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[5] Now we come to the matter of insurance. If you're of age, work by yourself and own nothing but the shirt on your back, don't carry any. The homeowner will have to cover whatever damage you do, and he can't sue. (Be careful, though . . . he can get a judgment against you.)

On the other hand, if you've busted hump to get a homestead or some acreage, you can lose it darn quick if you don't have coverage. I know! I don't like paying the fat-cat insurance companies either, but it sure beats seeing my home taken or having a judgment granted against me.

Think about it. What if you employ a helper and he or she gets hurt (or killed)? Even if the injured party doesn't want to sue, there may be a wife, parents or relatives who feel differently. Also, if you're not covered, the homeowner is responsible for the accident on his property . . . and you can bet he'll sue you.

(Most states, incidentally, require that you carry compensation insurance for your employees whether you hire them for one day or a year. This also gets you into withholding taxes, social security, etc . . . and Uncle will have no mercy if he catches up with you and finds that you're not doing what he thinks you should.)

Or suppose you're up on an extension ladder slapping on paint, and the wind is blowing the wrong way. You just may be painting someone's home or car half a block down the street ... and you're going to have to pay for the damage. Some people may allow you to compound the auto and wax it, or paint the speckled side of the house. I don't have to tell you, though, that most owners will be seeing dollar signs. They can and will live with the spots, but they want money to help them forget.

What all this boils down to is liability insurance. You'll wish you had it in any of the cases I've mentioned . . . or if you happen to drop something on a kid's head from a good way up . . . or if your ladder tips and you got paint on a driveway outside or a rug inside.

These are some of the reasons why painting contractors, and general contractors like me, have to charge the "rip-off prices" mentioned in Mr. Geary's article. I'd be glad to work for $4.00 an hour if I didn't have to pay Uncle and the insurance companies half of it.

I don't like to be the one to dampen someone's fire, but what I've said is true: Some customers just seem to be waiting for a sucker to come along. Fortunately, they aren't an everyday occurrence—for the most part, working for people is interesting and enjoyable—but the painter must always keep up his guard. That's what makes me want to find a homestead and get out of this hassle.

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