Only if the list of forms at the front of your policy includes a completed operations additional insured form. Many small contractor policies do not. "Additional insured, completed operations" means your general contractor (GC) can keep using your liability policy for claims that show up after your job is finished. A plain "blanket additional insured" form often covers the GC only while you are working, so you have to read the form, or have your broker read it, to know. Who this is for: subcontractors whose contract asks for completed operations coverage and who want to know if they already have it before the certificate goes out.
The short version
- Coverage for your GC after the job is separate wording. The standard ongoing form does not include it.
- Check the list of forms on the summary page at the front of your policy for one that mentions completed operations.
- Some blanket forms cover ongoing work only. That is the most common gap on a subcontractor's policy.
- If it is missing, your broker can usually add it in one to three business days.
- Illustrative cost: often nothing with blanket wording, sometimes a modest premium depending on trade.
What am I looking for?
Your general liability policy usually covers you for claims from finished work (check that your declarations page shows a yearly limit for completed operations). The GC wants to share that coverage. That takes an endorsement, a one page change to your policy, saying the GC is an additional insured for your completed work. It is different from the endorsement that covers the GC while your crew is on site. Many contractors have the first and not the second. See what completed operations means.
Where do I check?
Three places, in order. Most owners get their answer at the first.
| Where | What to look for | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Forms list on your declarations page | Any form with "Additional Insured" in the title. CG 20 37 means completed operations (with names typed in, or with blanket wording typed in). CG 20 10, CG 20 33, and CG 20 38 mean ongoing work only. Insurance company forms have their own numbers. | Whether a completed operations form is on the policy at all |
| The endorsement page itself | The words "completed operations" or "products-completed operations hazard" in the title or the coverage wording. If the form says coverage ends when your work is completed or put to its intended use, it is ongoing only. | Whether a blanket form covers finished work or only ongoing work |
| Your broker | Ask in writing which form covers a GC as an additional insured for completed operations | A yes or no you can forward to the GC |
If you do not recognize a form number, read its title. Insurance companies write their own blanket forms, and the title usually says whether completed operations is included. See additional insured endorsements explained.
Why is this the piece that is usually missing?
Three reasons. First, the basic contractor package many insurance companies sell includes blanket ongoing coverage and stops there. Second, completed operations coverage costs the insurance company more, because it is on the hook for years after the job. Third, nobody notices until the person who checks subcontractor insurance paperwork for the GC (their compliance desk) reads the form. The certificate box says "additional insured" either way.
What does the answer look like on my policy?
| What your forms list shows | Does it cover your GC after the job? |
|---|---|
| Ongoing form only | No |
| Ongoing form plus a completed operations form | Yes, for the GC named or any customer your contract requires |
| One insurance company blanket form that mentions completed operations | Yes, read the form to confirm |
| One insurance company blanket form that does not mention it | Probably not. Ask your broker |
| No additional insured form at all | No, during or after |
What do I do if it is missing?
Ask your broker to add it. Blanket completed operations wording is best, because it covers every GC you sign with from then on. If the insurance company will only add one GC at a time, take that for this job and plan to move to blanket wording at renewal. Turnaround is usually one to three business days. Then reissue the certificate with the new endorsement page attached.
Illustrative costs: blanket wording is often free or a few hundred dollars a year, an endorsement naming one GC runs roughly $50 to $300, and some trades pay a modest extra premium. Your price depends on your trade, payroll, state, and insurance company. If your insurance company will not offer it, your broker may need to move the policy. See when requirements exceed your policy.
How long do I have to keep it?
For as long as the contract says, often two or three years after the job and sometimes longer. Coverage for the GC lasts only while a policy with the endorsement is in force. If you change insurance companies, the new policy needs completed operations wording that reaches back to past jobs. Keep a list of the projects where you promised it.
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 mechanical subcontractor in California has carried the same general liability policy for six years. The forms list shows a blanket additional insured form. He has issued dozens of certificates showing GCs as additional insureds and never had one rejected.
What went wrong: A new GC on a $520,000 hospital job uses an outside paperwork checker. The checker reads the blanket form and finds it covers ongoing operations only. The certificate is rejected and the GC will not let the crew start.
What it cost: The insurance company added blanket completed operations wording for about $600 a year (illustrative) in four business days. The start slipped a week, roughly $9,000 in idle crew and equipment rental, and six years of past certificates had promised something the policy did not have.
The fix: Read the blanket form once, or have your broker read it. If it does not say completed operations, it does not cover your GC after the job.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Does my policy include additional insured coverage for completed operations?
Only if the list of forms at the front of your policy includes a completed operations additional insured endorsement, or a blanket form that mentions completed operations. A plain blanket form often covers ongoing work only.
Q: What is completed operations in plain English?
It means claims that come from your work after you have finished it, like a leak a year later or a failed railing. Your policy covers you for those. The GC wants to be covered too, and that takes a separate endorsement.
Q: My certificate box for additional insured is checked. Does that mean I have it?
No. The box is checked whether your policy has ongoing coverage, completed operations coverage, or both. Only the endorsement page itself tells you which, which is why GCs ask for it.
Q: How do I read my forms list?
It is usually the last page of your declarations. Each line is a form number and a title. Look for titles with Additional Insured in them, then check whether the form mentions completed operations.
Q: How fast can it be added if I do not have it?
Usually one to three business days once your broker asks. Send the contract wording with the request so the right form is ordered the first time.
Q: Does adding completed operations coverage cost extra?
Sometimes. Blanket wording is often free or a few hundred dollars a year (illustrative). Some trades pay a modest extra premium because their finished work carries more risk of claims years later.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Confirming whether a policy really carries completed operations additional insured wording, and adding it when it does not, is one of the most common gaps we find for subcontractor clients.
- 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.