Check five things, in this order: the legal names, the policy dates, the limits, the wording, and any policy that is missing. Do it with the project's requirements open next to the sub's certificate and the policy pages behind it (the endorsements). A certificate alone is not proof, so run the check before the first payment, while you still have leverage. Who this is for: general contractors collecting subcontractor certificates.
The short version
- Compare each sub's paperwork to the project's insurance exhibit, not to memory.
- A certificate is a one page summary. Ask for the pages that prove the wording is on the policy.
- Do the check before the first payment. After the check clears, your leverage is gone.
- Write down every expiration date and check again at each renewal.
What do I compare the certificate against?
Two documents. The insurance exhibit in your prime contract, the contract between you and the owner. And the exhibit in your own subcontract, which flows those requirements to each trade. If they disagree, the stricter one wins.
No subcontractor exhibit of your own yet? Start with what to ask subcontractors for.
What are the five checks?
Work down the certificate of insurance (the one page summary of the sub's policies, limits, and dates).
| Check | Where to look | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Names | The insured box at the top and the holder box at the bottom | A trade name instead of the legal entity, or your company missing as holder |
| 2. Dates | Policy effective and expiration columns | A policy that expires mid job with nobody tracking it, or a months old certificate with nothing confirming the policy is in force |
| 3. Limits | The limits column for each policy | A $1,000,000 aggregate (the most the policy pays in a year) when the exhibit says $2,000,000 |
| 4. Wording | The two narrow check-box columns headed ADDL INSD (your company added to their policy) and SUBR WVD (their insurer agreeing not to chase you), plus the description box and the endorsement pages | Boxes checked with nothing attached |
| 5. Missing policy | Every row your exhibit requires | A blank workers comp row, the word "exempt," or no umbrella when your exhibit requires one |
Why is the certificate alone not enough?
The certificate is typed by the sub's agent. Its fine print says it is for information only and does not amend the policy. A checked box means the agent believes the wording is there. The endorsement page is the proof. Ask for the pages by name and file them with the certificate.
| What the exhibit requires | Plain English | Endorsement to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Additional insured, ongoing operations | You can use their policy if you are sued over their work | CG 20 10 (you are named), CG 20 33 (automatic, but only the party the sub signed with), or CG 20 38 (automatic, and reaches the owner or lender your contract names) |
| Additional insured, completed operations | It keeps going after the job is finished | CG 20 37, or an insurance company's own blanket version |
| Primary and noncontributory | Their policy pays first, yours does not chip in | CG 20 01 |
| Waiver of subrogation, liability and workers comp | Their insurer agrees not to chase you for money it paid | CG 24 04 on liability, WC 00 03 13 on workers comp, or the form the sub's state uses. A few states use their own or limit the waiver. |
If your exhibit requires the owner or the lender too, a plain blanket form is not enough on its own. See why a certificate is not coverage.
What do I do when a sub falls short?
- Missing endorsement. Email the sub and their agent, name the form, and hold the first check. It takes one to three business days.
- Limits too low. The sub can buy an umbrella (a second layer above their liability policies) in one day to two weeks. Or accept the lower limit for a minor sub and let your own umbrella carry the gap.
- Workers comp says "exempt." Ask whether their state issues exemption paperwork and get a copy if it does. Some states issue none, so get a signed statement that the sub has no employees and will bring no helpers. In most states an uninsured sub's injured worker can become your claim, and at your premium audit (the year end check of your payroll) some or all of what you paid them is charged back as payroll. Both rules vary by state.
- Wrong name or expired policy. Ask for a reissued certificate, usually same day.
How do I keep track across a whole project?
- One row per sub in a spreadsheet: legal name, expiration dates, limits, endorsements on file, and the date you checked.
- Collect before the first payment. Put "certificate and endorsements on file" on the pay application checklist.
- Treat a certificate as a snapshot. Diary each renewal 30 days ahead, and ask for a fresh certificate then and any time a sub goes quiet, because a policy can be cancelled mid job and you usually will not be told.
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 Florida runs fifteen subs on a $3,200,000 retail build. The office manager files each certificate as it arrives. Nobody compares them to the exhibit.
What went wrong: Two years after completion the roof leaks and ruins $210,000 of tenant inventory. The owner sues the general contractor, who sends the claim to the roofer's insurer. It points out that the roofer's policy never carried completed operations wording. The certificate had the box checked, with no endorsement page attached.
What it cost: Illustrative figures: his own liability policy pays, less his $25,000 deductible, and his premium rises about $9,000 a year for three years. Roughly $52,000 for a ten minute check. He can still go after the roofer, and his insurer can try to collect, but that takes years and only if the roofer is still in business and insured.
The fix: A checked box is a claim, not proof. Without the endorsement he lost the one thing that would have moved the claim onto the roofer's policy.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I check whether my subcontractors meet the project's insurance requirements?
Put the project's insurance exhibit next to each sub's certificate and endorsement pages, then check the legal names, the dates, the limits, the wording, and any required policy that is missing.
Q: What should I look at first on a sub's certificate?
The names. The sub's legal name must match your subcontract, and your exact legal name must be the certificate holder. It is the fastest fail and the easiest fix.
Q: What does it mean when the workers comp line says exempt?
They are claiming they do not need workers comp under state law, often as a sole owner with no employees. Ask whether their state issues exemption paperwork and get a copy if it does. Some states issue none, so get a signed statement instead.
Q: What if a sub's policy is cancelled in the middle of the job?
You usually will not be told, because a certificate promises notice only if the policy provides it. Ask for a fresh certificate at renewal and any time a sub goes quiet.
Q: How long should I keep subcontractor certificates?
At least as long as your state allows construction claims to be filed after completion. That deadline is set by state law and ranges widely, so ask your attorney. Many general contractors keep them ten years.
Q: Can my broker check my subs' certificates for me?
Many will look at a certificate for you. Morrow reviews the insurance section of a general contractor's contract for free and says what each requirement means and what a policy must show to meet it.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Reading a general contractor's insurance requirements and saying plainly what a subcontractor's policy would and would not meet is a regular part of what we do.
- 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.