Corner Wrench: Moonlighting from your home garage? Stay covered

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Vehicle owners often seem to know someone who can do their vehicle repairs at a fraction of even the most modest shop’s fees. That someone is usually a tech (either licensed or not) doing repairs out of a home garage or driveway.

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Corner Wrench: Fixing for a friend? You’re liable if something goes wrong Back to video

If you’re an experienced gearhead, you’re likely to be the one who family members and friends turn to for advice. But be aware: whether or not you take any payment for these services, you can be on the hook if something goes wrong down the road.

Do you have insurance? Working on someone’s vehicle without liability insurance is very much like driving on a public road without vehicle insurance. You’re exposing yourself to massive risks. You may well be experienced, have the right tools, and are capable of doing a great job, but you’re absorbing the risks of the entire job including the parts being used (especially if you bought or recommended them). So if a cheap white-box wheel bearing fails 500 km out and causes a collision, start worrying.

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Of course pretty much any insurance company will balk at, if not outright refuse to provide this type of business coverage for a home-based enterprise — especially one that runs afoul of most municipal bylaws.

Speaking of municipal bylaws, most take a dim view of repairing vehicles in a residential zone and almost all of these regulations are enforced on a complaint basis. So, if you don’t wake up your neighbours at 6 am with the sound of impact wrenches and loud exhausts, you may get away without fines. But, if you have a particularly troublesome next-door resident who doesn’t like junky cars outside or even the slightest noise, be prepared for a knock on your door from the local bylaw officer.

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So how is anyone expected to be able to legally maintain and repair their vehicles, or ones belonging to family or friends (with or without any compensation)? How will younger drivers learn some basics from those with experience? To be absolutely on the right side of the law, you’d need to find a facility that rents shop bay time in a proper facility legally located in the right commercial zone. These are rare and often hard to find outside of large urban centres. Most trade colleges offer automotive repair courses for non-professionals. During the semester, these come with proper supervision, safety protocols, and of course, liability insurance.