Should a roofer have public liability insurance?
Public liability insurance is an important protection to ask a roofing contractor about. For significant work, homeowners can request evidence that the policy is current and that the activities being undertaken fall within the contractor's cover.
What the cover is for
Public liability insurance covers injury to other people or damage to their property arising from the work. On a roofing job, that includes the realistic possibility of falling material or damage to what is beneath the working area.
It protects you as much as the contractor, which is why it is a reasonable thing to ask about before work starts.
How to check it
Ask for the certificate, note the insurer and the expiry date, and check that the cover is in the name of the business quoting for your work.
A contractor who is properly insured will be used to the question and will not object to answering it.