A certificate of insurance is what GCs collect from every subcontractor (and owners collect from GCs) before work starts. Issued by the insured’s broker, the standard ACORD 25 lists the insurer, policy numbers, effective and expiration dates, and limits for general liability, auto, umbrella or excess, and workers’ compensation. A description box notes the project, additional insured status and waivers of subrogation.
The catch: a COI is informational only. The form itself says it confers no rights on the certificate holder and doesn’t amend the policies. Additional insured status and waivers come from endorsements to the actual policy. That’s why careful GCs ask for copies of the endorsements, not just the certificate.
Why it matters
If a sub’s policy lapses and someone gets hurt, the GC’s own policy can end up paying, which hurts the GC’s loss history and premiums. Contracts generally require proof of insurance before mobilization and before each payment. Tracking expiration dates across dozens of subs and multiple policies per sub is tedious, and it’s easy to miss one.
Common mistakes
- Accepting a COI without the endorsements it refers to.
- Not tracking expiration dates, so a sub works with lapsed coverage.
- Limits lower than the subcontract requires.
- Wrong certificate holder or project description.
- Paying a sub while its insurance is expired.
How os.construction handles it
We’re building compliance tracking so each sub’s insurance records and expiration dates live on the vendor record and can flag a payment before it goes out with lapsed coverage. It’s in development.