Primary and noncontributory wording means your policy pays first on a claim tied to your work, and your customer's own policy does not have to chip in. You add it by asking your broker for a primary and noncontributory endorsement (a one page change to your general liability policy). Most insurance companies issue it in one to three business days, usually at no separate charge if your customer can already use your policy when they get sued because of your work (the additional insured endorsement). Who this is for: owners whose contract or certificate request asks for the wording and whose policy does not have it yet.
The short version
- First, your customer has to be able to use your policy if they get sued because of your work. The pays-first wording only works for someone who already has that.
- Send your broker the insurance section of the contract and your customer's exact legal name. That is all it takes to start.
- Most insurance companies add the wording in one to three business days, usually at no separate charge.
- Your policy may already include the wording inside the page that covers your customer. Check before you ask, and you may be done.
- Send your customer the policy page with the certificate. The line of text on the certificate only claims the wording exists. It is not proof.
What do I need before I ask?
One thing above all. Your customer has to be an additional insured on your general liability policy, which means they can use your policy if they get sued because of your work. The primary wording only changes the order of payment for someone who already has that. If your customer is not an additional insured, ask for both endorsements at once. See what an additional insured is.
What are the steps?
- Check what you already have. Many blanket additional insured forms include primary and noncontributory wording in their last paragraph. If yours does, you are done. See how to check your policy.
- Send the request. Email your broker the contract section, the customer's name, and the start date. Ask for "primary and noncontributory wording for this additional insured."
- Wait one to three business days. Your broker sends the request to your insurance company, which issues the endorsement page. Some do it the same day.
- Get the page. Ask your broker for a copy of the endorsement, not just a new certificate.
- Send the customer both. A certificate of insurance (a one page summary of your policies, limits, and dates) with the wording typed in the description box, plus the endorsement page. The line on the certificate only says the wording exists, so most general contractors (GCs) now ask for the page too.
What are the different ways it can be added?
Your broker will pick whichever your insurance company offers. The result is the same for your customer.
| Method | What it is | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Stand alone endorsement | Form CG 20 01, "Primary and Noncontributory, Other Insurance Condition." One page that applies to every additional insured when a written contract requires it. | When your additional insured endorsement does not include the wording |
| Built into the additional insured endorsement | A paragraph inside the blanket additional insured form saying coverage is primary and your insurance company will not seek contribution | Common on contractor packages. Nothing extra to add. |
| Their own form | The insurance company's own version of the page instead of the industry standard one. It can cover more or less, so read it, or have your broker read it, rather than assuming it matches | When your insurance company does not use the standard page |
What does it cost?
Usually nothing separate. Most insurance companies treat the primary wording as part of the additional insured endorsement and add it at no charge. A few charge a small flat fee (illustratively $0 to $100). If your customer is not yet an additional insured, that endorsement may carry its own charge, often nothing with blanket wording and otherwise roughly $50 to $300 (illustrative). More in does it cost extra.
Do I need it on my other policies too?
Read the contract. Many ask for the wording on general liability only. Some say "all policies." General liability and commercial auto are routine. Your umbrella (a second layer of coverage above your other liability policies) usually follows the policies under it, but confirm it. If the contract asks for it on a policy that cannot carry it, have your broker explain that to the customer.
What if my insurance company says no?
It is rare on general liability, but it happens with some small business packages and some specialty insurance companies. You have three moves. Ask your broker to push back with the contract in hand. Ask the customer whether the additional insured endorsement alone will do for now. Or have your broker shop your policy to other insurance companies. If you sign GC contracts, you need one that offers this wording without a fight. See primary and noncontributory on a certificate for how the finished wording should read.
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 drywall subcontractor in Florida signs a $150,000 subcontract on a medical office build out. The GC's certificate request asks for additional insured wording, including after the job is finished, plus primary and noncontributory wording. The sub's policy has blanket additional insured, but the form does not include primary language.
What went wrong: The sub's office issues a certificate with the words typed in the description box. The GC's insurance desk asks for the endorsement page. There is none. The GC will not release the start date.
What it cost: The broker requested the stand alone endorsement Tuesday morning and had the page Thursday. The charge was $0 (illustrative). The two lost days cost the sub about $3,600 in crew time.
The fix: Ask for the endorsement page before you type anything on a certificate. If the page does not exist, start the request the same day you get the contract.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I add primary and noncontributory coverage to my insurance?
Ask your broker for a primary and noncontributory endorsement on your general liability policy. Send the contract's insurance section, your customer's legal name, and the start date. Most insurance companies issue it in one to three business days, usually at no separate charge.
Q: Does my customer need to be able to use my policy first?
Yes. The primary wording only changes the order of payment for someone who is already an additional insured on your policy. If they are not, ask for both endorsements together.
Q: Does it cost anything?
Usually not. Most insurance companies add it at no separate charge when the additional insured endorsement is already there. A few charge a small flat fee, illustratively $0 to $100.
Q: Can I add it for just one customer?
The standard endorsement applies to every additional insured when a written contract requires it, so it covers this customer and the next one. Some insurance companies offer a version naming one customer. Either way, your customer gets the same result.
Q: What do I send the customer when it is done?
A certificate with the wording in the description box, plus a copy of the endorsement page. The line on the certificate only says the wording exists. It is not proof, and most GCs now want the page.
Q: What if my insurance company will not add it?
Have your broker push back with the contract, ask the customer whether additional insured alone will do for now, or shop your policy to an insurance company that offers the wording.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Adding primary and noncontributory wording to a policy and getting the endorsement page to the customer before the start date is one of the most common requests we handle.
- 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.