Before Mobilization: 6 COI Checks for General Contractors
Six COI checks to finish before a sub mobilizes
Before a subcontractor's crew sets foot on your site, check six things on their certificate of insurance (COI): the right policy lines and limits, the exact legal name of the insured, the additional insured endorsement, primary and noncontributory wording plus the waiver of subrogation, policy dates that cover the whole job, and a carrier that really exists. Then keep watching the expiry dates for as long as the sub is on the project.
Skip one and the risk you thought you'd passed to the sub lands back on you. A certificate on its own proves very little. Connecticut's insurance regulator puts it plainly: a certificate "confers no rights or benefits upon the third party certificate holder" and can't be used to amend or extend the policy (Connecticut Insurance Department Bulletin S-14).
Read the certificate for mismatches, not a tick
Most construction COIs arrive on an ACORD 25 form. One page shows the named insured, each insurer and its NAIC number, the producing agent, policy numbers, effective and expiry dates for each line, and the limits. The mistake is scanning it for a tick instead of reading it for a mismatch. It's a snapshot of the day it was issued. It says nothing about whether the cover still exists in month six, so you'll need to check more than once.
On most jobs you're looking for these lines:
- Commercial general liability (CGL), with products and completed operations cover included rather than excluded.
- Workers' compensation and employers' liability that actually covers the crew on your site.
- Commercial auto, including hired and non-owned auto if the crew drives personal vehicles between sites.
- Umbrella or excess liability sitting above the CGL and auto limits.
- Professional liability when the sub does design or engineering work.
Your subcontract sets the limits, not habit or what the last sub sent. Check the aggregate hasn't been worn down by earlier claims, and that products and completed operations wasn't quietly excluded to save the sub some premium. Need a state view? See subcontractor insurance requirements by state.
Ask for the endorsements, not a box on the certificate
Being the certificate holder doesn't make you an additional insured. It means you may hear if the policy is cancelled, and that's about it. If your subcontract requires additional insured status, ask for the actual endorsement form (CG 20 10, CG 20 37 or the carrier's equivalent), not a COI with a line typed into the description box.
Three pieces of wording carry most of the weight:
- Additional insured for ongoing operations (CG 20 10) covers you while the sub is working.
- Additional insured for completed operations (CG 20 37) carries on after handover, which matters when a defect shows up a year later.
- Primary and noncontributory wording makes the sub's policy pay first, before yours is touched.
Add a waiver of subrogation on both the liability and workers' comp policies. It stops the sub's insurer paying a claim and then suing you to get the money back. Many prime contracts require it, so compare your subcontract clause with what's actually endorsed.
Run the same six-step check every time
Verification is a sequence, not a glance. Run it the same way on every sub and you'll catch the same mistakes before they turn into claims.
- Compare the lines and limits with your subcontract's insurance clause, one line at a time.
- Confirm the named insured is the exact legal entity you're contracting with, not a parent company, trading name or sister firm.
- Check each line's effective and expiry dates cover the whole project.
- Confirm the additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements are attached, not just mentioned.
- Look up the insurer by name in the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search, then confirm with your state insurance department that it's licensed.
- Call the issuing agent to confirm the policy is in force today.
Some findings should stop work. An expired COI means the crew doesn't mobilize. A GC listed only as certificate holder needs the endorsement before the sub starts. A workers' comp policy reporting no payroll (often called a ghost policy) needs proof the crew is covered. A mismatched entity name gets the certificate reissued, not waved through. If the aggregate looks eroded, get your own broker to confirm the remaining limit before you go ahead.
Track expiry dates for the life of the job
A COI collected on day one is worthless on day 200 if nobody's watching the expiry date. Keep one record per sub with the legal name and EIN, insurer and NAIC number, policy types and numbers, dates, endorsement flags, project and approval status. Make "no COI, no mobilization" a hard rule that project managers can't override when the schedule's tight. Our certificate of insurance tracking page shows how that record can work.
Then set a reminder schedule and stick to it. A workable one: ask the sub's agent for the renewed certificate 60 days before expiry, chase again and copy the project manager at 30 days, escalate to the operations lead at 7 days, and hold payment or site access on the expiry date if nothing has arrived.
Spreadsheets cope with a few subs on one job. They struggle once you're running several projects with subs coming and going, because nobody's reminded when a date in row 140 passes. If a sub's cover does lapse mid-job, here's what to do when subcontractor insurance lapses.
What holds up on a real site
No COI, no mobilization, no exceptions. Get the endorsement forms before the crew starts, not after. Give every project manager the same intake form so the same fields get collected every time. Recheck high-risk subs, such as roofers and steel erectors, monthly rather than once a year.
Picture a roofing sub whose liability policy renews halfway through your job. With a 30-day reminder, you've got a month to get the new certificate, and you can hold the next payment until it arrives. Without one, you may find out only when there's a claim.
Let the reminders run themselves
Chasing renewal dates across spreadsheets and email threads is how gaps open up. ExpiryEdge stores each sub's certificates against their record, sends reminders by email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack or Teams before a policy expires, and escalates to a manager when a renewal goes quiet. It can request the renewed COI straight from the sub or their agent, and the audit trail exports if an owner or insurer asks what you checked and when.
To try it, load your current subcontractor list and see which certificates expire in the next 90 days. The trial is free for 14 days and needs no credit card. For the wider document side, see our guide to certification expiration tracking.
Sources
- Connecticut Insurance Department, Bulletin S-14: Use of Certificates of Insurance
- NAIC Consumer Insurance Search
FAQ
How do you verify a COI?
Compare the certificate with your subcontract's insurance clause, line by line. Confirm the named insured is the exact legal entity you contracted with and that the dates cover the whole job. Check the additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements are attached, look the insurer up in the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search, and call the issuing agent to confirm the policy is in force today.
Which COI tracking software is best for general contractors?
It depends on how many subs and projects you run. Look for a tool that stores each certificate against the sub's record, reminds the sub or their agent before expiry, escalates when a renewal stalls, and keeps an audit trail. A spreadsheet works for a few subs on one job. Once several projects overlap, missed rows become likely, and automated reminders start to matter.
What are the requirements for a certificate of insurance?
Your subcontract sets them. A construction COI usually needs to show general liability with products and completed operations, workers' compensation and employers' liability, commercial auto and often umbrella cover. Each must meet the limits in your contract, name the right legal entity, and be backed by the endorsements you require. A note on the certificate isn't enough. Ask for the endorsement forms themselves.
What does COI tracking actually mean day to day?
It means keeping a live record of every sub's policy dates, limits and endorsements, then acting on reminders before cover lapses. In practice: ask for the renewed certificate about 60 days out, chase at 30, escalate at 7, and hold payment or site access on the expiry date if it hasn't arrived. The point is finding gaps before a claim does.
Is a COI enough proof of coverage on its own?
No. A certificate is a summary of the policy on the day it was issued. Connecticut's insurance regulator says it confers no rights on the certificate holder and can't amend or extend the policy. Policies can change or be cancelled after it's issued. For real protection you need the endorsements themselves, and for big scopes, the declarations page too.
Related guides
- Property Management Compliance Software | Licences, COIs & Inspections
- Inspection Deadline Automation: A 2026 Ops Guide
- How Fire Safety Inspection Tracking Works for Compliance Teams
- Certification Expiration Tracking Checklist for Compliance Teams
Frequently asked questions
It depends on how many subs and projects you run. Look for a tool that stores each certificate against the sub's record, reminds the sub or their agent before expiry, escalates when a renewal stalls, and keeps an audit trail. A spreadsheet works for a few subs on one job. Once several projects overlap, missed rows become likely, and automated reminders start to matter.
Your subcontract sets them. A construction COI usually shows general liability with products and completed operations, workers' compensation and employers' liability, and commercial auto. It often shows umbrella cover too. Each policy must meet the limits in your contract and name the right legal entity. It must also be backed by the endorsements you require. A note on the certificate isn't enough. Ask for the endorsement forms themselves.
It means keeping a live record of every sub's policy dates, limits and endorsements, then acting on reminders before cover lapses. In practice: ask for the renewed certificate about 60 days out, chase at 30, escalate at 7, and hold payment or site access on the expiry date if it hasn't arrived. The point is finding gaps before a claim does.
No. A certificate just sums up the policy on the day it went out. Connecticut's insurance regulator says it gives the certificate holder no rights and can't amend or extend the policy. The policy can still change, or get cancelled, after that day. For real protection you need the endorsements themselves. On big scopes, get the declarations page too.
