🎯 Yes, you can name both the property owner and the general contractor as additional insureds on one certificate of insurance. Adding multiple additional insureds on one COI is standard on commercial subcontracts. The certificate lists each party in the description box or the certificate holder field, and the actual coverage comes from a blanket additional insured endorsement (usually CG 20 10 for ongoing operations plus CG 20 37 for completed operations) attached to your general liability policy. The certificate names them; the endorsement covers them. You need both.
Last updated: September 2026. Pricing verified September 2026 — changes often; verify before committing. Methodology: guidance below reflects ISO standard forms (CG 20 10 / CG 20 37), NCCI and state insurance department materials, and standard AIA contract language current as of 2026-09-05.
TL;DR
- One COI can name unlimited additional insureds. Your GC's exhibit almost always wants at least 2: the owner and the GC.
- The COI does not grant coverage. A blanket additional insured endorsement (CG 20 10 + CG 20 37) on your GL policy does. Certificate alone gets you rejected.
- Total to produce a compliant multi-party COI: $0 if your policy already carries a blanket AI endorsement. Add roughly $75–$300/year (varies by carrier and policy) if your carrier charges to add the endorsement.
- Fastest path: agent issues the COI same day; endorsement request takes 1–3 business days if not already blanket.
Definition box
Additional insured (AI): a party other than you who gets protection under your liability policy for claims arising out of your work. On a subcontract, the GC and the property owner want to be added so that if someone sues over your work, your policy responds for them too. This is granted by an endorsement, a physical form attached to your policy, not by the certificate.
Certificate of insurance (COI): a one-page snapshot of your coverage. It evidences insurance; it grants nothing. The line every GC exhibit repeats: the certificate is informational only.
Can I list the owner and the GC as additional insured on one COI?
Yes. Adding the owner and the general contractor as additional insured on a single certificate is routine, and there is no cap on how many parties a COI can name. Clause mechanics here are national and identical in every state: what "additional insured" means, what an endorsement evidences, and what a certificate does not, do not change from California to Texas to New York.
Your GC's insurance-requirements exhibit will usually spell out the exact language, something like:
"Owner [Name], General Contractor [Name], their officers, directors, and employees shall be named as additional insureds on a primary and non-contributory basis, including completed operations."
That one sentence is asking for four things at once. Here is the deployment: one input (the exhibit) produces four outputs on your policy and certificate.
The workflow: exhibit in, compliant COI out
Input: the subcontract insurance exhibit + your current GL policy. Output: a COI that clears the GC's compliance portal on the first upload.
Step 1 — Read the exhibit and extract the four asks
Highlight the four common requirements: (1) who must be named as additional insured, (2) primary and non-contributory wording, (3) completed operations coverage, and (4) any waiver of subrogation. Note the exact legal names and addresses for the owner and GC — portals often reject a COI when the entity name is off by even one word.
Step 2 — Confirm your policy already carries the endorsement
Ask your agent whether your GL policy has a blanket additional insured endorsement in force. If it does, it typically reads "any person or organization you are required by written contract to add." That single blanket form covers both the owner and the GC without individually scheduling each one. Confirm the endorsement includes:
- CG 20 10 (ongoing operations), and
- CG 20 37 (completed operations).
If your policy only schedules named parties individually, you will need to add each entity — see Step 4.
Step 3 — Have your agent issue the COI naming both parties
Your agent enters the owner and GC in the Certificate Holder field and/or the Description of Operations box, along with the required wording (primary/non-contributory, completed operations, waiver of subrogation if demanded). Many GCs prefer both parties spelled out in the description box with the AI language attached. The agent can usually issue this same day.
Step 4 — Add the endorsement if you don't already have blanket AI
If your carrier does not carry blanket AI, request the endorsement in writing. Turnaround is typically 1–3 business days. Cost is commonly in the $75–$300/year range but varies by carrier, class code, and policy size — get the exact figure before you commit. Ask specifically for both CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 so completed operations is included; a completed-operations gap is one of the most common reasons a COI is rejected months into a job.
Step 5 — Attach the endorsement copies and upload
Portals increasingly demand the actual endorsement forms, not just the certificate. Upload the COI plus copies of CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 (and the waiver of subrogation form, CG 24 04, if required). This is the step that clears compliance: the certificate names the parties; the endorsements prove the coverage exists.
Step 6 — Save the packet and diary the renewal
Keep the COI and endorsement forms together. Diary your policy renewal date so the AI status carries forward — a lapsed endorsement at renewal silently drops the owner and GC from coverage even though an old certificate may still say otherwise.
The one mistake that gets you rejected
A certificate alone does not grant additional insured status. It never has. The COI is informational; the endorsement is the operative document. If you upload a COI that lists the owner and GC as additional insured but your policy has no CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 endorsement behind it, you have named parties who are not actually covered — and any competent compliance reviewer will bounce it, or worse, a claim will be denied later. Name them on the certificate, cover them with the endorsement. You need both.
External authorities
- ISO / Verisk — Additional Insured endorsement forms (CG 20 10, CG 20 37): overview of the standard commercial general liability additional-insured forms. Verisk / ISO forms library, accessed 2026-09-05.
- NCCI — Insurance and underwriting research (ncci.com): background on commercial liability underwriting and endorsement practice. Accessed 2026-09-05.
- AIA Contract Documents — A201 General Conditions and A101 Owner/Contractor Agreement: standard construction contract templates containing additional-insured and indemnification clauses. aiacontracts.com, accessed 2026-09-05.
- NAIC — State insurance department directory (naic.org): locate your state insurance commissioner for COI and endorsement guidance. Accessed 2026-09-05.
FAQ
Can one COI name both the owner and the general contractor as additional insured? Yes. There is no limit on how many parties a certificate can name. Both are typically listed in the certificate holder field or the description of operations box.
Does the certificate itself give the owner and GC coverage? No. The COI only evidences coverage. Additional insured status is granted by an endorsement (usually CG 20 10 plus CG 20 37) attached to your general liability policy.
What endorsements do I need for full protection? CG 20 10 for ongoing operations and CG 20 37 for completed operations. A waiver of subrogation (CG 24 04) is also commonly required.
How much does adding an additional insured endorsement cost? Often between $75 and $300 per year, but it varies by carrier, class code, and policy — and is $0 if your policy already carries a blanket AI endorsement. Confirm the exact price with your agent before committing.
How long does it take to get a compliant COI? An agent can usually issue the certificate the same day. Adding an endorsement, if you don't already have blanket AI, typically takes 1–3 business days.