Guide
Certificates of insurance for commercial real estate owners
What a COI does and doesn't do, how to get one, and what to check when a contractor hands you theirs.
The short answer
A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary of someone's coverage on the day it was issued. It doesn't add you to the policy or change it. To be covered under a contractor's policy, you need an additional insured endorsement, so ask for the endorsement as well as the certificate.
General information, not legal, tax, or coverage advice. What's covered depends on your specific policy wording, and the policy controls. Current as of September 2026.
A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary of someone's coverage. Owners collect them by the dozen. Most of them get filed and never read.
That's where the trouble starts. A roofer's crew injures a tenant's customer on a walkway. The roofer handed over a certificate before the job, so everyone assumed the owner was protected. But nobody asked for an additional insured endorsement, and the policy doesn't name the owner. The claim comes to the owner's general liability policy instead, shows up in the owner's loss history, and gets priced into the next renewal.
The certificate isn't the protection. The endorsements behind it are.
The basics
What a COI does, and what it doesn't
It is a snapshot
A COI summarizes the policies in force on the date it was issued: carrier, policy number, dates, and limits. It says nothing about tomorrow. If the policy cancels next week, the certificate in your file still looks fine.
It is informational only
The certificate carries a disclaimer to that effect, and courts generally treat it that way. It doesn't amend, extend, or alter the policy, and it doesn't give the holder rights the policy itself doesn't give.
It doesn't add anyone to the policy
Being listed as certificate holder means you get the paper. It does not mean you're covered. Coverage for you as an additional insured comes from an endorsement on the policy, not from the certificate.
Two different things
Certificate holder vs. additional insured
Certificate holder
The person the certificate is issued to. It proves the insured has coverage. It gives the holder no coverage and, unless the policy says so, no right to notice of cancellation.
Additional insured
A party added to the insured's liability policy by endorsement. The policy responds to claims against them, arising out of the insured's work, subject to the endorsement's wording.
Additional insured status has to be on the policy. It comes from an endorsement. These ISO forms are the ones you'll see most on general liability policies:
ISO CG 20 10
Additional insured, ongoing operations. Covers you while the contractor is still working.
ISO CG 20 37
Additional insured, completed operations. Covers you after the work is done, when many construction claims show up.
ISO CG 20 26
Additional insured, designated person or organization. A general-purpose form some policies use in place of CG 20 10. It doesn't pick up completed operations on its own, so check it against what your contract calls for.
Not every carrier uses ISO forms, and edition dates change the wording. Read the endorsement on the policy, not just its title.
Which form is which
ACORD 25
Certificate of liability insurance. This is the one contractors, vendors, and tenants hand you. It lists general liability, auto, umbrella or excess, and workers' compensation.
ACORD 24 and ACORD 28
Certificate of property insurance and evidence of commercial property insurance. This is what lenders want from you as the owner, showing your building coverage with the lender named as mortgagee and loss payee.
How they're used
Certificates go both directions
You collect them from contractors and vendors
Anyone working on your property hands you a certificate showing their coverage, so their losses hit their policies first.
You collect them from tenants
Leases usually require tenants to carry liability, and often property coverage on their contents and improvements. The COI is how you check.
Lenders and property managers ask you for them
Your loan documents will require evidence of insurance, and a management company may require certificates from the owner and from every vendor it hires on your behalf.
You give them to lenders
Lenders want evidence of property insurance (ACORD 28 or equivalent) and liability certificates at closing and at every renewal.
For what lenders ask of you, see our lender insurance requirements guide.
Getting one
How to get a certificate
Ask your agent or broker
Your agent issues certificates on your policies, and a contractor's agent issues theirs. Most requests are routine and handled by the agency's service team.
Give them the holder's exact name and address
The legal name of the entity, spelled the way it appears in the contract or loan documents, plus the mailing address. A wrong entity name is the most common reason a certificate gets rejected.
Send the contract's insurance requirements
Send the insurance section itself, not a summary: additional insured status, waiver of subrogation, primary and noncontributory wording, and the required limits. The agent can only match what they can see.
Ask for the endorsements, not just the certificate
The certificate is a summary. The endorsement is the proof. Ask for a copy of the additional insured endorsement, and the waiver of subrogation and primary and noncontributory endorsements if your contract requires them.
Plan for turnaround
A routine certificate often comes back within a business day or two, and many brokers (us included) give clients an online portal to issue standard certificates themselves, immediately. Custom wording, new endorsements, and anything that has to go to the carrier take longer. Don't ask the day work starts.
Contractors and vendors
When to require one
Any time someone other than your own employees works on your property. Get the certificate before work starts, and put the insurance requirements in the contract so the certificate is the proof of something you already required.
- General contractors and subcontractors
- Roofers, electricians, plumbers, and HVAC contractors
- Elevator and fire-protection service companies
- Landscaping and snow removal vendors
- Janitorial and cleaning companies
- Security companies
- Tenant-hired contractors doing buildouts
What to require
General liability with additional insured status
Ongoing and completed operations both. Limits are commonly set per occurrence and in the aggregate, sized to the work. Match them to your contract and your lender's requirements.
Commercial auto
For any vendor driving to and around your property. Vehicles are a real source of parking lot and driveway claims.
Workers' compensation
So an injured worker goes to the contractor's policy, not to a claim against you. Check that it covers the state where the work is done.
Umbrella or excess liability
Commonly required on larger jobs, and it should follow the underlying additional insured terms. Ask your agent to confirm it does.
Waiver of subrogation
So the contractor's carrier can't pay a claim and then sue you to get its money back.
Primary and noncontributory
So the contractor's policy pays first and your own policy isn't asked to share the loss.
Limits vary with the size and hazard of the work. Set them in the contract, check them against your lender's requirements, and have your attorney review the wording.
Track expirations. A certificate is good on the day it's issued. Put every policy expiration date in a spreadsheet or tracking system, and ask for a renewal certificate before the policy ends.
The cost of skipping it. When a contractor has no coverage, or coverage that doesn't name you, the injured party looks for the next pocket. That's you. The loss lands on your policy, counts against your loss history, and raises questions at renewal. See real estate risk management and builders risk and OCIP for larger projects.
Tenant buildouts count. When a tenant hires a contractor to build out a suite, that contractor is working on your building. Your lease should require the tenant to deliver the contractor's certificates and endorsements before work starts.
Security vendors too. At an apartment community, the security patrol or camera vendor should be on this list, with you as an additional insured. If a crime on the property leads to a suit, that coverage can matter. See negligent security lawsuits against apartment owners.
Checklist
How to review a contractor's certificate of insurance (COI)
- The insured named on the certificate is the exact entity you signed the contract with, not a related company or a trade name.
- Your entity is named correctly as certificate holder, and again as additional insured if the contract requires it.
- The certificate says additional insured status applies, and you have the endorsement itself with form numbers that include completed operations.
- Every policy period covers the full length of the work, and the expiration dates are noted for follow-up.
- General liability, auto, workers' compensation, and umbrella limits meet the contract.
- Waiver of subrogation and primary and noncontributory wording are shown, and the endorsements back them up.
- The description of operations references the project or location.
- The carriers are admitted or rated at least what your contract or lender requires.
- Watch the exclusions and limits. Ask about anything that removes coverage for the work being done, such as residential, height, or subcontractor exclusions.
- Subcontractors are covered too: either their own certificates, or the contractor's contract flows the requirements down.
- The certificate is signed, dated, and issued by the agent or broker, not by the contractor.
If any of these fail, send the certificate back. Don't let the crew start work while it gets sorted out. See also our insurance document checklist.
FAQ
Common questions about certificates of insurance
Does a certificate of insurance mean I'm covered?
No. A COI shows that the insured had coverage on the date it was issued. It doesn't add you to the policy or change it. If you need coverage under the contractor's policy, you need an additional insured endorsement.
What's the difference between certificate holder and additional insured?
The certificate holder receives the certificate as proof of coverage and has no coverage rights because of it. An additional insured is added to the policy by endorsement and is covered under it, within the terms of that endorsement. You want to be both.
What should a contractor's COI include?
The named insured should match the name on your contract, and the general liability, auto, workers' comp, and umbrella limits should meet what the contract requires. You should be named as additional insured, with the endorsement attached and covering completed operations, along with a waiver of subrogation and primary and noncontributory wording. Check that the policy dates are current.
How long does it take to get a COI?
Routine certificates often come back in a day or two, or immediately if your broker gives you a self-service portal. Anything needing a new endorsement, custom wording, or carrier approval takes longer. Send the request early, with the exact holder name and the contract's insurance section.
Which additional insured endorsement should I ask for?
Ask for ongoing and completed operations coverage. On ISO forms that is commonly CG 20 10 together with CG 20 37, or a form your contract identifies. Carriers use different forms, so give your agent the contract language and ask them to confirm the policy matches.
What if a contractor's policy expires in the middle of the job?
The certificate you have won't warn you. Track expiration dates, request a renewal certificate before the policy ends, and make it a condition of payment in the contract. If they don't renew, stop work until they do.
Is a COI a legal requirement?
Not by itself. It's a contract and lender requirement. Your lease, construction contract, or loan documents say what evidence you need. Talk to your attorney about how the wording in your contracts applies to you.
Working with us
Send us the contract
We'll read the insurance section of your vendor contract, lease, or loan and tell you what to require and whether your own policies respond. If you need certificates issued on your program, we handle those too, and our clients can issue standard certificates themselves, any time, through an online portal.
This article is for general educational purposes only. It isn't legal, tax, accounting, or lending advice and doesn't create a producer–client relationship. Policy terms, exclusions, and availability vary by carrier, state, and property. Only the policy actually issued determines coverage. Regulatory and lender requirements change; confirm current rules with your attorney, lender, or servicer before relying on anything here.
Free renewal review
Get your contractor requirements checked
We'll reply within one business day with when to start marketing it and what to have ready. Built for accounts with $50,000+ in annual premium.
- A second set of expert eyes on your program, free.
- Marketed to the carriers that actually want your risk.
- No obligation, fully confidential.
Book 20 minutes or call (205) 999-4884