The contractor's guide to certificate of insurance requests
If you're a contractor, you've gotten emails asking for a "certificate of insurance naming us as additional insured with waiver of subrogation." Here's what those terms actually mean, what your clients are really asking for, and how to handle COI requests without the headache.
COIs, Additional Insureds, Waiver of Sub… What?
If you're a contractor on the Peninsula, you've probably gotten an email that says something like:
"Please provide a certificate of insurance naming us as additional insured with waiver of subrogation."
And you probably forwarded it to your agent without fully understanding what it means. That's fine — that's what we're here for. But let's demystify it so you know what you're agreeing to.
What Is a Certificate of Insurance (COI)?
A COI is a one-page document that proves you have insurance. It shows:
A COI does not change your coverage. It's proof, not a policy modification.
Your agent can usually issue a COI the same day. It's one of the most common requests we handle.
What Is an "Additional Insured"?
When someone asks to be named as an additional insured on your policy, they're asking for a specific protection: if a claim arises from your work, your policy will also extend coverage to them.
Example: You're a general contractor working on a property. The property owner asks to be named as additional insured on your GL policy. If someone gets hurt on the job and sues both you and the property owner, your GL policy responds for both of you.
This is standard in most commercial contracts. It's not unusual and it's not a red flag.
Important: Additional insured status only covers claims arising from your work. It doesn't give them coverage for their own unrelated issues.
What Is a Waiver of Subrogation?
Subrogation is when your insurance company pays a claim and then goes after the responsible party to recover costs.
A waiver of subrogation means: your insurance company agrees NOT to go after the party named in the waiver, even if that party was partially at fault.
Example: You're doing electrical work in a building. A fire starts. Your insurance pays the claim. Normally, your carrier might try to recover costs from the building owner if they contributed to the conditions. With a waiver of subrogation, your carrier agrees not to pursue that.
This is also standard in most contracts. Your carrier may charge a small additional premium for it.
What Is a "Primary and Non-Contributory" Endorsement?
This means: your policy pays first before any other insurance the additional insured might have.
Without this language, both policies might try to split the claim. With it, yours goes first.
Again — standard in most commercial contracts.
The Contractor's COI Checklist
When you get a COI request, here's what to send your agent:
Pro tip: If you're a contractor who bids on multiple jobs, keep a running list of your standard insurance requirements. It makes the process faster every time.
What Your Clients Are Really Asking For
When a property owner, GC, or commercial client asks for a COI with additional insured and waiver of subrogation, they're saying:
"I want proof that you're insured. And if something goes wrong on this job, I want your insurance to cover me too — and I don't want your carrier coming after me later."
That's it. It's protective, but it's completely normal.
Growing Up Covered Insight
"It's very important for a consumer: if you're having a roofer do your home, you want to get a certificate of insurance from the roofer or any contractor naming you as an additional insured. You want to see that the roofer has general liability and workers' comp."
Paul watched a roofer fall off a two-story building across from our office. No safety equipment. No workers' comp. Get the certificate before the work starts.
Key Takeaways
What to Do
If you're getting COI requests and you're not sure what's standard vs. what's unusual, forward the request to your agent and ask. We handle these daily.
Zach Nadler is a 4th-generation insurance broker at Nadler Insurance in San Carlos, CA. Send a COI request →