Your broker or insurance company issues it, and a standard one should not cost you anything. The problem in restoration is not the price, it is the hour. A certificate of insurance is a one page summary of your policies, limits, and dates. Morrow clients issue their own online in about a minute, at any hour, at no charge, so a 2 a.m. call does not wait for an office. Only a policy change (called an endorsement) goes through the broker. Who this is for: water, fire, and mold restoration contractors who need proof of insurance for a property manager, an insurer program, or a claims service.
The short version
- Only your broker or insurance company can issue it, and a standard one should be free.
- Morrow restoration clients issue their own at 2 a.m. on a Sunday in about a minute.
- Property managers often want the paper before your trucks can start pulling water.
- Referral programs set exact limits and drop you from the list the day your paper expires.
- Mold work needs its own policy, because most liability policies leave mold out.
Why do restoration contractors need certificates after hours?
Because losses do not happen at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday. A pipe breaks at midnight, a manager calls three contractors, and the first who proves insurance gets the job. No paper, no equipment in the common areas.
A broker office that opens at nine is the wrong tool for that call. Issuing your own takes a minute from the truck. See getting a certificate after hours.
Who asks a restoration contractor for proof of insurance?
| Who asks | What they want | When |
|---|---|---|
| Property manager or building | Owner and manager both named before equipment goes in | The night of the loss |
| Insurer referral program | Set limits, exact wording, filed in their system | At sign up, then every year |
| Claims service that assigns work | Their company named, plus mold coverage listed | Before your first assignment |
| Homeowner or business owner | A plain copy for their file | At the door |
| Equipment rental or storage | Coverage for machines and contents you hold | Each account |
Programs check by software, not by eye. See how those systems read a certificate.
What does a restoration certificate need to show?
| Policy | Common requirement | Why it matters in restoration |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | $1,000,000 for one incident, $2,000,000 for the year | Damage while pulling material, a fall in a wet common area |
| Mold and bacteria coverage | $1,000,000, listed as its own line on the form | Most liability policies exclude mold, and it is the claim your trade gets blamed for |
| Cover for property in your care | Often $100,000 or more | Your liability policy excludes property in your care, so a pack out is not covered by it at all |
| Workers comp | What your state requires, plus the part that pays if a worker sues you, commonly $100,000 each accident, $500,000 policy limit for disease, and $100,000 each employee for disease. Contracts often ask that all three go to $500,000 or $1,000,000 | Night work, wet floors, fire damaged structures, and long hours |
| Commercial auto and umbrella | $1,000,000 on auto, umbrella of $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 for programs | Box trucks and trailers, plus the higher limits referral programs set |
Two notes. Cover for property in your care is a separate policy on goods you hold, and referral programs set the limit they want to see. And the state funds in North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming pay nothing when a worker sues, so you need stop gap coverage there.
Why is mold coverage its own line?
Because your liability policy almost certainly excludes mold and bacteria. That exclusion is standard, and it is the first thing a claims service looks for. Restoration is the trade most often blamed when mold appears later, so a separate policy that covers it is the price of getting on most referral lists.
The certificate only reports the policy. If you do not carry mold coverage, no wording on the form supplies it. One thing before you compare quotes: on that policy, unlike your liability policy, the lawyer's bill usually comes out of the limit, so $1,000,000 covers defense and payment together. See pollution coverage for restoration and remediation.
What can I issue myself, and what needs my broker?
| You can do this in a minute | This needs your broker first |
|---|---|
| Add a manager, owner, or claims service as the name | Adding them to your policy so they can use it if they are sued |
| Type the loss address or claim number in the description box | Adding mold coverage or raising its limit |
| Reissue for every program the day your policy renews | Raising a limit or adding an umbrella a program wants |
| Send a copy to an adjuster at 2 a.m. | Cover for contents you store, if your policy has none |
What does restoration insurance cost?
The certificate is free. The coverage behind it is not. These figures are illustrative for a small restoration firm with clean claims.
- General liability: roughly $3,000 to $12,000 a year, with water only work below fire and mold.
- A $1,000,000 policy covering mold and spills: roughly $2,500 to $9,000 a year, with defense coming out of that limit.
- A $1,000,000 umbrella: roughly $1,200 to $3,500 a year for most restoration firms.
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 restoration firm in Massachusetts gets a 1:40 a.m. call for a broken riser in a condo tower. The manager will release the freight elevator once she has a certificate naming the association.
What went wrong: The owner emails his broker's after hours address and waits. The manager calls the second firm on her list at 2:15 a.m., and that firm sends paper from a phone in eight minutes.
What it cost: A job worth roughly $60,000 in drying, demolition, and rebuild went to a competitor, along with the next three referrals from that manager.
The fix: In restoration the certificate is a sales tool, not paperwork. Whoever proves coverage first gets the work, so issuing your own at any hour pays for itself in one call.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How can I get a free, instant certificate of insurance for my restoration business?
Only the broker or insurance company that holds your policy can issue one. With online access you type in the manager or program name and download it in about a minute, at any hour. Morrow clients pay nothing for it.
Q: Should a restoration contractor ever pay for one?
No, not for a standard certificate. It is routine service on a policy you already bought, and you may need several a week.
Q: Why do referral programs check my paperwork every year?
Because they promise homeowners that everyone on the list carries set limits. Their software watches your dates, and an expired form pauses your assignments.
Q: Does my liability policy cover mold?
Almost certainly not. Mold and bacteria are excluded on standard policies, so that coverage comes from a separate policy. Most claims services require it before they will assign you work.
Q: What about the contents I pack out and store?
Your liability policy excludes damage to property in your care, custody, or control, so contents you pack out and hold in your warehouse are not covered by it at all. That comes from a separate policy on goods in your care, and most programs set the limit they want.
Q: The building wants the association named on my policy tonight. Can that happen?
The name can go on the certificate tonight. Adding the association to the policy takes one to three business days, and it does not reach back, so ask early.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Restoration work is won at 2 a.m., and being able to prove your coverage in a minute at that hour is the difference between the job and the next call.
- 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.