What If Something Gets Broken?

What liability insurance actually covers

General liability covers damage the contractor causes to your property: a broken pane, a cracked sill, a damaged light fixture. It also covers injury to third parties. What it does not cover is injury to the contractor themselves, which is what workers compensation is for. Both matter, and a company should be able to produce evidence of cover without hesitating.

Why an uninsured crew becomes your risk

If someone uninsured is injured on your property, you may end up carrying it through your homeowner policy. That is the real reason insurance matters for work at height, and it is a far larger exposure than a broken window. Any reluctance to discuss insurance is itself the answer.

Ask for the certificate, not the assurance

A certificate of insurance is a standard document naming the insurer, the policy period and the limits. Reputable companies produce one on request without any fuss, and property managers and HOAs ask for one as routine. Verbal assurance that a company is insured is not evidence of anything.

The damage nobody covers

Pre-existing conditions are the common dispute. A pane with an existing stress crack can fail during cleaning without anyone doing anything wrong. Failed double-glazing seals, rotten sills and already-scratched glass fall in the same category. A good crew points these out before starting rather than after, which is worth more than the argument afterwards.