Subcontractor insurance requirements: what GCs should verify

Before a subcontractor steps on site, general contractors need confidence that insurance requirements in the contract are reflected on the certificate and endorsements, not assumed from a prior project.

What belongs on a standard subcontractor COI review checklist?

1. Named insured matches the entity performing work (including DBA if applicable).
2. Certificate holder and additional insured parties match the GC and owner requirements.
3. Policy effective and expiration dates cover the mobilization window.
4. Limits meet or exceed contract minimums for GL, auto, and workers comp.
5. Required endorsements are listed and form numbers are identifiable.

For ongoing monitoring after onboarding, pair this checklist with COI tracking for general contractors.

What endorsements do GCs most often miss?

Additional insured endorsement: Amends the subcontractor's liability policy to extend coverage to the parties named in the endorsement (often the GC and owner).

GC teams frequently approve COIs where the certificate states additional insured status but the underlying CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 (or equivalent) endorsement is missing or expired.

How should requirements connect to pricing and procurement?

Insurance verification is part of vendor qualification, not a post-award paperwork step. Programs that standardize requirements reduce change orders driven by last-minute mobilization holds.

Compare program tiers on pricing. For COI workflows, see COI tracking for general contractors.