Last updated: October 2026. This guide covers documentation and endorsement requirements only — no pricing is quoted here; insurance costs vary by carrier, state, and risk profile. Verify specifics with your broker before committing.
Methodology: This guide is based on standard ACORD certificate language, published ISO/CG endorsement forms, and publicly available state insurance regulations current as of October 2026. It does not recommend any specific vendor or product.
The short version: When your GC says your COI is wrong but your broker says it's fine, both are usually telling the truth about different documents. The broker is looking at your policy, which may have the right coverage. The GC is looking at the certificate, which is proof only and often misses the specific endorsements the subcontract demands: additional insured (CG 20 10 plus CG 20 37), primary and non-contributory, and waiver of subrogation. In most rejections, the policy is correct but the certificate and endorsement pages don't evidence it the way the exhibit requires. Fix the paper, not the policy.
TL;DR
- The certificate of insurance (COI) is proof, not coverage — it does not add, change, or grant anything. The endorsement does.
- GC rejections almost always come down to 3 endorsement requirements: additional insured (CG 20 10 / CG 20 37), primary and non-contributory, and waiver of subrogation.
- Your broker says "fine" because the policy has coverage. The GC says "wrong" because the certificate doesn't show the endorsement forms by number.
- Pull the exhibit language from your subcontract and bring it to your broker verbatim — so you ask for the exact endorsement form by number, not "fix my COI."
Definition box
Certificate of Insurance (COI): A one-page summary (usually ACORD 25) that evidences insurance exists on the date it's issued. It is informational only. The disclaimer printed on every ACORD 25 says so: the certificate "confers no rights upon the certificate holder" and "does not amend, extend or alter the coverage afforded by the policies" listed. The thing that actually grants rights is the endorsement — a form attached to your policy. This distinction is national and consistent across states. When a GC rejects a COI, they are rejecting the paper, not necessarily the insurance.
Why does the GC say my COI is wrong when my broker says it's fine?
Because they're grading two different pages against two different standards.
Your broker is reading the policy. If you bought general liability with a blanket additional insured endorsement, the broker is correct: the coverage exists. Policy's fine.
The GC is reading the certificate against the insurance requirements exhibit in your subcontract. That exhibit doesn't ask "does coverage exist." It asks: does this certificate evidence additional insured status for ongoing AND completed operations, primary and non-contributory wording, and waiver of subrogation, by endorsement, with the form number shown?
A policy can have all three and a certificate can show none of them. That's the whole gap. The COI is a snapshot; the endorsement is the asset. When "COI rejected but broker says correct" shows up in your inbox, it's the snapshot that failed the picture, not the coverage behind it.
The three things the GC is actually checking
| What the exhibit demands | What proves it | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Additional insured — ongoing operations | CG 20 10 endorsement (by form number) | Attached to the policy; form number should appear on the COI |
| Additional insured — completed operations | CG 20 37 endorsement (by form number) | Attached to the policy; form number should appear on the COI |
| Primary and non-contributory coverage | Endorsement language or policy provision stating your coverage pays first and does not seek contribution | Policy endorsement; wording referenced on the COI |
| Waiver of subrogation | Waiver of transfer of rights endorsement (e.g., CG 24 04 for GL) | Policy endorsement; checkbox or note on the COI |
If the exhibit lists CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 and your certificate only references a single blanket additional insured form without naming completed operations, expect a rejection — even if the underlying policy actually covers completed operations. The reviewer can only credit what the paper evidences.
How to fix it without changing your policy
- Read the exhibit, not the email. The rejection email rarely tells you what's missing. The subcontract's insurance exhibit does. Find the clause listing required endorsements by form number.
- Compare it to your current endorsement pages, not your COI. Ask your broker for copies of the actual endorsement forms attached to your policy.
- If the endorsement exists but isn't shown, ask your broker to reissue the certificate referencing the specific form numbers and to attach the endorsement copies the GC requires.
- If the endorsement genuinely doesn't exist, that's a policy change, not a paper fix. Your broker can request the carrier add it; this may involve additional premium.
- Resubmit with the form numbers visible and the endorsement pages attached.
Verify with your broker
This guide is general and does not replace professional advice. Endorsement availability, blanket versus scheduled forms, and state-specific rules on anti-indemnity and waiver of subrogation vary. Before you resubmit anything, send your broker the exact exhibit language and ask two direct questions: (1) Do the required endorsements exist on my policy today? (2) Can you show them by form number on the certificate? If the answer to either is no, you have a real coverage gap — not just a paperwork problem — and that needs to be resolved before you sign or start work.
FAQ
Can a certificate of insurance add coverage? No. The ACORD 25 states plainly that it confers no rights and does not amend or alter coverage. Only an endorsement attached to the policy can grant additional insured status, waive subrogation, or make coverage primary and non-contributory.
Why does my GC want both CG 20 10 and CG 20 37? CG 20 10 typically covers additional insured status for ongoing operations; CG 20 37 covers completed operations (claims arising after work is finished). Construction subcontracts usually require both because defect claims often surface after the project closes out.
Is this different in my state? The ACORD disclaimer and the ISO endorsement forms are national. However, some states restrict certain indemnity and additional-insured arrangements through anti-indemnity statutes. Confirm with your broker or counsel.
Sources and further reading
- ACORD, "ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance" form and standards — acord.org (accessed October 2026).
- Insurance Services Office (ISO) commercial general liability endorsement forms, including CG 20 10, CG 20 37, and CG 24 04 — verisk.com/iso (accessed October 2026).
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), state resources on certificates of insurance and consumer guidance — naic.org (accessed October 2026).