How the ISO additional insured endorsements changed: 2004, 2013 and 2019

Why the edition date matters

ISO endorsements carry a form number and an edition date: CG 20 10 04 13 is the April 2013 edition of CG 20 10. Carriers don't all move to new editions at the same time, and contracts sometimes require a specific one. The same form number can mean different coverage depending on the date.

2004: from "arising out of" to "caused in whole or in part"

Before 2004, additional insured endorsements responded to liability "arising out of" the named insured's operations, which courts often read broadly. ISO's 2004 filing replaced that with language requiring that the injury be caused, in whole or in part, by the named insured, according to Chris Boggs for IIABA. Boggs notes the change was mostly limited to construction-related forms.

What it means: an additional insured is covered for its liability caused by the trade's work, not for anything loosely connected to it.

2013: the contract sets the ceiling

On April 1, 2013, ISO put revised general liability forms into effect, and chief among the changes were the additional insured forms, Gregory Podolak wrote for IRMI. Two changes matter most:

• Scope. Coverage "will not be broader than that which you are required by the contract or agreement to provide."
• Limits. The limits available to the additional insured are the lesser of what the contract requires and what the policy's declarations show.

What it means: your subcontract's insurance clause now largely defines your coverage. A vague requirement buys vague coverage, and a $1 million contract requirement caps you at $1 million even if the policy carries more.

2019: automatic completed operations, and limits wording

ISO's December 2019 filing, effective December 1, 2019 in most jurisdictions, did two things relevant to construction.

New automatic completed operations forms. Before 2019, completed operations additional insured coverage generally came through CG 20 37, which requires each additional insured to be listed in its schedule, the Construction Defect Journal noted. The 2019 filing added CG 20 39 and CG 20 40, which extend completed operations status automatically when a written construction agreement requires it. They pair with the automatic ongoing operations forms CG 20 33 and CG 20 38.

Limits wording. About 25 additional insured endorsements, including CG 20 10, CG 20 33, CG 20 37 and CG 20 38, were revised to say coverage is available under "the applicable limits of insurance" rather than limits "shown in the Declarations," Boggs wrote. ISO also added other automatic forms, including CG 20 42, CG 20 43 and CG 20 44.

What it means: a trade can now get automatic additional insured status for completed operations, closing a common gap, but only if its policy actually carries the newer forms and your written contract triggers them.

What to ask for

1. The form number and edition date of every additional insured endorsement.
2. Both ongoing and completed operations coverage: for example CG 20 10 with CG 20 37, or CG 20 38 with CG 20 40.
3. A subcontract clause that requires the scope, duration and limits you need, since the 2013 forms tie coverage to it.

See Additional insured endorsements, explained and additional insured in the COI Dictionary.