Hey guys, i want to do a video based on some recent interactions that i've had with some folks and don't want to get into too many details. But i think, ultimately, i want to do this, video explaining to homeowners the problems that i'm seeing as far as liability and basically people lying to you and maybe even go through some of the repercussions. For that. What i wanted to cover is whether or not folks are actually licensed and insured when they say they are, and one thing to know is: every state is different, so what is common here in virginia might be different in your state.

I've talked to other folks from other states, and i've actually heard of some states being more strict than we are here. But i've heard of some states that are less strict than we are here, whether your state is or at the top or the bottom of that spectrum. I think that you need to know, as the homeowner that someone that is in your home is who they say. They are and what i mean by that is not you know not josh says that he's josh and is that true, but what i mean is there are all kinds of companies running around, especially like smaller companies saying that they are licensed and insured and they're.

Actually, not i've actually had some folks say well, what's the big deal, i think that there's bigger deals than you think, because the repercussions are not as strict as you might think. They are at least not here in virginia and so we'll touch on that. At the end, but first of all, let's go through license and assured. Ultimately, what that means here in the state of virginia is: if someone says that they're licensed typically, it means that they are a licensed contractor and i don't care if they do painting.

If they do digging, if they do heating and air, if they do whatever you fill in the blank electrical plumbing, whatever they have to have a contractor's license, and actually let me rephrase they are supposed to have a contractor's license. They actually don't have to, and there are all kinds of loopholes around that some of the verbiage you use for your business, such as one thing that popped up a few years ago, is a lot of companies calling themselves a handyman service or a maintenance service. That's sometimes a red flag to me: uh they're, saying that about themselves because they're not actually a licensed contractor for one reason or another, and the state of virginia actually goes one step further than that. I believe it's five different categories.

I could be wrong on that, but i believe it's five different categories that the state of virginia says that if you are in these categories, not only do you have to have a contractor's license, but you also have to have special testing to cover these five categories And those being electrical plumbing heating and air gas fitting and now septic, so you have to have a special license to do septic and there could be more that's the five that i know of off the top of my head. I wanted to cover that because again we have people running around here that they even have it on their business cards licensed and insured. I remember asking a guy years ago when i knew he was not licensed, he said. Well, i have a driver's license.

You know. I can drive to their house and do the work, so i am licensed. That's not what that means uh. So it's it's it's a big deal.

It really is it's kind of an insult to those of us that do everything correctly uh, when other folks are able to get away with cutting corners and it's ultimately the homeowner that ends up paying for it in the end, so i would say in most states, If someone says that they're licensed that they should at least have a contractor's license, and you should be able to check that - i know in the state of virginia - we have a website for that, and i think there are other states like that as well, but they Should be able to provide some sort of proof and i'll tell you if you ask someone for a copy of their licensing and insurance and they have a problem with it, then that should be a red flag to you. I have no problems. If someone calls in and says hey can i get a copy of your license and or your insurance? In fact, we have folks doing that all the time, especially commercial accounts, that you cannot step foot on a lot of their properties unless you prove that you are licensed and insured. I used to work at a company years ago that we paid a third party service.

Just to keep track of all of that, so if you were going to hire a contractor to come there and work, the contractor had to send in to this third party service, all of their stuff, their licensing, their insurances and everything. And if they didn't meet a requirement, you know they had to to to be able to work and then that third-party company would keep track of whether or not they were expiring, their insurance might expire, and they need to renew it and send them a copy of The new insurance, and so that company would keep track of all that. Unfortunately, homeowners don't have that. You know we don't have a third party company and then finally, let's talk about insurances, i think in most cases again the contractor might have a problem with adding you as an additional insured, if you're just a homeowner, but ultimately they should not have an issue with Sending you a coi a certificate of insurance, just showing you hey, look, we are insured, you are covered.

All of that. I know there are some states that even require the contractor to be bonded. Virginia is not one of those, especially if you're doing small projects and then finally, as the homeowner i'm going to cover the repercussions. What are the punishments if someone isn't licensed and insured and they're coming in your home and doing work again, every state is different, but i can tell you that it's not what you think it is.

I can tell you that there are some states where there's very little repercussions for you to get any sort of compensation for the damages that they may have done to your home, and god forbid. That happens. You know if you have someone come in your house and they mess something up and something were to happen catastrophic, and then you then find out that they're not licensed and insured what a big blow that would be, and so for you to get compensation for those Damages you would have to take them to court, it's not what you think it is. It's not one of those deals where you can just pick up the phone and call the police or pick up the phone and call the state commission or whatever i do know.

There are some states that, if someone is doing something they're not licensed to do i've actually heard of a few states where they will put you in jail. Not all states are like that, at least not currently. During the making of this video and calling the better business bureau doesn't do anything either they're going to just put something on a profile. They'll, just they'll put a claim in there or some some sort of customer complaint, but the better business bureau again cannot do anything.

They can't punish that contractor. The only punishment they get is some sort of black eye on the internet. They get a reputation hit. If you will so, if someone were to look them up, and i've actually heard of companies that once they get enough of a black eye on the internet, enough bruising on the internet, they'll just change the company name, so calling the better business bureau and all these Other folks, like that, that does nothing in a lot of cases, your only real coverage, your only real policing, your only real protection.

Is you suing that person so again you as the homeowner asking for license and insurance up front and getting a contract signed and all of that stuff is all in your best interest? I hope that helps. I hope you never actually have to deal with any of that, and so before you go, let me just say if you're in the market for a heating and air system and you're, not in griffin air's coverage area before you spend thousands go to our website newhvacguide.com. It's as if i wrote a book and i've put so much information on that website, a lot of it hvac contractors and manufacturers. Don't even want you to know.

I've got a whole page called no-no's things to stay away from. I've got a whole page on heating and air brands, and who's good and who's. Not so definitely check that out. But if you are in our coverage area, if you're in the northern neck middle peninsula, down through williamsburg in virginia, give griffin air a call we'll give you the best warranty in the area and we'll give you a free estimate on a new installation.

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