Help! What Do I Do if My Contractor Damages My Home?

Even if you hire the most experienced HVAC contractor in your area, there’s still a chance that things won’t go exactly as planned. For example, as your contractor performs HVAC maintenance on your property, they may accidentally drop their ladder, causing it to crash into your glass windows. So, what do you do in case your contractor damages your home? Read on to find out.

What’s the first thing I should do if my contractor damages my home?

There are various accidents that can occur while your HVAC contractor carries out their work on your property. If you ever find yourself in this situation, you must first assess the situation to determine if your contractor really is at fault. For instance, if a faulty connection led to a fire, your contractor is probably to blame, but if the fire was caused by other factors completely unrelated to your HVAC, you can’t point fingers at them.

If your contractor is to blame, remember to stay calm and ask your contractor for an explanation. A trustworthy contractor will own up to mistakes. Remember that your HVAC contractor will want to protect their reputation, so chances are, they’ll want to deal with the situation as amicably as possible, and even offer to fix the problem for free.

Who pays for property damage?

In case your HVAC contractor damages your home, don’t worry – as long as they’re a licensed HVAC contractor, they should be insured as they’ll have been required by law to buy liability insurance. They’ll be the ones to file a claim with their insurance company, but they may offer to reimburse you out of pocket so as not to raise their premiums. Ultimately, it’s up to you how you want to settle things – in either case, you’ll need to give your contractor information such as pictures of the damage and the value of the damaged goods.

What if my contractor isn’t insured?

If your contractor hasn’t obtained liability insurance, they may be willing to dip into their own pockets to pay for repairs. A good HVAC contractor will always agree to pay for repairs if they’re responsible for the damage done to your property.

But do note that this is the best-case scenario – some contractors may not be willing to pay for repairs. They may deny responsibility even if they were the ones at fault – in this case, you may have to file a civil lawsuit and your case may be taken to the small claims court. To steer clear of this situation, it’s crucial to choose only insured HVAC contractors. That way, you won’t have to go to court just to recoup your losses, which can be a time-consuming, complicated, and costly process.

Does homeowner’s insurance cover damage done by contractors?

In most cases, you can rely on your homeowner’s insurance to cover the damage done during renovations, but it’s on a case-to-case basis. Most policies will only cover property damage, not poor workmanship. For example, if your contractor installs the AC incorrectly, causing the refrigerant to leak, your homeowner’s insurance may be able to cover water damage, but won’t cover the cost of reinstalling your AC.

This is precisely why it’s important to hire an HVAC contractor with insurance. Your homeowner’s insurance might not be enough, but your contractor’s liability insurance is designed for all kinds of damages they may cause while working on your property.

Hire an insured HVAC contractor in Whiteland, IN

To ensure that your HVAC installation, maintenance, or repair goes accordingly, choose only a seasoned HVAC contractor or company in Indiana. Count on Beeson Mechanical Service, Inc. to get things done right so you don’t have to worry about property damage and go through the trouble of claims and reimbursements. And in the very slim chance that things do go awry, we’ve got you covered with our comprehensive insurance policy. For more information, call (317) 535-9338 today.