The Importance of Hiring a Licensed Asphalt Contractor

If you’ve been tempted to hire an unlicensed contractor for any type of work, you should know that doing so comes with significant disadvantages. You might save some money or time in the short term, but if anything goes wrong, you’re out of luck. It’s important to always hire licensed asphalt contractors whenever you’re considering a new pavement project.

Sometimes people hire unlicensed contractors by accident: they don’t realize their license isn’t valid or doesn’t exist. Before you hire anyone to pave your driveway, roads, parking lots and more, check with the local licensing authority to ensure their license is valid. You should also ask whether they’re bonded and insured—this will protect you from legal or financial liability if an accident should happen.

Here’s why it’s so important to work with licensed contractors:

• You’re guaranteed better quality work: Contractors may go through one or more licensing processes, depending on what kind of licenses they hold. Licensing boards test applicants to ensure they know construction standards, best practices and how to avoid injury, among other important topics. While an unlicensed contractor might know how to install pavement, there’s no guarantee they will do it according to important industry standards. In most types of construction, that can make the difference between a quality investment and an expensive folly. If a licensed contractor does a bad job, they may lose their license, reputation and association with professional groups. If an unlicensed contractor does a poor job, they will only lose you as a client.
• You’re protected from liability: When you work with a licensed asphalt contractor, they will have workers’ compensation insurance for all of their employees. That means if they’re hurt on your property while on the job, their insurance will cover their injuries. If you use an unlicensed contractor, they won’t have the same protection. Any injuries could be your responsibility to pay—which makes for one very expensive paving project.
• Your property value stays consistent or improves: Most people lay new pavement to either improve their property value or at least keep it consistent. If you work with an unlicensed contractor, however, you might not accomplish that goal. Your contractor may not get the appropriate municipal building permits—which means if this is discovered, you might be forced to rip out your pavement at your own expense, then start over. This is a huge waste of time and money. Furthermore, when you sell your home, you’ll need to disclose major construction work and any issues with the property. If your work was unlicensed—or your unlicensed contractor did a bad job—that will negatively affect your property value.
• You’re less likely to incur third-party liability: Finally, working with a licensed contractor will protect you from third-party liability, such as if a bystander is injured while on your property. Licensed contractors carry insurance for these exact situations.

To work with licensed asphalt contractors, reach out to the team at Maryland Asphalt LLC today. We look forward to working on your project!

Categorised in: Asphalt Contractor