Why should I hire a licensed and insured contractor?

Often times when property owners are considering an improvement project one of the first things they do is reach out to some local contractors to collect 3-5 bids on the proposed project. It’s highly likely they will be surprised at the wide range in cost for different contractors performing the same scope of work. Often times in the fence industry here in south Florida this is due to some of the contractors being licensed and others not.

Why You Should Check For Up to Date Licenses and Insurance

"Before hiring a fence contractor, it's crucial to ensure that they are properly insured and licensed. This will protect you from any liability in case of accidents or damages during the construction process. A reputable contractor should be able to provide proof of insurance and licensing upon request, so don't hesitate to ask for these documents." - Alex Capozzolo, Co-Founder, SD House Guys

At Freedom Fence we are a licensed building contractor in the state of Florida so we are licensed to build anything, residential or commercial up to 3 stories in height anywhere in the state. Obviously, we don’t need that much capability with our contractor’s license but none the less, that is what we qualified for with the CILB (Construction Industry Licensing Board).

Being a licensed contractor means that you are vetted by the construction board to perform contracting in the state of Florida and you are held to the highest standards in job performance and business practices. We agree to abide by the licensing laws of Florida by making sure necessary permits are completed on each project, we carry full general liability insurance policies, workers compensation policies and commercial auto policies on all commercial vehicles all for the ultimate goal of protecting the public.

In Florida you have to have a license to contract. Thus, unlicensed contractors have no way to collect on projects since they weren’t legally allowed to enter the contract in the first place. Local Sherriff’s Offices often do sting operations on unlicensed contractors as they often are harming the public by completing subpar work, collecting payments and not returning, etc. Unlicensed contractors also typically don’t carry workers compensation policies, commercial auto policies or general liability policies. This means that if there is an accident on your property with the unlicensed contractor and there are injuries and damages you could be held personally liable since the contractor did not have insurance to cover his injuries, or that of his workers. 

All that to say, if you are looking to hire a professional company to do it right, do it legally and not be wondering “what if”, give us a call. We do everything in our power to protect the public through our numerous insurance policies, on-site and off-site safety training and making sure all local government permits and ordinances are met on each job. We are happy to provide a certificate of insurance to any of our clients that would like a proof of insurance as well as our certified building contractors license! We are completely licensed, insured and registered to operate fence installations in Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties! You will often see our crews working in Sarasota, Bradenton, Palmetto, Parrish and St. Pete!

We hope to speak with you soon about your next fence project!