Process
Ten questions that separate real buyers from brokers
Almost every bad outcome in this business traces back to a question that was not asked at the start.
Plate 01
Capability questions
Do you perform removal with your own crews or subcontract it? Who supervises on site? What rigging equipment do you own? Have you done work of this voltage class and scale, and can you describe a comparable project?
The distinction that matters is whether the buyer is a principal or a broker. Brokers serve a purpose, but a broker's offer depends on finding an end buyer, and that dependency is where schedules slip. Ask directly: are you buying this yourself?
Plate 02
Insurance and compliance questions
Can you provide a certificate of insurance with general liability, auto, workers' compensation and umbrella coverage naming us as additional insured? What is your EMR? Are you licensed where licensing applies to this work?
A COI produced within a day of the request is a good sign about how the whole project will go. Vagueness here is disqualifying, because an uninsured crew on your property is your exposure.
Plate 03
Commercial questions
Is the offer itemized and in writing? When is payment made — before removal, at removal, or after resale? What exactly is included in the removal scope, and what condition will the area be left in? What happens if something is different from what was described?
Payment timing deserves emphasis. Payment before or at removal means the buyer's capital is at risk rather than yours. Payment after resale means you are financing their inventory and carrying the risk of a sale that does not happen.
Plate 04
Documentation and reference questions
Can you provide recycling and disposal documentation for material not resold? Can you provide references from comparable projects? Will you provide a bill of sale and formal invoice suitable for our accounting?
On environmental documentation specifically: for regulated material — PCB-containing fluid, mercury components, batteries — you want documentation, because responsibility does not simply vanish when a truck leaves your yard. Ask what you will receive and when.
Questions
Frequently asked
What insurance should an equipment buyer carry?
General liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation and umbrella coverage, with a certificate available on request naming you as additional insured.
Is it better to work with a principal or a broker?
A principal buying for its own account can commit to price and schedule. A broker's offer depends on locating an end buyer, which introduces schedule risk.
When should payment be made?
Before or at removal. Payment contingent on the buyer's later resale shifts their inventory risk onto you.
What documentation should I receive?
An itemized written offer, a bill of sale, an invoice, insurance certificates, and recycling or disposal documentation for material not resold.
Next
Related field notes
The questions that separate a real buyer from a broker with a phone
Certificates of insurance, additional insured status, crew employment, safety programs and site access. What to verify before anyone works in your building.
ProcessA range on the phone is not an offer
Why itemized written offers protect sellers, what a real offer document contains, and how verbal ranges get renegotiated on the loading dock.
ProcessScrap dealer versus equipment buyer — the difference in your check
The two businesses look similar and price completely differently. How to tell which one you are talking to and which one your equipment needs.
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