Homeowners want to feel safe about who they hire to repair their home. With a growing number of service scams and unscrupulous business practices, finding a company that you can depend upon can be unnerving. One way to be confident in your choice is to find a contractor that is both licensed and insured.
Working with a contractor that is licensed and insured provides the peace of mind that you’re hiring an honest and reputable company. Knowing what to look for and why both qualifications are important can help save you from potential scams.
What is a plumbing or air conditioning license?
Most local and state laws, including Florida’s, require air conditioning and plumbing companies to hold a license in order to conduct business. A license requires the successful completion of an accredited program to show competency in a specific field. It is against Florida law to conduct business as an air conditioning or plumbing service without a state license. The governing body for licensure in Florida is the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB).
The Construction Industry Licensing Board, or CILB for short, certifies licensure for all construction-related industries in the state of Florida. Referred to as contractors, both air conditioning and plumbing fall under this department. Contractors are issued a unique license number for each service they provide. The type of license number can be identified by its first letters, such as CAC for air conditioning or CFC for plumbing. Avis Plumbing & Air Conditioning’s license numbers are CAC-057492 and CFC-057368, showing that they are certified to conduct business in both air conditioning and plumbing.
How do I know if a company is licensed?
By law, all contractors must provide their license numbers to their customers upon request. In addition, numbers must be clearly listed on all advertising materials, including business cards. If a company does not provide their license number upon request, you may want to reconsider doing business with them. In Florida, you can verify a contractor’s license by looking them up on the CILB’s website by the company’s name or by their provided license number.
Why is insurance important?
A reputable and reliable contractor should always be able to provide you with proof of their company’s insurance. When a company is insured it means that in the event of accidental injury or property damage, you as the homeowner will not be held liable. For example, if a technician causes damage to your home while installing an air conditioning unit, your homeowners policy would have to cover repairs. However, if the contractor is insured, the claim would instead be made to their insurance for the property damages.
It is important to know if your contractor is insured or not. Before hiring a contractor, it is always a good practice to ask for a copy of their insurance. This guarantees that you will not be held liable in the event of accidental injury or property damage.
Using a licensed and insured contractor can ensure that the service you receive is certified and reliable, at no extra cost to you. Avis Plumbing and Air Conditioning is a licensed and insured contractor, backed by a history of honest and quality service since 1965. Learn more about Avis or give us a call at (239) 481-1511 in Fort Myers or (239) 542-4421 in Cape Coral to schedule an appointment.
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