For subcontractors: how to get your certificate of insurance accepted, and fix a rejection
Why certificates come back
You win the job, the general contractor asks for your certificate of insurance, and you forward the one your broker sent last spring. A few days later it comes back: "doesn't meet our requirements." Meanwhile the start date gets closer and payment waits.
Most rejections have nothing to do with bad insurance. The certificate simply doesn't show what this particular contract asks for. Every general contractor writes its own insurance requirements, and a certificate made for one job rarely fits the next.
This guide explains what a general contractor checks, what to send your broker so the certificate fits, and what to do when it comes back.
What the general contractor is checking
A general contractor compares your certificate with the insurance requirements in its subcontract, usually in an insurance exhibit near the end. It looks at:
- Your legal name. The named insured on the certificate should match the company name on the subcontract exactly. "ABC Drywall" on one and "ABC Interiors LLC" on the other can look like two different companies.
- Each coverage it requires. Usually general liability, auto, workers' compensation and employer's liability, and an umbrella or excess policy. Some trades also need professional or pollution coverage.
- Each limit. Per occurrence and aggregate for general liability, the auto limit, the three employer's liability limits, and the umbrella limit. If you carry less than a required limit, an umbrella may close the gap, but only if the contract allows it.
- The dates. Every policy should be in force on the start date. A policy that expires during the job will need a renewed certificate.
- The additional insured. Most subcontracts require the general contractor, and often the owner, to be added as additional insureds on your general liability policy, and sometimes on your auto and umbrella policies too.
- The special wording. Waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory, per-project aggregate, or completed operations, when the contract requires them.
- The certificate holder. The holder box should show the general contractor's name and address as the contract states it.
What to send your broker
The most common reason for a rejection is that the broker never saw the requirements. "Please send a COI to ABC Construction" gets you a generic certificate.
Send your broker the subcontract's insurance exhibit itself, or the requirements list the general contractor gave you, and ask for a certificate for that project. A clear request includes:
- The general contractor's exact legal name and address, for the holder box.
- Every party that must be an additional insured, exactly as the contract names them.
- The project name or address, if the contract asks for it in the description.
- Each coverage and limit the contract requires.
- Any special wording: waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory, per-project aggregate, completed operations.
If a requirement isn't in your policy today, your broker will tell you. Some endorsements can be added quickly; others take time or cost more. It is better to learn that before the start date than after.
Send the endorsement pages with the certificate
A certificate is evidence of insurance, not the policy. It doesn't extend or change your coverage, and it can't prove an endorsement exists. When a contract requires additional insured status, a waiver of subrogation or primary and non-contributory wording, many general contractors also ask for the endorsement pages from your policy.
Ask your broker for those pages at the same time as the certificate, and send them together. It answers the general contractor's next question before they ask it.
How to read a rejection
A rejection usually falls into one of three kinds. Each has a different fix.
| What it says | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A limit is lower than required | Your policy limit is lower, or the certificate shows the wrong limit | Ask your broker whether the certificate is wrong or the policy needs a higher limit or an umbrella |
| Something is "not shown" | The certificate doesn't mention it, though your policy may include it | Ask your broker to show it on the certificate, and send the endorsement page |
| A date or a name doesn't match | A policy expired, or your legal name differs from the subcontract | Send the renewed certificate, or ask the general contractor to correct the name on the subcontract |
"Not shown" doesn't always mean you don't have the coverage. It means the certificate doesn't say so. That is often the quickest kind to fix.
Two things never to do
Never edit a certificate yourself. Changing a date, a limit or a name on a certificate, even to correct a mistake, can be treated as fraud. Only your broker or agent should issue or correct it.
Never let a policy lapse quietly. If a policy is cancelled or not renewed during the job, tell the general contractor right away. A lapse they discover on their own does far more damage to the relationship than one you report.
Plan for renewals
Most policies renew once a year, and most projects don't line up with your renewal date. A month before any policy expires, ask your broker for the renewed certificate and send it to every general contractor you're working for. They'll ask for it anyway, and sending it early keeps your payments moving.
Where Certgio fits
If a general contractor uses Certgio to request your certificate, you'll get an email with a link. You and your broker can send the certificate through that link for free, without creating an account. Certgio compares it with the general contractor's requirements and, when something isn't shown, tells your broker which requirements the certificate doesn't show.
This guide is general information about how certificates of insurance usually work in the United States. It is not legal or insurance advice. Policy wording, contracts and state law vary: confirm the details with your broker and your attorney.