What does 'for the life of the project' mean in a GC subcontract?

It means the GC wants to be an additional insured on your general liability policy while you perform work (ongoing operations) and after you finish (completed operations). The status must last as long as the project's liability exposure lasts, typically 4 to 10 years after substantial completion depending on state statute of repose.

What is the difference between CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 endorsements?

CG 20 10 covers ongoing operations additional insured status while work is in progress. CG 20 37 covers completed operations additional insured status for liability arising from your finished work after you leave the site. Both are required to fully satisfy most GC subcontract requirements.

Can I sign a subcontract if my policy only has CG 20 10?

You can sign once you fix it. Ask your insurance agent to add the CG 20 37 endorsement before you sign. A certificate of insurance listing only one endorsement is a fixable rejection, not a dealbreaker, but the actual endorsement must exist on your policy.

Is a certificate of insurance enough to satisfy the additional insured requirement?

No. A certificate of insurance is evidence, not coverage. The COI does not add anyone to your policy — the endorsement does. GC compliance portals that know what they are doing will reject a COI and demand the actual CG 20 37 endorsement page.

What should I do if my policy has a completed operations exclusion?

Don't sign the subcontract yet. A completed operations exclusion or claims-made GL with a short tail cannot be papered over with a certificate. You must fix your coverage first before signing.

What is the difference between CG 20 10 and CG 20 37?

CG 20 10 is an additional insured endorsement for ongoing operations, applying only while the work is in progress. CG 20 37 is an additional insured endorsement for completed operations, extending coverage to another party for liability arising out of your completed work after the job is finished. Many GC exhibits require both.

How long must I carry completed operations additional insured coverage?

The practical duration is set by your state's statute of repose for construction defects, which commonly ranges from four to ten years after substantial completion. 'Life of the project' language typically means AI status must survive for this repose period, so match your tail coverage to your state's statute before signing.

GC Subcontract Additional Insured: Can You Sign?

GC subcontract additional insured requirements: many now ask for completed operations, not just ongoing. Learn if you can sign and what endorsements you need.

This content is general information only and is not legal, tax, financial or insurance advice. Speak to an appropriately licensed professional before acting on it.

Last updated: October 2026.

Yes, you can usually sign a subcontract requiring ongoing and completed operations additional insured coverage "for the life of the project" — but only after you confirm two things: your general liability policy has both an ongoing operations endorsement (CG 20 10) AND a completed operations endorsement (CG 20 37), and your completed operations tail stays in force long enough to match. "For the life of the project" is standard GC language and is not a red flag by itself. The real question is whether your policy actually carries CG 20 37 and how many years your completed operations stays active after you finish the work.

TL;DR

"Life of the project" is normal. It means AI status must survive past your last day on site. Many commercial subcontracts now ask for completed operations AI, not just ongoing.
Two endorsements, not one. CG 20 10 covers ongoing work; CG 20 37 covers completed operations. A COI listing only one is a fixable rejection, not a dealbreaker.
Duration is the trap. Most GCs want completed operations AI held for the statute of repose in the state — often 4 to 10 years after substantial completion.
Fix-then-sign, most of the time. You can sign once you confirm the CG 20 37 endorsement exists and the certificate holder language is correct.

Before you sign: Verify your COI with your broker; this guide does not replace legal review of your policy limits or tail coverage duration. Don't sign the exhibit until the CG 20 37 endorsement is confirmed in writing — a verbal assurance from your agent is not the same as the endorsement form on your policy.

What "ongoing and completed operations additional insured for the life of the project" actually means

It means the GC wants to be an additional insured on your general liability policy in two time windows: while you are performing the work (ongoing operations) and after you have finished and left the site (completed operations), and it wants that status to last as long as the project's liability exposure lasts.

The clause wording comes from standard forms, but state law can limit how far an additional insured or indemnity clause reaches, so check the state where the work is done. One thing that clearly changes by state is how long completed operations liability can be pursued, and that is set by each state's statute of repose, not by your contract. (For example, California sets a four-year window for patent construction defects and a ten-year outer limit for latent defects under California Code of Civil Procedure § 337.15.)

DEFINITION — Completed operations additional insured: A general liability endorsement (standard form CG 20 37) that extends additional insured status to another party for liability arising out of your completed work, after you have finished the job. It is separate from ongoing operations additional insured (CG 20 10), which only applies while work is in progress. The CG 20 37 is a standardized form published by Verisk/ISO, the organization that drafts most commercial general liability endorsements.

The phrase "for the life of the project" is the GC telling you the endorsement cannot lapse the day you demobilize. If a window you installed fails and causes water damage two years later, the GC expects to still be an additional insured on your policy for that claim. That is what completed operations buys them.

For an overview of how additional insured obligations are structured in standard industry contracts, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) both publish guidance on insurance and indemnity exhibits used in subcontract agreements.

Can you sign it? The three-answer test

Ranked by fit for a licensed subcontractor reading a GC insurance exhibit, not by reward.

Yes, sign as-is — if your COI already shows both CG 20 10 and CG 20 37. If your broker confirms both endorsements are on your current policy and the certificate holder and additional insured language matches the GC's exhibit, there is no reason to stall. This is the most common outcome.
Fix, then sign — if your COI shows only ongoing operations. A certificate listing CG 20 10 but not CG 20 37 is a routine, fixable rejection. Ask your broker to add the completed operations endorsement and reissue the COI before you return the signed exhibit. Ask your broker whether adding it changes your premium before committing.
Pause and negotiate — if the duration exceeds your available tail coverage. The real risk is agreeing to hold completed operations AI for, say, ten years when your policy or your business may not carry that tail that long. If you operate on claims-made coverage or expect to let the policy lapse, the "life of the project" obligation can outlast your coverage. In that case, confirm the required duration against your state's statute of repose and negotiate the term before signing.

The duration trap, in detail

Completed operations liability does not end when the project is finished — it ends when the statute of repose cuts it off. That window varies widely:

Some states set it as short as four years after substantial completion.
Others extend to eight or ten years for latent defects.

Because the GC's "life of the project" clause is really asking you to carry AI status for the full repose period, your practical exposure is defined by your state's statute, not by the contract's wording. Check your specific state's construction statute of repose (your state legislature's code database is the authoritative source) and match your tail coverage to it before you sign.

Bottom line

"For the life of the project" is standard, national GC language and is not a red flag by itself. You can usually sign — but only after confirming (1) your policy carries both CG 20 10 and CG 20 37, (2) the certificate holder and AI language matches the exhibit, and (3) your completed operations tail stays in force long enough to cover your state's statute of repose. When any of those three is uncertain, confirm with your broker and, for the duration and indemnity terms, your attorney before returning the signed subcontract.