Yes. There is no limit on how many certificates you can have, and a normal agency charges nothing per copy. A certificate is a one page summary of your policies, limits, and dates, and issuing it is part of servicing the policy you already pay for. Morrow clients issue their own online in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge, so job thirty costs the same as job one. Changes that need an endorsement, a change added to your policy, still go through the broker. Who this is for: contractors who work for many customers and keep getting asked for proof of insurance.
The short version
- There is no cap. Ask for as many as you have customers.
- Each customer gets its own certificate with its own name and address on it.
- The certificate is free. A change to your coverage is the only thing that can cost money.
- Certificates carry your policy dates, so every customer needs a fresh one at renewal.
- Keep a list of who has which version so a resend takes seconds.
How many certificates can I have?
As many as you need. Agencies do not meter them. A contractor with forty customers gets forty certificates, and the price is the same as if he had one.
The reason is simple. Your premium already pays your broker a commission, and servicing the policy is what that commission buys. Certificates are servicing. See who issues certificates for free.
Does every job need its own certificate?
Usually one per customer, not one per job. A property manager who gives you five buildings normally accepts one certificate. A general contractor who wants the project named in the notes box needs a separate one for each project.
| Situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Same customer, several small jobs | One certificate, unless the contract asks for the project by name |
| Contract asks for the project in the notes box | One per project |
| Owner and builder both want to be named | One certificate can list both, but the listing gives them nothing on its own. Your policy has to actually cover each one, and ordinary automatic wording usually covers only the builder you signed with |
| A new customer | A new certificate, with their exact legal name and address |
| Your policy renews mid job | A fresh certificate to every active customer |
When does a new job actually cost me something?
Never for the paper. Sometimes for what the paper has to say. If a contract asks for coverage your policy does not carry, that is a policy change, and a policy change can carry premium. Illustrative ranges follow, since your trade, payroll, state, and claims history set the real price.
| What the job asks for | Cost |
|---|---|
| A certificate naming the customer | Free |
| Letting your customer use your liability policy if they are sued over your work | Free, when your policy already includes that protection for the customer you signed with |
| Doing the same for an owner or lender above your customer | Usually a policy change, because ordinary automatic wording does not reach them |
| Adding that wording to a policy that lacks it | Roughly $0 to $300 a year, illustrative |
| Keeping that protection going after the job is finished | Roughly $50 to $300 a year, illustrative |
| Your insurance company agreeing not to come after the customer for money it paid, on workers comp | Commonly 2 to 5 percent of the premium for that job, with a policy minimum. Illustrative. A few states set the charge themselves or use their own waiver form, so ask your broker for your state. |
| A higher limit than you carry | Real premium. Price it before you sign the contract. |
More on that split: does a certificate cost money.
What happens at renewal?
Every certificate you sent shows your old policy dates, so it goes stale the day your policy renews. Customers who track compliance will notice within a week and some will hold a payment until a new one arrives.
Ask your broker for a standing list of your repeat customers so renewal certificates go out automatically. If you issue your own, run the list yourself the day the renewal is on the system. See renewal certificates during a project.
How do I keep track of who has one?
- Keep one simple sheet: customer, project, date sent, and where you sent it.
- Save every certificate you issue in one folder, named by customer.
- Note which customers make you upload proof to a website and which just want an email.
- Flag the ones that need the project named, because those need reissuing per job.
What if my agency charges per certificate?
Ask what the fee covers that your premium does not. Charging for routine certificates is unusual, and some states restrict fees added on top of premium. If the answer is thin and you need certificates weekly, that alone is a fair reason to move your policies.
What this looks like in real life
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 landscaping contractor in Florida maintains 22 commercial properties for nine management companies. Each company wants a certificate, and four of them want their own building named in the notes box.
What went wrong: His agency charges a service fee per certificate and takes a day or two each time. He starts skipping requests, and two managers put his invoices on hold for missing proof of insurance.
What it cost: Illustrative numbers: 26 certificates in a year at a $20 fee is $520, plus about $9,400 in invoices held an extra three weeks across two accounts.
The fix: Certificates were never the cost. The waiting was. He moved to an agency that issues them free and lets him produce his own, then cleared the whole list in an afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I get a free certificate of insurance for every job?
Yes. There is no cap and no per copy charge at a normal agency, because issuing certificates is part of servicing the policy you already pay for.
Q: Do I need a separate certificate for each job?
Usually one per customer is enough. You need one per project when the contract asks for the project name or number to appear in the notes box on the certificate.
Q: Can one certificate name two companies?
Yes, if your policy actually covers both. An owner and a builder are often listed together. Your broker checks the policy wording first, because the certificate only reports what the policy already says.
Q: Do my certificates expire?
They show your policy dates, so they go stale when your policy renews. Send a fresh one to every active customer at renewal.
Q: Will my broker charge me if I ask for twenty at once?
At a normal agency, no. The count does not change the price. If your agency bills per certificate, ask what the fee covers and whether you agreed to it in writing.
Q: Does adding a new customer to my policy cost money?
Naming a customer on a certificate is free. Giving that customer protection under your policy is free too if your policy already has that protection built in for the customer you signed the contract with. It does not automatically reach an owner or lender above them, and it may stop when the job is finished, so adding either one is a policy change that can carry a modest premium.
Q: How fast can I get thirty certificates?
If you produce them yourself, about a minute each. If you email an agency, expect the same day to a couple of days, and only during business hours. Send the whole list at once rather than one at a time.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Contractors who need proof of insurance for a long list of customers issue their own certificates in about a minute each, free, whenever they want.
- Free contract review. Send us the contract or bid documents and we mark up the insurance section in plain English, whether or not you buy anything from us.
- Free, instant certificates. Clients issue their own certificates of insurance online in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge.
- Markets you cannot reach online. One application, shopped across many insurance companies for general liability, workers comp, auto, umbrella, and pollution coverage.
One more thing. This article is general information and is not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Your contract and your policy wording control in every case. Requirements vary by customer, by state, and by insurance company, so have a licensed advisor review your own contract and your own policy before relying on any of it.
Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated September 2026.