Most general contractors want the same four things before you start: your certificate of insurance, the policy pages behind it, proof of workers comp, and sometimes your policy front pages. Ask for their checklist the day you sign, because every GC's list is a little different and this paperwork takes days, not minutes, to get right. Who this is for: subcontractors who have signed with a general contractor and want to clear insurance compliance the first time.
The short version
- Ask the GC for their insurance checklist the day you sign. Every list is a little different.
- The core four: a certificate made out to the GC, the policy pages proving the wording is really there, proof of workers comp, and sometimes the front page of each policy.
- The certificate takes minutes. The policy pages take one to three business days if anything has to be added, and a workers comp waiver takes longest, so start that one first.
- Names must match exactly: the GC's legal name, the owner's, and yours.
- Send everything in one email or one portal upload. Piecemeal paperwork gets lost.
What is on a typical GC's insurance checklist?
| Document | What it is | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of insurance | A one page summary of your policies, limits, and dates, made out to the GC | Minutes, if your policy has everything |
| Additional insured endorsement | The policy page saying the GC can use your liability policy if they are sued because of your work. Each such page is an endorsement, a change added to your policy. | Same day if your policy has it, one to three business days to add |
| Completed operations endorsement | The page saying that protection lasts after the job is finished. The one most often missing. | One to three business days to add |
| Waiver of subrogation, general liability | Your insurer agrees not to go after the GC to recover money it paid | Same day to three business days |
| Waiver of subrogation, workers comp | The same promise from your workers comp insurer, on a separate form | Two to five business days. Start this one first. |
| Proof of workers comp | The workers comp line on your certificate, or state exemption paperwork if your state allows it | Minutes if you have a policy |
| Declarations pages | The first page of each policy, in the insurer's own words | Same day from your broker |
For why the certificate alone is not enough, read is a certificate enough to show I meet the contract.
What has to be on the certificate?
- Certificate holder: the GC's exact legal name and address from the subcontract. "Ridge Construction" is not "Ridge Construction Group, Inc."
- Your name: exactly as it appears on the subcontract and your policy.
- Limits: every line meets or beats the contract, including employers liability, the part of workers comp that pays if an employee sues you.
- Dates: every policy in force on the start date.
- Boxes: checked only on lines where your policy really has that wording.
- Description box: the project name and address, everyone being added, and the words the contract uses.
Who else has to be named besides the GC?
The exhibit lists them: usually the owner, sometimes the lender and architect, and their officers and employees. Blanket wording is not a catch all. The usual blanket form only adds the party you signed the contract with, which is the general contractor. Some insurers offer broader wording that reaches the other parties, and some of those forms leave out the after completion protection, so a second form is needed. Typing names into the description box of a certificate adds nobody to your policy. Send your broker the full list and ask which form covers which name.
What if I have no employees?
Many GCs still require workers comp proof from every sub, because if you are hurt on their site with no coverage, their policy may end up paying. Some states let an owner with no employees file an exemption, and some GCs accept that form. Another answer, where your state and insurer allow it, is a small policy that excludes the owner and exists mainly to produce a certificate, often called a ghost policy. Because it excludes you, it pays nothing if you are the one hurt. Ask the GC what they accept, and your broker what including yourself would cost. See ghost policy.
How do I get everything in one go?
- Ask the GC for their insurance checklist, or the portal's list.
- Send that and the insurance exhibit to your broker the day you sign.
- Ask for a complete packet: certificate, every policy page it refers to, and front pages if requested.
- Check the effective date on every endorsement, not just that it exists. New wording usually starts the day your insurer adds it, and insurers rarely backdate it. Ask for each to be effective on or before your first day on site, and do not work before the paperwork is accepted.
- Check the GC's legal name yourself, then send everything at once.
- Put renewal dates on the job calendar. A policy that renews mid job means a new certificate.
What if the GC uses a website to check my paperwork?
Forward the rejection to your broker word for word. These websites reject by rule, so a box checked in the wrong column or a missing page fails the whole upload, and it is usually a fix of minutes. See how to fix a rejected certificate.
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 Texas with ten employees signs a $190,000 subcontract on an office fit-out. The GC's onboarding email lists a certificate, the additional insured and waiver pages, and a workers comp waiver, all due before the Monday start.
What went wrong: He sent the certificate Thursday with the GC listed as "Ridge Construction." The subcontract said "Ridge Construction Group, Inc." The portal rejected it. The workers comp waiver, which he had not started, took five business days.
What it cost: The crew started four working days late. Illustrative cost: about $3,200 in idle wages and roughly $300 for the waiver.
The fix: Get the checklist the day you sign, start the workers comp waiver first because it is the slowest, and copy the GC's legal name from the contract.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What insurance documents do I need before the GC lets me start?
Usually a certificate of insurance made out to the GC, the policy pages behind it, proof of workers comp, and sometimes your policy front pages. Ask the GC for their exact checklist.
Q: Is a certificate of insurance enough?
Rarely, for a GC. The certificate is a summary. Most GCs also want the policy pages that prove the wording is really there, and some want your front pages too.
Q: How long does it take to get the policy pages?
Same day if your policy has the wording, one to three business days if a liability page has to be added, and two to five for a workers comp waiver. Start the waiver first.
Q: I have no employees. Do I still need workers comp proof?
Many GCs require it anyway. Some accept a state exemption form where your state offers one. Others want a policy regardless. Ask the GC what they accept before you buy.
Q: Who should the certificate be made out to?
The GC's exact legal name and address as written in the subcontract, with the owner and anyone else the contract names listed in the description box. A missing "Inc." gets certificates rejected.
Q: Can my broker send the documents straight to the GC?
Yes, and many GCs prefer it. Give your broker the GC's compliance contact or portal login. Ask to be copied on what they send, so you have it in the job folder.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Assembling the packet a general contractor wants before mobilization, and getting it accepted the first time, is one of the most common things we do for subcontractors.
- 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.