Check that any pest control contractor working on your property carries adequate liability coverage before allowing work to begin.

Start by asking for a current certificate of insurance showing general liability with at least one million dollars per occurrence and two million dollars aggregate if the property has higher exposure. Confirm that worker’s compensation is listed for the company so injured technicians will not become your liability; if the provider is a sole operator without worker’s compensation, require a written statement and consider asking for higher general liability limits or decline service. Verify that the policy name matches the contracting business and that the insurance carrier is recognizable by calling the insurer and confirming policy numbers and effective dates. Check whether the policy covers pollution or environmental damage from pesticide application because cleanup and remediation can become costly if a spill or drift incident occurs. Ask whether professional liability or errors and omissions is included if the service involves inspection reports, treatment plans, or recommendations that you may rely on later. Finally, record and keep copies of all documents, and set a condition in your service agreement that any lapse in coverage voids your authorization to work on the property.

Common mistakes include accepting verbal assurances of coverage without documentation, which you can avoid by requesting and retaining a certificate of insurance before any work starts. Another frequent issue is failing to confirm that coverage extends to specific activities like fumigation or environmental remediation, so explicitly list required operations on the certificate and ask for endorsements when needed. Homeowners also sometimes assume subcontractors are covered under the primary contractor policy, so ask the contractor whether they hire subcontractors and ensure those parties are named on the certificate or that the contractor accepts full responsibility on paper.

We run BigHomeProjects.com to help homeowners connect with local contractors and to help contractors find work related to pest control and other home projects. On our site we offer a discussion community where homeowners can ask questions, share experiences, and get practical advice from others.

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