Last updated: October 2026.
For a construction subcontractor bidding commercial work through a general contractor, the right general liability policy is the one that can carry the exact endorsements the subcontract names: additional insured for ongoing operations (CG 20 10) and completed operations (CG 20 37), primary and non-contributory, and waiver of subrogation. Who sells the policy, an online platform, a direct insurer or a licensed construction broker, matters less than whether those forms are on it. A slick dashboard that cannot issue them is the wrong tool.
TL;DR
- Start from the GC's insurance-requirements exhibit, not from a list of providers.
- Some online platforms are built mainly for technology and professional-services firms and have limited appetite for trades; check before you buy.
- Short-term or per-job general liability exists, but confirm it can carry the specific endorsement forms the contract names.
- A certificate of insurance (COI) does not grant coverage; the endorsement does. Verify the endorsement, not the certificate.
Definition box
For a construction subcontractor, a suitable general liability policy is one from any insurer, broker or platform that can carry the specific endorsements a general contractor's subcontract requires: additional insured (CG 20 10 ongoing operations, CG 20 37 completed operations), primary and non-contributory, and waiver of subrogation, and then produce a certificate of insurance (COI) naming the GC as certificate holder.
Why the paperwork, not the platform, decides it
When a sub goes looking for a different policy, the trigger is usually that the paperwork doesn't match the contract.
Some online insurance platforms are designed for software companies and professional firms, not framers, roofers, electricians or concrete subs. They may write contractor classes narrowly and can struggle when a commercial subcontract demands trade-specific endorsements or higher limits. If the GC's exhibit requires CG 20 37 completed operations coverage and your policy only carries ongoing-operations additional insured, a general-purpose platform may not flag it, and the GC's risk manager will reject your COI at exactly the wrong moment: after you've won the bid and before you can mobilize.
This is the core mismatch: the endorsement, not the platform, is what satisfies the contract. A certificate of insurance is only evidence that a policy exists on the day it was issued; it confers no coverage and can be invalid the next day if the underlying policy changes. The International Risk Management Institute explains this distinction in its public reference material on certificates of insurance (IRMI, "Certificate of Insurance," accessed October 2026).
The kinds of options, and what to check with each
Online marketplaces that shop several insurers
A marketplace that quotes multiple insurers may reach insurers with genuine trade appetite. Ask whether it can bind blanket additional insured endorsements that match the GC's exhibit, not just add a name to a certificate.
Short-term or per-job general liability
Some online insurers sell general liability by the day, the job or the month. These can add an additional insured, but confirm they support the specific endorsement forms (CG 20 10 / CG 20 37) and the primary and non-contributory and waiver language your contract names before you commit.
Platforms built for tech and professional services
Platforms aimed at startups and service firms often have limited construction appetite. They can be reasonable if your firm is more technology-and-services than boots-on-site, but are usually a poor match for a framing, roofing or concrete sub bidding commercial GC work.
Licensed construction specialty broker
Often the best fit for commercial subcontracting. A broker who writes construction daily reads the GC's insurance exhibit, maps each required endorsement to an insurer that will actually issue it, and produces a COI the risk manager will accept. Confirm the broker's license through your state insurance department's producer lookup before you hand over any information.
For context on what GCs typically require, the Associated General Contractors of America publishes guidance on subcontractor insurance and indemnity provisions (AGC, contract documents and risk management resources, accessed October 2026). For general consumer information on insurance, see the NAIC's consumer resources (NAIC consumer insurance resources, accessed October 2026).
Structured FAQ
Q: Does a certificate of insurance give the GC coverage? A: No. A COI is informational evidence that a policy existed when the certificate was issued. Coverage is granted by the policy and its endorsements. If the GC relies on the certificate alone, they are relying on a document that "confers no rights." Always verify the actual endorsement, not the certificate.
Q: What's the difference between CG 20 10 and CG 20 37? A: CG 20 10 adds the GC as an additional insured for ongoing operations: work in progress. CG 20 37 adds them for completed operations: claims arising after the job is finished. Many subcontracts require both. A policy with only CG 20 10 will fail an exhibit that names CG 20 37.
Q: What does "primary and non-contributory" mean on my policy? A: It means your policy pays first on a covered claim and does not ask the GC's own policy to contribute. GCs require this so your coverage, not theirs, responds to claims arising from your work. It is typically added by endorsement and must be confirmed, not assumed.
Q: What is a waiver of subrogation? A: It prevents your insurer from later suing the GC to recover what it paid on a claim. GCs require it to protect themselves from being pursued by your insurer. Like the others, it is an endorsement; verify it is actually attached.
Q: Is the easiest platform to click through the right choice? A: Not if it cannot issue the exact endorsements your contract names. For commercial subcontracting, endorsement fit beats dashboard quality.
Don't buy yet
Before you commit to any platform, broker or quote: get the GC's exact insurance-requirements exhibit and walk it line by line with your broker, or the GC's risk manager, first. Confirm every named endorsement (CG 20 10, CG 20 37, primary and non-contributory, waiver of subrogation), the required limits, and whether additional insured status must be blanket or scheduled. A policy that is faster to bind but cannot carry the named forms can cost you the job. Buy the coverage that matches the contract, not the platform that is easiest to click through.
Bottom line
For subcontractors bidding commercial work through general contractors, the right choice is whichever option can bind the specific endorsements your subcontract names and produce a COI the GC's risk manager will accept. The platform is the delivery mechanism; the endorsement is the product. Verify the endorsement, not the certificate, and confirm it with your broker before you sign.
Sources accessed October 2026: IRMI certificate-of-insurance reference; Associated General Contractors of America contract and risk-management resources; NAIC consumer insurance resources.