The Certificate of Insurance a Customer or GC Asks For
Why this matters
A certificate of insurance request feels like paperwork, but it is the moment a customer or general contractor is checking whether you can actually cover a loss if your work goes wrong on their property. Handling it fast and correctly wins commercial and contract work; fumbling it (or not understanding what you are signing off on) can either cost you the job or, worse, commit you to coverage terms you did not mean to accept. Every owner and office staffer should be able to read one of these and know what it says and does not say.
What a certificate of insurance actually is
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a summary document your insurance carrier or broker issues, listing your active policies, coverage types, limits, and effective dates. It is proof that coverage exists at the time it was issued. It is not the policy itself, and it does not by itself grant any rights to the person holding it. This distinction matters: a COI is evidence of coverage, not a contract that changes what the policy covers.
What the person asking for it usually wants to see
- General liability limits - the per-occurrence and aggregate dollar limits (do not quote figures to a customer from memory, always pull the current certificate).
- Workers compensation coverage - proof you cover your own employees, so an injury on their site does not become their workers comp claim.
- Auto liability - if vehicles will be on site regularly.
- Additional insured status - whether the requesting party is named as an additional insured on your policy, which extends certain protections to them for claims arising from your work.
- Waiver of subrogation - whether your carrier gives up its right to pursue the other party for reimbursement after paying a claim, even if that party was partly at fault.
The three requests that are NOT the same thing
Customers and GCs often use these terms loosely, but they are different asks with different costs and implications:
| Request | What it means | What it typically requires |
|---|---|---|
| "Send me your certificate" | Prove coverage exists | Nothing extra, your broker issues the standard COI |
| "Name us as additional insured" | Extend certain protections under YOUR policy to them | An endorsement, sometimes at added cost, and it should be tied to the specific job or contract |
| "We need a waiver of subrogation" | Your carrier gives up recovery rights against them | An endorsement, often paired with additional insured status on larger contracts |
Additional insured and waiver of subrogation requests are not automatic. Route them through your broker before you agree, especially on a contract of any real size, because they can affect your own claim options later.
Reading a COI you receive from a subcontractor
The flow works both ways. When you hire a subcontractor, you should collect and actually verify their certificate, not just file it.
- Check the effective and expiration dates. An expired certificate is worse than useless, it gives false confidence.
- Check that the limits meet whatever minimum you require of subs.
- Confirm you are listed as a certificate holder, and if your contract requires it, as an additional insured.
- Call the issuing agent to confirm the certificate is genuine for any large or ongoing subcontractor relationship. Certificates can be altered or can lapse without the holder being notified unless a cancellation notice provision is in place.
An uninsured or under-insured subcontractor working under your name is a liability that can land on your own policy if something goes wrong and they cannot cover it. See related: A Subcontractor Causes Damage on Your Job.
The request that should make you pause
If a contract asks you to name the other party as additional insured for all work, on all projects, indefinitely, rather than for the specific job or contract at hand, that is broader than most standard endorsements and worth a conversation with your broker before you sign. Broad, open-ended additional insured language can expose you to claims that have nothing to do with the actual job you performed for them.
Getting one issued quickly
Most brokers can issue a standard certificate same-day or next-day once they know exactly what is being requested (which party, what limits, whether additional insured or waiver of subrogation is needed, and the specific job or contract it applies to). Keep your broker's direct contact handy and give them the exact request in writing, forwarded from the customer or GC, rather than paraphrasing it. A misworded request is the most common reason a certificate comes back wrong and the job gets delayed.
References
- Insurance Information Institute, certificate of insurance basics for small business
- ACORD (the standard COI form used across the U.S. insurance industry)
- See related: A Subcontractor Causes Damage on Your Job, Add a New Service Line: Does Coverage Need to Change