You add your general contractor (GC) with a one page change to your policy called an endorsement. "Additional insured" means the GC can use your liability policy if they get sued because of your work. Send the insurance section of your contract to your broker and ask for it. The insurance company usually issues it in one to three business days, or your certificate can go out today if your policy already has blanket wording. Who this is for: subcontractors and trades whose GC just asked to be named as an additional insured.
The short version
- Additional insured is added by a change to your policy, not by a certificate. The certificate only reports it.
- Many contractor policies already have blanket wording that covers any customer you sign a written contract with. Check first.
- Most GC contracts want two pieces: protection during the job and after the job is finished.
- Blanket wording usually costs nothing extra. Naming one GC runs roughly $50 to $300 (illustrative).
- Send the GC copies of those policy pages with your certificate. That is what the GC's insurance paperwork checkers look at.
What is my GC actually asking for?
Your GC wants a promise from your insurance company, not from you. If someone is hurt or property is damaged because of your work and the GC gets sued too, the GC wants to hand that lawsuit to your liability policy. That is all "additional insured" means.
It does not raise your limits. Everyone named shares the same pot of money. And under current standard wording, it does not cover the GC for problems that are only the GC's own fault. More: what an additional insured is.
How do I add my GC to my policy?
- Find the insurance section of your subcontract. It says who must be named and whether the protection must continue after the job.
- Send that section to your broker. Include the GC's exact legal name and address, the project name, and your start date.
- Your broker checks your policy. With blanket wording, your certificate can go out today. If not, the broker asks the insurance company to add an endorsement.
- The endorsement is issued. Usually one to three business days.
- Send the certificate plus the endorsement copies. Include the project name and contract number exactly as they appear in your subcontract. The GC's compliance desk wants all of it.
Which policy change do I need?
There are two flavors, and most GC contracts want both. One covers the GC while your crew is on site. The other keeps covering the GC after you finish. Many of the biggest construction claims, especially property damage like leaks and failed work, show up after the job is done. That second piece is the one most often missing.
| What the contract says | What it means | Common policy form |
|---|---|---|
| Additional insured, ongoing operations | The GC can use your policy for claims that happen while you are working | CG 20 10 lists customers by name. CG 20 33 or CG 20 38 is blanket, for customers you sign a contract with (CG 20 38 also covers the owner and others the contract makes you add). |
| Additional insured, completed operations | That protection keeps going after the job is finished | CG 20 37, either with your GC typed in the schedule or with blanket wording typed in (any customer your written contract requires), or an insurance company blanket form that mentions completed operations. |
| Primary and noncontributory | Your policy pays first and the GC's policy does not chip in | Often one line inside the additional insured endorsement, or a separate short page. |
Some "blanket" forms cover only the ongoing part. Ask your broker to confirm the completed part is there. See additional insured endorsements explained.
Does my policy already cover my GC?
Maybe. Blanket wording covers any customer you agree in a signed contract to name, with no new paperwork per job. The catch is the word signed. It only works if the contract is signed before something goes wrong. A handshake deal may not count. Sign first, then start. More here: blanket vs scheduled additional insured.
What will it cost me?
Illustrative figures. Your price depends on your trade, payroll, state, and insurance company.
| Situation | Illustrative cost |
|---|---|
| Your policy already has blanket wording | Usually nothing. The certificate is free to issue. |
| Adding blanket wording at renewal | Often nothing, sometimes a few hundred dollars a year. |
| A named endorsement for one GC | Roughly $50 to $300 each. |
| Adding the completed operations piece | Sometimes a modest extra premium, more for roofing and other trades whose problems tend to show up years later. |
Morrow clients issue their own certificates online in about a minute at no charge, and the endorsement copies come from the broker.
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: An electrical subcontractor in Texas signs a $180,000 subcontract for a strip mall build-out. The contract asks the GC and the property owner to be named as additional insureds during the job and after.
What went wrong: The sub's policy has blanket wording for ongoing operations only. The GC's compliance desk rejects the certificate the day before the crew is due on site because the completed operations piece is missing.
What it cost: Adding the completed operations endorsement mid term cost about $275 (illustrative) and took two business days. The crew lost those days, roughly $3,200 in idle wages.
The fix: Ask your broker one question before you sign: does my policy cover a GC during the job and after? If the answer is only during, fix it now, when it costs a few hundred dollars instead of a week.
Frequently asked questions
Q: My GC wants to be an additional insured. How do I add them?
Send the insurance section of your contract and the GC's exact legal name to your broker. With blanket wording, your certificate can go out the same day. If not, the insurance company adds a one page endorsement, usually within one to three business days.
Q: What does additional insured mean in plain English?
It means your GC can use your liability policy if they get sued because of your work. Your policy defends and pays for them the way it would for you, but only for claims tied to your work.
Q: Can I just check the additional insured box on my certificate?
No. The box on a certificate is a claim that an endorsement exists on your policy. If the endorsement is not really there, the box means nothing, and checking it anyway can put you in a bad spot with the GC and your insurance company.
Q: Does adding my GC raise my insurance limits?
No. The GC shares your existing limits. If a claim pays out a large part of your limit for the GC, there is less left for you on that incident. On most standard policies the lawyers' bills are paid on top of the limit, but on some specialty policies they eat into it, so ask your broker which kind you have.
Q: How long does it take to add an additional insured?
With blanket wording, no time at all, because the GC is covered once the contract is signed. Otherwise plan on one to three business days for the new endorsement.
Q: Do I also need to name the property owner?
Often yes. Many subcontracts ask you to name the GC, the owner, and sometimes the lender or the architect. Some blanket forms cover only the customer you signed the contract with, not the owner or lender above them. Ask your broker whether your blanket form covers the other parties your contract lists, or have those names added.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Adding a general contractor as an additional insured, and sending the endorsement copies that prove it, is one of the most common things our subcontractor clients ask us to 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.