What should you do when your crew damages a neighbor's property?

Work it through

You're the contractor. Pick what you'd do, then see how each choice plays out.

1. AApologize immediately, take full responsibility, document the damage with photos, and file a claim on your liability insurance. Offer to repair or replace the fence section promptly
   Correct

   Property damage to adjacent properties during construction is covered by your liability insurance. Taking immediate responsibility, documenting the damage, and offering prompt repair is professional and prevents escalation. The alternative — denying it, blaming the operator, or offering to 'deal with it later' — turns a $500 fence repair into a property damage lawsuit and MHIC complaint. Own it, fix it, move on.

2. BOffer the neighbor $200 cash to handle it themselves and avoid an insurance claim
   Risky

   If the neighbor accepts $200, great. If the fence costs more, or if the neighbor later decides $200 wasn't enough, you have no documentation of the settlement. A handshake deal over property damage can become a he-said/she-said dispute. Better to go through insurance — that's what it's for. The claim process creates documentation and ensures the neighbor is fully compensated.