**Request the certificate directly from their insurance carrier, not from the contractor.** A forwarded PDF proves nothing — certificates are trivially easy to alter, and expired ones look identical to current ones.
What to verify:
– **General liability,** covering damage to your property. Confirm the policy is active on your project dates, not merely issued at some point.
– **Workers’ compensation.** Texas doesn’t require it, and many roofing companies don’t carry it. This matters more than homeowners realize: if an uninsured worker is injured on your roof, the claim can land on your homeowners policy.
– **Coverage amounts** appropriate to your project value.
– **Your name listed as certificate holder,** which means the carrier notifies you if the policy lapses mid-project.
How to do it: ask for the agent’s name and number, then call the agency directly and ask them to send the certificate to you. It takes one phone call.
A legitimate contractor expects this request and often offers it before being asked. Reluctance, delay, or a “we’ll get that to you later” is your answer.
We provide carrier-issued certificates for both liability and workers’ comp on request, before any work begins.