On the RRP front a New York insurance company is requiring EPA RRP Certification for contractors and firms to keep insurance. Last year we predicted that insurance companies would require contractors to be RRP Certified in order to qualify for insurance coverage.
Tom Messier of Mason and Mason Insurance reported that an insurance company (Tower Group Companies) is demanding RRP coverage for one of its insureds. The memo actually says they may cancel the coverage if it is not in place within 30 days. Here is an excerpt from a Tower Group Insurance memo to one of its insureds;
" These recommendations are considered necessary for continued coverage of your insurance policy, and they should be implemented and completed within thirty days of the date of this letter. Non-compliance of these recommendations may result in a cancellation or non-renewal of your policy."
We do not know how long it will take for other insurance carriers to require RRP Certification. However if a non certified contractor is given only 30 days to implement and complete certification and they cannot find a class to be certified then what will they do? Will they lose work? To make matters worse the EPA says on their Certified Firm application that they have 90 days to complete it. We are hearing from contractors who are waiting 8-12 weeks to get their Certification form the EPA.
Last summer the EPA in Texas sent out a memo stating that they are not responsible for insurance companies requiring or insisting that contractors require the EPA Certification before renewal. I think the EPA in Texas made an effort to distance themselves from being blamed for insurance companies requesting certification.
The safest way for contractors to proceed is to get on board and become EPA/RRP Certified and Certify your firm. We have seen Lowes and Home Depot require certification for all their subs. We are learning from New York contractors that property management firms are looking for the certification. Many of the general contractors we have trained are telling their sub contractors to get certified or they will replace them.
Now that insurance companies are looking for the certification it will be harder for those who have not signed up for RRP training and certification to get jobs.
If you have questions on how to get certified we can help you. We train New England, New York and other states.
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