Spring is in full bloom in Greater Cleveland and I’m receiving mailers and flyers everyday either in my mailbox or on my front door touting every service from sidewalk leveling, tree removal, new siding, new garages to total home renovations. The one constant in every advertisement is that the contractor states they are” fully insured and bonded”.  After more than 30 years in this business I don’t know what “fully insured and bonded” means but that can be a topic for another blog.

While I may be naïve, I believe most of these contractors have insurance, but do they have the coverage that is printed on the certificate of insurance they are sharing with their prospects and customers?  It is very easy to obtain a blank certificate on the internet today, just Google blank certificate of insurance and fill in the blanks it is also easy to amend the certificate you received from your agent or broker.

Shout-out to all contractors don’t do it! Don’t print your own certificate of insurance or amend one you received from your agent or broker.  It is insurance fraud and you may be subject to fines, penalties or criminal prosecution. The issuing of a “fake” certificate of insurance is a violation of the contract and may give your insurance company cause to terminate your policy. In addition, the reputational harm this could cause may put you out of business. If a municipality is made aware of the fact that you issued an altered or fake certificate of insurance during the registration process, they may blacklist you from working in that city.

As an artisan contractor if you receive a request for a certificate of insurance send the entire contract to your agent to review the insurance requirements. The professional agents at Richey-Barrett will review the insurance section of the contract to ensure you are in compliance with the requirements. If you are not in compliance changes to your insurance program can be discussed, so it is important to share the contract with us prior to signing.

The Trusted Choice Insurance Agents at Richey-Barrett are always willing to review the insurance portion of a contract to make sure you are fulfilling the requirements that have been spelled out and assisting you in your success.