Owning a commercial building is much different than owning a residence. It is expected that a commercial building will have visitors throughout each and every day of operation. If the building is in a high traffic area, like a shopping district or a business district, it is expected that thousands (if not more) of people will pass in front of the building daily, whether the building is open for business or not. As a result, owners of commercial buildings, as well as their tenants, must maintain a higher amount of liability insurance, as the high traffic levels mean more people risk possible injury when passing the building. In the winter months, this type of coverage can also be directly affected by the formation of ice dams.
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It may only be October, and it may still be relatively warm outside. However, the weather is gearing up for change, and it will happen quicker than realized. Winter is coming, and while we may be enjoying an unseasonably warm October, this winter is expected to be one of the harshest on record. Those living in Minnesota and other areas in the North and Northeast know this is the stuff horror movies are made of if you are not prepared. It is best to start the preparations now, while the weather allows you to enjoy being outside, lest your home has an issue on Christmas morning that no one is available to fix for three days or more.
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In the world of contractors, there are two kinds of businesses- those that follow the rules and those that cut corners. Following the rules entails hiring employees, performing proper training and education, maintaining proper licenses, certification, and insurance, paying all applicable taxes, and registering with the state. These added responsibilities may be a bit costly in the beginning, but in the long run could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and back taxes, not to mention jail time. However, those that cut corners get hired for jobs regularly mostly because their costs for the services are lower than those who follow the rules. This habit can cost the customer additional money to fix the problem or worse, result in a scam wherein the customer will need to hire another contractor to do the work they already paid for. Therefore, it is always the best practice to hire the contractor that follows the rules.
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When hiring a company to prevent problems from occurring to your home after a severe snow or ice storm, you should be looking at all aspects of the company, not simply who comes up first in your internet search. First, you want to make sure the company has a great rating with the Better Business Bureau. You also want to ensure they are certified and well trained with the projects they’ve done in the past. Of course, you should be looking online to see any reviews about the company to get a better idea of how they do business. One piece of information that is often overlooked is whether the company will send out its own employees or whether they subcontract the work to independent contractors. It is in your best interest to hire the company that has their own employees do the work. But why? What difference does it really make?
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