CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE
What a Certificate of Insurance (COI) actually proves
A Certificate of Insurance can quickly show key information about your insurance program. But it is evidence of insurance — not the policy itself, and not proof that every contract requirement has been satisfied.
Practical guide · For contractors and subcontractors
THE SHORT ANSWER
A COI summarizes insurance that is currently in place. It does not add coverage, create an endorsement, or guarantee that every contract requirement has been met.
What a COI tells you — and what it doesn’t
Who is identified as the insured
Which insurers and policy types are listed
Policy numbers and effective dates
Limits shown on the certificate
Who requested or received the certificate
That every contract requirement is satisfied
That the certificate holder is an additional insured
That required endorsements are attached
That coverage has been expanded or changed
That a claim will be covered
The underlying policy and endorsements control the actual coverage.
HOW TO READ THE CERTIFICATE
The parts of a COI worth checking
Named insured
Confirm the business name and legal entity match the company doing the work.
Producer / insurance contact
The agency or broker that issued the certificate and the person to contact with questions.
Insurer(s)
Which carrier writes each line of coverage listed on the form.
Policy types, dates, and limits
Check that each policy type is listed, the term covers the project period, and the limits shown line up with the request.
Certificate holder
The party receiving the certificate. Compare the name and address to what the requester provided.
Description of Operations
Project or job references and any wording noted by the issuer. Wording here does not replace an endorsement.
CERTIFICATE HOLDER VS. ADDITIONAL INSURED
Certificate holder and additional insured are not the same thing
1
Certificate holder
Evidence recipient
Receives the certificate as evidence of insurance.
2
Additional insured
Insured status
May have insured status only when the applicable policy language or endorsement actually provides it.
Seeing a company’s name on a COI does not, by itself, create additional-insured status.
WHAT THE CERTIFICATE CANNOT CHANGE
A certificate cannot rewrite the policy
It cannot create coverage that the policy does not provide.
It cannot increase policy limits.
It cannot substitute certificate wording for a required endorsement.
It cannot create waiver, additional-insured, or primary/noncontributory rights merely by stating them on the certificate.
It cannot guarantee that a contract’s insurance requirements have been met.
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.
REQUIREMENT → PROOF → ACTION
Use the request to determine what proof is actually needed
REQUIREMENT
What did the owner, GC, landlord, or client actually ask for?
PROOF
Does the request call for a COI only, or also an endorsement, policy wording, or other evidence?
ACTION
Compare what comes back with the original request and flag anything that does not match.
COMMON REJECTION POINTS
Why a COI may come back
01
Business or legal name does not match
02
Certificate holder information is wrong
03
Policy dates are expired or outside the project period
04
Limits do not meet the stated requirement
05
Proof of required additional-insured status is missing
06
Required waiver or primary wording is not supported by the policy or endorsements
07
Project or location details are incomplete
WHAT TO SEND YOUR INSURANCE CONTACT
Make the request easier to process
Send the complete insurance section or exhibit, not only a screenshot of a COI request.
Identify the project and requester.
Highlight required limits and endorsements.
Include the deadline.
Ask what is available under the current policy and what requires a change or underwriting approval.
Working through a real project requirement?
Use the Contractor Project-Ready Insurance Checklist to identify the requirement, collect the right evidence, and check the package before work begins.
Educational information only. Policy & Proof does not bind coverage, issue certificates, or provide insurance or legal advice. Coverage depends on the actual policy terms and endorsements.