how many carriers he has had in the last five years. Next, check with the contractor licensing board to determine if his license is still valid. They can also tell you if he comes recommended. You might also check with the Better Business Bureau to learn about his reputation.
Rushbeau

So one has provided me with all the insurance and certification documents.
They do not have workers comp but them do have:
Personal & ADV Injury coverage up to 1,000,000
Medical exp (Any one person) $5,000.

What makes workers comp different than injury and medical expenses?

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
So one has provided me with all the insurance and certification documents.
They do not have workers comp but them do have:
Personal & ADV Injury coverage up to 1,000,000
Medical exp (Any one person) $5,000.

What makes workers comp different than injury and medical expenses?

I'd venture his workers are not employees which keeps him from paying payroll taxes and requirements on WC>

Probably paid independent contractors, ask how long he's been around get some recent references, check yelp, his facebook page see what people post, BBB...

He has done work for a few folks we know and they were happy. However they were not this large of a tree directly over a house.

A 2nd estimate was about the same as his but he does have workers comp as well as the other liability coverages.

Have one more coming for an estimate just to be sure.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
So one has provided me with all the insurance and certification documents.
They do not have workers comp but them do have:
Personal & ADV Injury coverage up to 1,000,000
Medical exp (Any one person) $5,000.

What makes workers comp different than injury and medical expenses?

The question you need to ask yourself is as follows: If one of his climbers falls out of the tree and severely injures himself, who's he gonna sue? Hopefully that "Personal & ADV Injury" coverage would protect you, but I think the attorneys here would probably be better equipped to weigh in on that.

Those two coverages are liability coverages. If any of his employees are injured it will not cover them. Most likely, he does not have Work Comp because either he does not have the minimum number of employees required in your state to have Work Comp, or he treats them all as 1099s.

If one of his employees were to fall and severely injured himself on your property, they could go after your Homeowners policy. However, in the real world there’s no liability on you so, at most, he would have access to your medical payments limit of your homeowners policy.

Hi Black92,

The contractor who provided insurance documentation, but does not carry workers compensation, likely does not have enough employees for the state to require his carrying WC. In such a case, you should contact your carrier for advice. If one, or more, of his employees, suffers a catastrophic injury or illness while his employer is contracted with you, he can tap your homeowner's policy for its full value. This known as a "policy limits claim" . Attorneys call this a "golden goose". If it happens, you will pay the employee or his next of kin to live the rest of his life. Attorneys dream of such a "sucker". Your carrier is well aware of the scams and pitfalls of which you must be aware to protect yourself in your state.

Workers' Compensation is a government-required insurance policy employers who meet a minimum employee threshold must carry to cover LEGITIMATE claims. To be a legitimate claim, the claimant must have suffered injury or illness as a result of, and in the course of, his employment. In some states (mine included), a claimant may choose to file a claim with his employer's carrier or, he may seek an attorney to file the claim with an administrative law judge employed by the state's workers' compensation commission (or other such body having jurisdiction); but, he may not do both. This is known as "exclusive remedy". Violation of exclusive remedy is fraud and felonious. I hope this applies in your state.

Personal injury coverage is a benefit the individual employee may purchase and will cover up to the policy's limits. The employee pays the premium. Workers' compensation is a government-required policy the employer must carry for his employees. The employer pays the premium.

It is a sad state of affairs that the homeowner has to be careful to protect himself from such fraud (crooked contractors, contractor employees, and attorneys); but, your homeowners carrier has the knowledge and resources to help you. In the current state of affairs, it would cost you much less for lightning to strike the tree and conflagrate (consume with fire) your house and all of your household goods than it would for a crooked employee and attorney to suck you dry for the rest of your next of kin's life.

Best wishes,
Rushbeau

Was able to find some folks with all the insurances you all suggested and was a good price I felt.
The tree came down without a hitch and it was really wild watching them work.
The fella doing all the work up in the tree was 76 years old he was climbing this thing with a pair of spurs and a couple of ropes.
The huge branched over the house was really crazy and scary to watch.
They tied a rope around the end they were cutting and it just swung right over the roof and over to the yard.

I know it's a little late, but there's supposed to be this guy running around cutting trees in stealth mode, uses some sort of hand saw as not to disturb the peace.

I have only heard stories of this legend of the South.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...935/m/7650077384/p/1