You get one by using a broker who lets you issue certificates yourself, instead of emailing a request and waiting. A certificate of insurance is a one page summary of your policies, limits, and dates, and it is the first thing an owner or a bank asks a general contractor for. Morrow clients log in and send one in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge. Changes to the policy itself still go through your broker. Who this is for: general contractors who need proof today.
The short version
- A general contracting certificate usually shows general liability, workers comp, commercial auto, and an umbrella.
- Owners, banks, property managers, cities, and school districts all ask, and each wants its own name on it.
- Morrow clients make their own certificates online in about a minute, at night or on a weekend, at no charge.
- Adding a party or a waiver is a broker job, and it cannot be added after something goes wrong.
What does a general contracting certificate have to show?
More than a trade sub's. You are the party an owner sues first, so limits run higher.
| Policy | What it covers | Limit owners usually ask for |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | Injury or damage caused by your crews and your subs | $1,000,000 for one incident and $2,000,000 for the year |
| Workers comp | Medical bills and lost wages for a hurt employee | Whatever your state requires, plus three limits for employee suits, commonly $100,000 each accident, $500,000 for disease in a policy year, and $100,000 for disease per employee. Contracts often ask for all three at $500,000 or $1,000,000 |
| Commercial auto | Your pickups and trailers, and trucks you rent | $1,000,000 for each accident |
| Umbrella | A second layer above your liability and auto limits | $1,000,000 on small jobs, $5,000,000 on apartments and public work |
| Contractors pollution | Fumes, dust, spills, or mold from the work | $1,000,000 when asked |
In North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming, workers comp comes from the state fund, and fund policies pay nothing when an employee sues. Ask your broker for stop gap cover, which fills that hole.
Who asks a general contractor for a certificate?
- Owners and developers, before you mobilize.
- The owner's bank, before it funds a draw.
- Property managers, for tenant work.
- Cities and school districts, with their own forms.
Each wants its own legal name. See what they look for.
What extra wording do owners ask me to add?
The check boxes point to changes on your policy. If the change is not there, the box means nothing.
| What the contract asks for | What it means | How it gets there |
|---|---|---|
| Additional insured | Your customer can use your liability policy if they get sued because of your work | Blanket wording (CG 20 33) adds the customer you signed the contract with, for work in progress, when the contract required it in writing before the loss. It does not reach the owner, the lender, or the architect above your customer. A broader blanket form (CG 20 38) can reach them, but it leaves out coverage after the job is finished |
| Coverage after the job ends | It keeps going after the work is done, when most claims land | A scheduled change (CG 20 37). Carriers make blanket versions by typing that wording into its schedule, or on their own form |
| Your policy pays first | Your policy pays first and the owner's does not chip in | Its own added line (CG 20 01), not a line inside the form above |
| No claim against the owner | Your insurer agrees not to go after the owner for its money back | One change on liability (CG 24 04) and another on workers comp (WC 00 03 13) |
| A fresh yearly limit for this job | Your yearly total starts over for that project | A named project change (CG 25 03). No umbrella supplies it, and not every insurer will add it |
Typing extra names into the description box adds nobody to your policy. The change goes on the policy first.
How do I issue one myself in about a minute?
- Log in from your phone.
- Pick the policies the contract lists.
- Type the owner's legal name exactly as the contract spells it.
- Add the job address and the work.
- Email it, or download it and send it.
No charge, and no wait for Monday, which is what a Friday night draw request needs. More on getting a certificate instantly.
What still has to go through my broker?
- Naming a party your policy does not already pick up.
- Raising a limit or adding an umbrella for one job.
- Adding a waiver on workers comp, which some states handle their own way.
- Asking for a fresh yearly limit.
You get a reply usually within the hour on business days. Insurers almost never backdate. A change added today does nothing for something that already went wrong, and a customer saying you can start does not create coverage for the gap.
Do I have to collect certificates from my subs too?
Yes, and it matters more than your own. If a sub hurts someone and has no cover, the claim lands on your policy. Your insurer can also bill you for an uninsured sub's payroll at your year end payroll check. That payroll is rated at the sub's own work category, not your trade rate, and when nobody knows the payroll many states let the insurer charge a percentage of the contract price instead.
Read how to collect certificates from subs and what general contractors insure.
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 general contractor in New Jersey wins a $2,400,000 mixed use renovation. The bank asks to be listed on a certificate before it releases the first draw, and the request lands at 6 p.m. on a Friday.
What went wrong: The old broker's office is closed until Monday. The certificate goes out Monday at 11 a.m., the draw slips to Wednesday, and six men stand down.
What it cost: About $6,800 in idle labor, roughly $900 in loan interest, and a new owner relationship that opened with an apology.
The fix: The certificate was two minutes of work. A broker whose clients issue their own would have had it in the bank's inbox by 6:05 p.m.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How can I get a free, instant certificate of insurance for my general contracting business?
Use a broker whose clients issue their own. Morrow clients log in, pick the owner or the bank, and send one in about a minute, at any hour, at no charge.
Q: Does a certificate of insurance cost money?
It should not. Brokers issue them at no charge as part of servicing your policy. A charge per certificate is unusual.
Q: Can I list the owner and their bank on the same certificate?
You can list one as the holder and name others in the description box. That is paperwork only. For them to use your policy, the policy has to be changed.
Q: Can an owner be added to my policy after the job has started?
Yes, but it counts from the day your insurer adds it. Insurers almost never backdate, so it does nothing for a problem that already happened. An owner telling you to start does not fill that gap.
Q: What do I do when an owner rejects my certificate?
Usually a required change is missing, a limit is short, or the owner's legal name is wrong. The name is a two minute fix. The other two need your broker.
Q: What should I ask my subcontractors to send me?
A certificate showing liability, workers comp, and auto, with your company named on their policy the way your owner names you. Collect it before they start.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. General contractors juggle certificates for owners, banks, property managers, and cities every week, and our clients issue every one of them themselves.
- 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.