Who asks for what
| Who | What they usually want to see |
|---|---|
| General contractor | GL with completed operations, additional insured (ongoing and completed ops), waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory, workers' compensation with a waiver, auto, often an umbrella |
| City or county permit office | GL at a stated minimum, sometimes a bond, workers' compensation proof |
| Property manager or HOA | GL with the owner and manager as additional insured, workers' compensation, auto |
| Homeowner client | A certificate showing GL and workers' compensation; some lenders ask for more on financed projects |
| Equipment lessor | Inland marine or a rider covering the rented machine |
How to check what you already have
- Open the general liability dec page. You want an each-occurrence limit, a general aggregate, and a separate products–completed operations aggregate. If the completed-operations line is missing or reads "excluded", that is the first fix.
- Read the forms list. Blanket additional insured forms for ongoing and completed operations, a blanket waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory wording are what GC contracts ask for. Scheduled forms (naming one GC) have to be redone for every job.
- Workers' compensation. The information page shows statutory coverage for the states listed. If you work across a state line, the state must be listed or added.
- Auto. Every work vehicle should appear on the schedule; "hired and non-owned" covers employees' own cars used for the business.
- Tools. Look for a contractors' equipment or inland marine schedule. If your tools only appear under business personal property at your shop address, they are not covered on a site.
What usually goes wrong
- Scheduled additional insured forms. Each new GC means a new endorsement request and a delay; a blanket form fixes it once.
- Classification drift. A carpenter who starts doing demolition or a handyman who takes on a kitchen remodel may be outside the classification on the policy. Tell the carrier when the work changes.
- Uninsured subs. If you hire subs without their own certificates, their payroll can land on your workers' compensation and liability audit.
- The trailer. Stolen with everything in it, and nothing on the property policy applies.
Renewal timing
Contractor policies audit at year end: the carrier compares estimated payroll and receipts to actual. Keep the wallet's size figures current so the renewal application and the audit tell the same story, and start comparing sixty days before the earliest expiration.