Use a broker who lets you issue your own certificates online, instead of emailing a request and waiting. A certificate of insurance is a one page summary of your policies, limits, and dates, and nobody lets a roofing crew up without one. 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: roofers who need proof of insurance before a crew can get on the roof.
The short version
- A roofing certificate usually shows general liability, workers comp, commercial auto, and an umbrella.
- General contractors, property managers, homeowners, and storm programs all ask for one.
- Morrow clients make their own certificates online in about a minute, at night or on a weekend, at no charge.
- Height limits and torch work rules live inside the policy, not on the certificate, so read it before you bid.
What does a roofing certificate have to show?
Four policies cover most requests, and limits run higher than for ground level trades.
| Policy | What it covers | Limit customers usually ask for |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | Falling debris, a fire from hot work, and later leaks | $1,000,000 for one incident and $2,000,000 for the year |
| Workers comp | Falls, heat illness, and burns that hurt employees | 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 | Trucks and dump trailers your crew drives | $1,000,000 for each accident |
| Umbrella | A second layer above your liability and auto limits | $1,000,000 on houses, $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 on commercial roofs |
| Tools and equipment | Your kettles, lifts, and compressors | The value of the gear |
| Material staged on the job | Shingles or membrane waiting to go on, which the equipment policy does not cover | The value of the load |
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 roofer for a certificate?
- General contractors, on reroofs, through a portal.
- Property managers, before a crew gets on the roof.
- Homeowners and their insurers, after a storm.
- Storm programs, before they hand you claim work.
Why do customers read a roofer's certificate so closely?
Two reasons, both about money. Falls are the most serious injury in construction, so a customer wants live workers comp before anyone climbs. And leaks show up in the first hard rain, so they want protection that lasts past the last day.
A certificate does not tell them the third thing. Many roofing policies cap the height you can work at, or leave out torch work. Ask your broker what yours says before you bid a tall building.
What extra wording do roofing contracts ask for?
| What the contract asks for | What it means | How it gets there |
|---|---|---|
| Additional insured | Your customer can use your liability policy if they are 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 leaks arrive | 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 your customer's does not chip in | Its own added line (CG 20 01), not a line inside the form above |
| No claim against your customer | Your insurer agrees not to go after your customer 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 the truck.
- Pick the policies the contract lists.
- Type your customer's legal name exactly as the contract spells it.
- Add the building address.
- Email it or upload it.
No charge, and no wait for Monday, which matters in the week after a storm. See getting a certificate instantly and what roofers insure.
What still has to go through my broker?
- Naming a customer your policy does not already pick up.
- Raising a limit or adding an umbrella.
- Adding a waiver on workers comp, which costs more in roofing.
- Anything about a height limit or torch work rule.
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. See the mistakes that delay a job.
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 roofing company in Massachusetts comes out of a hail week with nine buildings to repair for one property manager. Each is owned by a different company, and each needs its own certificate by Monday at 8 a.m.
What went wrong: The owner emails nine requests to his broker on Thursday. Six come back Friday, three with the wrong owner name, and the last three never arrive.
What it cost: Two crews stood down for a day, about $4,400 in wages, and three of the nine roofs went to another contractor.
The fix: Nine certificates is nine minutes of typing when you issue them yourself, and a two day chase when you cannot.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How can I get a free, instant certificate of insurance for my roofing business?
Use a broker whose clients issue their own. Morrow clients log in, pick the customer, and send one in about a minute, at no charge.
Q: Why does my customer want cover that lasts after the roof is finished?
Because a leak turns up in the first hard rain or the next winter, not on the last day. That protection is a separate change to your policy, so confirm it is on there.
Q: My policy limits how high I can work. Does that show on a certificate?
No. A certificate lists policies, limits, and dates, not the fine print. Read the policy before you bid a tall building.
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: Does a workers comp waiver cost extra for a roofer?
Usually yes, and more than for most trades. The charge is normally a percentage of the workers comp premium for that job, and roofing carries some of the highest rates in construction, so the same percentage is a bigger number. Ask for the figure first. A few states use their own form or restrict waivers, and in the four state fund states the request goes through the fund.
Q: Do I need a certificate for a repair I finish in one day?
Usually yes if a manager or general contractor hired you, and they want it before the crew arrives. Homeowners ask too, especially when their insurer is paying for storm damage.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Roofers get certificate requests from general contractors, property managers, and storm programs in bunches, 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.