Hi John:

First thing is to get liability insurance but only use it for claims that are beyond reach because the rates climb quickly with too many claims.

Okay here is what can happen - first hand experience.

Background - I had a Duct Cleaning business - 31 people working - 18 as independent contractors - I supplied jobs, trucks with equipment, they got paid by the job.

Here's what can happen...truck backs into the driveway of a job. House which was a split level was soon to live up to its name - independent contractor backed into corner of house and shifted it 6 inches on the foundation - $32,000 damage.

Different independent contractor drives into a driveway - tight fit - while watching the one side managed to catch the mirror on the neighbours wall - fifty year old brick home...chipped 2 bricks and gouged 8 more. Bricks no longer available anywhere in this province. Found them in Indiana at a recyclers yard...finished bill for the repair $3200.

Another Independent Contractor cleaning a large daycare building ...hooked into the wrong ductwork...result was sending dust and dirt in reverse...filled the whole building...3 days later cleaning bill totalled $8500.

And the grand daddy of all...brand new 6 week old truck and equipment...while independent contractor working in home the truck burst into flames...singed 2 nearby cars, burned a neigboring garage including the vehicle inside, flames climbed a wooden utility pole and proceeded to burn the hydro lines, the cable tv lines, and the telephone lines - severed these services to about 30,000 people. Sum total of damages (including my unit) just touched $350,000.

What can happen in deck cleaning...just about anything when you have people working...damaged house siding or brick, a pressure hose pops and becomes a deadly weapon, the owners little toddler manages to ingest some of the chemical and ends up in the hospital or worse, the home owner walks around to see how the job is coming an trips on your equipment and breaks something, the owner claims you ruined his deck and wants it replaced (in this type of work I would take a series of before and after pictures of every job because sure as #$#$$# someone is going to take you for a ride on getting a new deck),...and the list goes on and on,

If you are going to use contractors of any nature, or even if you decide to do it yourself the first thing you do is get the liability insurance or you could be facing the biggest nightmare of your life.

Cornell