A general contractor's subcontract package is the strictest certificate request most trades will see: general liability with additional insured status on ongoing and completed operations, primary and non contributory wording, a waiver of subrogation, workers compensation, auto, and often an umbrella. Who this is for: subcontractors being onboarded onto a job.
The short version
- Completed operations additional insured status is the requirement most often missing.
- General contractors care about the aggregate, because yours is shared across every job you run.
- A per project aggregate endorsement is frequently required and worth having anyway.
- Workers compensation waivers take days, not minutes, so start them early.
- The certificate has to name the exact contracting entity, which on large projects is often a single purpose entity.
The standard subcontractor package
| Coverage | Typical requirement |
|---|---|
| General liability | $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate, $2M products and completed operations |
| Additional insured | Ongoing and completed operations, general contractor and owner |
| Primary and non contributory | Required on general liability and auto |
| Waiver of subrogation | General liability, auto, and workers compensation |
| Per project aggregate | Frequently required on larger jobs |
| Commercial auto | $1M combined single limit, any auto |
| Workers compensation | Statutory, with $1M employers liability |
| Umbrella | $1M to $5M, following form over the primary policies |
Why completed operations is the sticking point
Construction claims arrive late. A roof installed this year leaks in three years, and the owner sues the general contractor, who looks to the subcontractor whose work failed. If the additional insured endorsement covered ongoing operations only, it expired at substantial completion and the general contractor is left funding its own defence.
That is why sophisticated general contractors specify CG 20 37 alongside CG 20 10, and why a certificate that cites only the first will be rejected.
The aggregate question
Your general aggregate is shared. Two bad claims on unrelated jobs can leave nothing behind the certificate you handed over in January. A per project aggregate endorsement gives each project its own limit, which is why it appears in most serious subcontract packages. It costs real premium on some policies and nothing on others, so ask.
Clearing onboarding without losing days
- Send the whole subcontract insurance exhibit to your broker as soon as you receive it.
- Confirm the exact legal name of the contracting entity and the owner, including any single purpose entity.
- Start the workers compensation waiver first, because it is the slowest.
- Ask for the endorsement forms up front, since most general contractors now request them.
- Check whether your umbrella follows form over all the required underlying policies.
Related reading: what insurance a subcontractor needs.
What this looks like in practice
Illustrative example. It is typical of what we see and is not a promise of how any specific situation would be handled.
The setup: A framing subcontractor is onboarded onto a mid rise project and provides a certificate with ongoing operations additional insured wording only.
What went wrong: The subcontract required completed operations wording and a per project aggregate, neither of which the policy carried.
What it cost: Onboarding was rejected twice over nine days, and the subcontractor eventually paid roughly $1,400 in additional premium to comply, having already committed crews.
The fix: Read the insurance exhibit at bid time, not at mobilisation. The premium was fine, the timing was not.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What does a general contractor require on a certificate?
General liability with ongoing and completed operations additional insured status, primary and non contributory wording, waivers of subrogation, workers compensation, auto, and often an umbrella and a per project aggregate.
Q: Why does the general contractor want completed operations coverage?
Because construction claims usually arrive after the job is finished. Without it, the additional insured protection ends at substantial completion, which is before most defect claims appear.
Q: What is a per project aggregate?
An endorsement giving each project its own aggregate limit instead of sharing one limit across all your work. It protects a general contractor from your unrelated claims eroding the coverage behind their certificate.
Q: How long does a subcontractor certificate take?
Same day if your policy already carries blanket additional insured wording. Add one to three business days for scheduled endorsements, and longer for a workers compensation waiver in filing states.
Q: What if I am a sole proprietor with no employees?
You will still be asked for workers compensation. Some general contractors accept a signed exemption form, and others require a policy regardless. Ask before you mobilise.
Q: Do I need to name the owner as well as the general contractor?
Usually yes. Most subcontracts require both, plus any lender or single purpose entity named in the agreement, so get the exact legal names from the contract.
How Morrow helps with certificates of insurance
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that specializes in certificates of insurance and the endorsements behind them. Clearing subcontractor onboarding requirements without losing the start date is the kind of thing we handle every day, for clients across construction, trades, professional services, trucking, real estate, and hospitality, so we know what a compliance reviewer will reject before you send it.
- We issue certificates the same day you ask, and usually within the hour.
- We read the contract first, so the endorsements the certificate reports actually exist on your policy.
- We push back on requirements the market will not issue, and give you language your client will accept.
- We keep a record of who was issued what, so renewals go out before anyone chases you.
Get in touch and we will see how we can help. Send us the contract or the certificate request and we will tell you what your current policy can support and what needs to change. Start at morrowinsure.com or reach the team through the contact options on that page.
One more thing. This article is general information and is not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Certificates report what a policy says, and the policy wording controls in every case. Forms and requirements vary by carrier, by state, and by contract, so have a licensed advisor review your own policy and your own contract before relying on any of it.
Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated August 2026.