Who asks for what
| Who | What they usually want to see |
|---|---|
| Property manager or HOA | GL naming owner and manager as additional insured, waiver of subrogation, workers' compensation, auto |
| General contractor | GL with completed ops, additional insured for ongoing and completed operations, waiver, primary and non-contributory, workers' compensation, umbrella |
| Commercial client | GL, auto, workers' compensation, often pollution and an umbrella in vendor onboarding |
| Permit office | License bond and GL certificate |
| Homeowner | GL and workers' compensation certificate |
How to check what you already have
- General liability dec page. Each occurrence, general aggregate and the products–completed operations aggregate. Confirm no endorsement limits water damage or completed operations.
- Forms list. Blanket additional insured for ongoing and completed operations, blanket waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory.
- Pollution. Either a separate contractors pollution policy or a limited pollution endorsement on the GL; know which you have and what it excludes.
- Workers' compensation. Information page lists every state you work in.
- Auto and tools. Every van scheduled; recovery machines and diagnostic equipment on a tools schedule.
What usually goes wrong
- "Your work" exclusion surprises. Redoing your own defective work is not covered; the damage it causes to the rest of the building is. Owners often expect the reverse.
- Mold. Many policies exclude it entirely. A pollution policy with mold coverage is the fix for contractors who open walls.
- Driver lists. New hires driving vans before they are added to the auto policy.
- Seasonal payroll swings. An HVAC payroll estimate set in winter produces a painful audit after a hot summer.
Renewal timing
Start sixty days before the earliest expiration. Bring the year's actual payroll and receipts so the renewal application and the audit match, and ask for the completed-operations and pollution limits your largest current contract requires.