FREE CONTRACTOR CHECKLIST
Contractor Project-Ready Insurance Checklist
Identify what the job requires, collect the right COIs and endorsements, and check the paperwork before work begins.
Free educational resource · No email required
REQUIREMENT
Understand what is requested
PROOF
Collect and verify the documents
ACTION
Send it and keep it current
STEP 1 · REQUIREMENT
Understand what the job requires
Before you request a certificate or endorsement, identify exactly what the owner, GC, landlord, or client is asking for.
Start with the actual request
Find the latest contract, bid instruction, insurance exhibit, email, or portal request. Confirm the project, who is asking, and when the insurance paperwork is due.
Find each insurance requirement
Certificate of insurance (COI)
Is a certificate required? Who should receive it?
Additional insured
Who must be added to your liability coverage?
Waiver of subrogation
Is a waiver required, and for whom?
Primary & noncontributory
Does the contract say your coverage must respond first?
Coverage limits
What minimum limits are required?
Specific forms or endorsements
Does the request name a particular form or endorsement?
Deadline / before-work approval
When must the paperwork be received or accepted?
Attached forms or exhibits
Are there forms, exhibits, or addenda that must be returned?
Make a simple requirement list
Write one requirement per line. This is the list you can send to your insurance contact and use to check what comes back.
COI / certificate holder
Additional insured
Waiver / primary wording
Coverage + limits
Forms / endorsements
Deadline / other
Send this list to your insurance contact
Can our current policies meet these requirements?
What certificates, endorsements, or policy changes are needed?
Is anything unavailable, restricted, or subject to underwriting approval?
Could added cost or processing time delay the project?
When can the complete package be ready?
Tip: Send the full insurance section or exhibit — not only a screenshot of the COI request.
A requirement your current insurance may not meet?
If the project requires limits, endorsements, or coverage you do not currently carry, you can explore options from licensed insurance providers.
Explore insurance options
Policy & Proof may receive compensation from certain insurance partners.
STEPS 2–3 · PROOF + ACTION
Collect, check, and send the documents
Use the original requirement as your reference while you collect the insurance documents, check that they match, and send the complete package.
Collect the documents you need
Certificate of insurance (COI)
Shows current coverage, limits, dates, and certificate holder information.
Additional insured endorsement
Include it when the contract requires additional-insured status.
Waiver of subrogation endorsement
Include it when a waiver is required.
Primary & noncontributory wording
Include supporting endorsement or policy wording when required.
Other required forms or endorsements
Attach any project-specific forms, exhibits, or endorsements.
Supporting evidence
Provide umbrella/excess, auto, workers compensation, or other evidence only when requested.
Check before you send
Business name is correct
Use the exact legal name shown on the policy.
Recipient details are correct
Certificate holder and required parties match the request.
Project details are correct
Project name, location, job number, or other identifiers match.
Policy dates are current
Coverage is in force for the period you are showing.
Required limits are shown
Compare the evidence against the original requirement.
Supporting endorsements are attached
Do not rely on COI wording alone when an endorsement or policy right is required.
Nothing unresolved is hidden
Flag any mismatch or exception before submission.
Send and confirm
Send it using the method the requester specified.
Confirm the recipient received it and note any missing item.
Save a copy of what you sent and any approval or rejection response.
Set a reminder if coverage expires during the project.
Stop and ask for help when…
Ask your insurance professional — or legal counsel for contract language — when:
The contract or insurance wording is unclear.
A required endorsement or coverage is not available under your current program.
Someone asks you to change COI wording to promise something the policy does not provide.
Required limits or coverage differ materially from what you carry.
The client rejects the package without clearly explaining what is missing.
Need insurance help for a project requirement?
If your current insurance cannot meet a requirement—or you need coverage for an upcoming project—you can explore options from licensed insurance providers.
Explore insurance options
Policy & Proof is an educational resource, not an insurance agency, and does not provide or bind coverage. Policy & Proof may receive compensation from certain insurance partners.
Reviewed August 2026 · General educational resource