Cleanliness of and access to Jobsites, Products and WCB and Liability Insurance

Cleanliness and Access to Job Sites

For all renovation projects, but especially smaller ones where you will be living in your home during the work, you will want to hire a contractor who will keep their job sites clean and orderly.  Some questions to ask are whether tools are stored on site or removed each day, whether drop clothes are laid and replaced as often as necessary to protect existing flooring, and whether the floor of the job site is vacuumed at the end of each day.

Products used in your Renovation

In order to ensure that your renovation is structural sound as well as looking wonderful once it is finished, you will want to work with a renovator that uses only the highest quality products.  Some home builders and renovators will increase profits by using lower quality lumber and other materials.  Check to see that your renovator uses premium grade wood and lumber, and that they use good quality products for each step of your renovation.  Your contractor should be able to explain why they use the particular products they work with.  Ensure that your contractor and his subtrades have good experience working with the different products that will be used in your renovation, and have the necessary training for different installations, if needed.

WCB and Liability Insurance

As with all aspects of construction where power tools and heavy machinery are used, there are certain risks involved.  Your renovation contractor should take the utmost precaution with their own employees and all subtrades associated with your job.  Prevention is of course the best policy with work place accidents, however you will want only workers who are covered by valid WCB and liability insurance entering your home and job site.  Check to see that your renovator, all of their employees and subtrades are covered by a current WCB policy, and find out what sort of liability insurance your contractor and their subtrades cover for the specific work that they will be preforming during your renovation.

I know that talk of WCB and liability insurance is a sobering topic, however it is absolutely necessary.