KathleenF (Illinois)
Posts: 19
Posts: 19
Posted:
I'd like to respond to Roger's recent comments about bonding, which I've quoted below.
My coop recently paid several thousands of dollars--over $40 an hour--for cleaning and sealing our wooden back stairs. In the past, we had this unskilled labor performed (and a better job done!) for about $300. The justification for this absurd waste of money was that we "must" have ALL work done by bonded/insured people. This is, of course, BS, as our janitor often delegates unskilled labor to his unbonded/uninsured wife, grandkids, and friends.
So--I'd say, if the risk of harm and the required degree of skill are both low, use the same common sense a private homeowner would and hire a handyman you trust. If someone is going to use a scaffold, climb on the roof, or mess with the electricity or central plumbing, hot water, or heating--that's the time for licenses, bonds, and insurance.
Kathleen
Roger's comments:
"Regarding licensing and bonding, I often send bids to contractors who are not licensed when not required by law. And many are not bonded. Why? Because many small independent contractors will do a better job and for less than half the price of big companies. It all depends on the project. Sometimes a Board will decide to hire a contractor who is not licensed. It is normally a "safe" situation where we would not recommend a different decision. Notwithstanding, our management Agreement protects us in these cases. ?
I would be interested in hearing others comments, particularly on bonding. "
Roger
Roger Borcherding
Official HOATalk.com Professional
DARCO Property Management
(303) 925-0150 [email protected]
My coop recently paid several thousands of dollars--over $40 an hour--for cleaning and sealing our wooden back stairs. In the past, we had this unskilled labor performed (and a better job done!) for about $300. The justification for this absurd waste of money was that we "must" have ALL work done by bonded/insured people. This is, of course, BS, as our janitor often delegates unskilled labor to his unbonded/uninsured wife, grandkids, and friends.
So--I'd say, if the risk of harm and the required degree of skill are both low, use the same common sense a private homeowner would and hire a handyman you trust. If someone is going to use a scaffold, climb on the roof, or mess with the electricity or central plumbing, hot water, or heating--that's the time for licenses, bonds, and insurance.
Kathleen
Roger's comments:
"Regarding licensing and bonding, I often send bids to contractors who are not licensed when not required by law. And many are not bonded. Why? Because many small independent contractors will do a better job and for less than half the price of big companies. It all depends on the project. Sometimes a Board will decide to hire a contractor who is not licensed. It is normally a "safe" situation where we would not recommend a different decision. Notwithstanding, our management Agreement protects us in these cases. ?
I would be interested in hearing others comments, particularly on bonding. "
Roger
Roger Borcherding
Official HOATalk.com Professional
DARCO Property Management
(303) 925-0150 [email protected]