Who asks for what
| Who | What they usually want to see |
|---|---|
| General contractor | GL with completed ops, additional insured for ongoing and completed operations, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory, workers' compensation with waiver, auto, umbrella |
| Permit office or licensing board | License bond, GL certificate at a minimum limit, workers' compensation proof |
| Property manager | GL naming owner and manager, workers' compensation, auto |
| Homeowner | GL and workers' compensation certificate; lenders on financed work may ask for more |
How to check what you already have
- Dec page of the general liability policy. Three liability numbers matter: each occurrence, general aggregate, products–completed operations aggregate. A missing or excluded completed-operations line is the single biggest gap for electricians.
- Forms list. Look for blanket additional insured (ongoing and completed operations), blanket waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory wording. Blanket forms satisfy every GC; scheduled forms satisfy one.
- Workers' compensation information page. The states listed under item 3.A must include every state you work in.
- Auto schedule. Every van and truck listed; hired and non-owned auto for employees' own vehicles.
- Equipment schedule. Testers, benders, lifts and ladders either on a blanket tools limit or scheduled individually above the per-item threshold.
What usually goes wrong
- Completed operations quietly limited. Some policies carry an endorsement that narrows it; the dec page looks fine until the forms are read.
- Working across the state line on a workers' compensation policy that lists one state.
- Rented lifts. The rental agreement makes you responsible; the equipment schedule has to say "leased or rented equipment" or the loss is yours.
- A new line of work (solar, EV chargers, controls) that the carrier classified differently from what you now do.
Renewal timing
Audits at year end compare payroll and receipts to the estimate. Keep the wallet's size figures current, start comparing sixty days before expiration, and ask for the completed-operations limit the next contract will need rather than the one the last one did.