The COI Digest, No. 0
This is what lands in your inbox every Tuesday. Five minutes, four parts. Issue No. 1 goes out with the launch in December.
1 · Worth Reading
Business Insurance · Gavin Souter ·
Zurich North American premiums rise 5% as construction business grows
Zurich said its U.S. construction premiums grew 17% in the first nine months of 2026, helped by infrastructure and technology projects. North American property and casualty gross written premiums rose 5% to $18.69 billion while North American rates held flat. Global commercial rates fell 1%, mostly on softer large-property pricing.
Why it mattersBig carriers are growing construction books on flat rates. That's room for brokers to push for the endorsements project requirements ask for, not just price.
Read the full story at Business Insurance ↗Insurance Journal · William Rabb ·
Florida Men Charged With Creating Sham Insurance Now Face Federal Indictment
A federal grand jury indicted two Destin, Florida men tied to The Wave Insurance and Hydrogen Deep, neither licensed to write property and casualty coverage in Florida. Prosecutors allege they collected more than $651,000 in premiums and issued falsified certificates of insurance. Both pleaded not guilty; trial is set for December 14.
Why it mattersThe carrier named on a certificate is worth checking against state insurance records. A COI can name a company that isn't allowed to write the coverage at all.
Read the full story at Insurance Journal ↗Business Insurance · Gavin Souter ·
Idaho high court revives injured worker's lawsuit against contractor
In Bauer v. Scott Myers and Sons Roofing, the Idaho Supreme Court revived a plumber's negligence suit against a roofer after a balcony railing the roofer allegedly reinstalled gave way. Whether one trade is shielded from suits by another trade's workers, the court said, turns on whether the GC controls the work, not on contract labels.
Why it mattersTrades on the same job can end up suing each other, which is exactly when real GL limits and correct additional insured endorsements get tested.
Read the full story at Business Insurance ↗2 · The week in COI
- Insurer prevails in coverage dispute over carpenter's death Business Insurance, October 2, 2026
- Seven Charged in $100 Million Workers' Comp Fraud in Florida Insurance Journal, September 7, 2026
3 · One term
A person or company added to someone else's liability policy, usually the owner and the general contractor on a trade contractor's policy. Status comes from an endorsement, not from the certificate.
CG 20 10CG 20 37CG 20 384 · One gap
Sample Drywall LLC sent a certificate for sample school addition, 2027. 3 of its 5 lines fail the project's requirements. Can you find them?
The Number
$36,400 a year. One vendor's estimate of the labor cost of tracking contractor COIs by hand, for an organization managing 100 or more active vendors. BCS (Business Credentialing Services), May 14, 2026. Our markup is on the front page.
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Worth Reading, our picks of the week's best construction insurance reporting, plus one term and one gap. Tuesday mornings, five minutes.
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