Ask your customer to tell you, in writing, exactly which line fails, then send that line and your policy to your broker the same day. Most "not enough" notices are one of four things: a limit that is too low, missing wording, a name or date that does not match, or a certificate filled out wrong. Each has a routine fix that takes minutes to two weeks. Who this is for: contractors and trades who just got a rejection from a customer or from the website that checks their paperwork.
The short version
- Get the rejection in writing with the exact line that fails. "Not enough" cannot be fixed. "Your umbrella is $1,000,000 and we need $2,000,000" can.
- Most rejections are one of four things: a low limit, missing wording, a mismatched name or date, or a certificate error.
- Certificate errors are fixed in minutes. Wording takes one to three days. Higher limits take days to two weeks.
- Do not walk away from the job before you have a price for the fix. It is often smaller than you fear.
- Some requirements are wrong for a business your size, and you are allowed to ask for a change.
What exactly is my customer saying is not enough?
Turn a vague "no" into a specific one. Ask whoever sent the rejection, usually your customer's insurance or compliance desk, the people (or outside company) they pay to check subcontractor paperwork. They answer quickly because they want you to pass.
| What they said | What it usually means | Typical fix | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Your limits are too low" | The contract wants a higher limit than you carry | Raise the limit, or buy an umbrella (a second layer above your other liability policies). Check the contract first: most let you add the two together, some want the full limit on the general liability policy itself, and an umbrella cannot supply a yearly limit that resets per job. | Two days to two weeks |
| "We need the endorsements" | They want the policy pages that prove the wording is there. Each page is an endorsement, a change added to your policy. | Your broker sends the pages, or adds the missing one | Same day to three business days |
| "Completed operations is missing" | Your wording ends when the job is finished. They want it to continue afterward. | Add the completed operations endorsement | One to three business days |
| "No waiver on workers comp" | Your workers comp insurer has not agreed to skip going after your customer to recover money it paid | Add the waiver to the workers comp policy. A few states use their own form or limit when one can be given, and it only counts for injuries after it is added, so start this one first. | Two to five business days |
| "Wrong name" or "expired" | The certificate names a different entity, or a date has passed | Reissue the certificate | Minutes |
What should I do in the first hour?
- Get it in writing, with the exact requirement quoted.
- Do not argue yet. You do not know if they are right until you check the policy.
- Forward it to your broker with the insurance section and your certificate. Ask: certificate error, missing endorsement, or real gap, and what does the fix cost?
- Tell your customer you are on it, and when they will hear back.
- Hold the crew until they confirm you can start.
What if the problem is a dollar limit?
Two ways to close it. Raise the limit on the policy, which some insurers allow mid term, or buy an umbrella that sits on top. Above $1,000,000 extra, the umbrella is usually cheaper.
Illustrative for a small contractor with clean claims: a $1,000,000 umbrella often runs roughly $600 to $2,500 a year and a $2,000,000 umbrella roughly $1,200 to $4,500. Trade, payroll, state, and claims history move these a lot. See how to get $5 million in umbrella coverage.
What if the problem is missing wording?
Some contractor policies already carry blanket wording that adds the party you signed a written contract with, and then the fix is just sending the right pages. It is not on every policy, and it often does not reach an owner or lender you did not sign with, so ask which form you have and who it covers. Illustrative cost: often nothing with blanket wording, otherwise roughly $50 to $300 per item.
What if my customer is wrong?
It happens. Portals reject by machine, and a box checked in the wrong column fails the whole document. Sometimes the requirement was copied from a contract written for a company fifty times your size.
- Let your broker call whoever checks the paperwork. Two people who speak insurance sort out a misread in one call.
- Ask for a change, politely and specifically. "Would you accept $2,000,000 instead of $5,000,000 on a $40,000 contract?" gets a yes more often than you expect. See how to ask for a change.
Can I keep working while this gets fixed?
Usually not before you are cleared. Most contracts say you may not start until proof of insurance is accepted, and your customer can hold payment if you work anyway. Ask, in writing.
There is an insurance reason to wait too. New wording usually starts the day your insurer adds it, and insurers rarely backdate it. Work done before that date may not carry the protection your customer wants, and a waiver added after someone is hurt does not apply to that injury. Ask your broker to confirm each date.
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 heating and cooling subcontractor in Arizona with nine employees is awarded a $210,000 contract on a retail build-out. The general contractor's portal rejects his paperwork with one line: "Umbrella liability required, $2,000,000, none shown."
What went wrong: He had never carried an umbrella and assumed it would cost thousands a month. He almost told the general contractor to find someone else.
What it cost: His broker quoted a $2,000,000 umbrella at roughly $1,900 a year, illustrative, and had it in place in four business days. The delay cost him four days of scheduling headaches.
The fix: Get the price before you make the decision. A number that felt like a deal breaker was less than one percent of the contract.
Frequently asked questions
Q: My customer says my insurance is not enough. What should I do?
Ask them to name the exact requirement that fails, in writing. Send that and your policy to your broker the same day. Most rejections are a low limit, missing wording, or a certificate error.
Q: Can my customer really refuse to let me start?
Yes. Most contracts say you may not begin until proof of insurance is accepted, and some let the customer hold payment or end the contract if you work anyway.
Q: What do I tell my customer while I wait?
Reply the same day with what you are fixing and the date you will have it. Silence is what gets a sub replaced, and most general contractors will hold the slot for someone who keeps them posted.
Q: What if I cannot afford the extra insurance?
Get the real number first, because it is often far less than owners expect. Then decide whether to build it into your price, ask the customer to adjust, or pass on the job.
Q: Can I ask my customer to lower the requirement?
Yes. Offer a specific alternative and a reason, such as the size of your contract. Requirements copied from templates for large companies get adjusted more often than you would think.
Q: What if my certificate already shows what they asked for?
Ask your broker to call whoever checks their paperwork. Portals reject by machine, and a box in the wrong column or a missing policy page fails the whole certificate.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Turning a rejection notice into a fix, and talking to your customer's compliance team so you do not have to, is something we do for contractors every week.
- 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.