# How the ISO additional insured endorsements changed: 2004, 2013 and 2019 Analyst brief R-19, COI Journal Resource Center. An endorsement's edition date isn't trivia. The same form number has meant different coverage in different decades. Here are the three changes that matter most on construction jobs. Question: How have ISO additional insured endorsements like CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 changed, and why does the edition date matter? By The editors, COI Journal. November 13, 2026. Docket COIJ-26-0020. Published by Forsured. ## Key findings - 2004: construction additional insured forms moved from covering liability "arising out of" the contractor's work to liability caused "in whole or in part" by it. - 2013: additional insured coverage became tied to the contract. It won't be broader than the contract requires, and limits are the lesser of the contract requirement and the policy. - 2019: ISO added automatic completed operations forms, CG 20 39 and CG 20 40, and revised limits wording on about 25 additional insured endorsements. - Always ask for the form number and the edition date, and read them against your contract. ## 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](https://na.iiaba.net/vu/Insurance/Commercial-Lines/CGL/Endorsements/Boggs2019AIEndorsements.aspx). 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](https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/todays-additional-insured-endorsements-revisiting-the-impact-of-iso-form-changes). 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](https://www.constructiondefectjournal.com/archives/inside-issue/2020/02/2019-iso-forms-additions-revisions-and-pitfalls). 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](https://coijournal.com/reports/additional-insured-endorsements/) and [additional insured](https://coijournal.com/dictionary/additional-insured/) in the COI Dictionary. ## How we wrote this Based on published analysis by Chris Boggs for IIABA (December 2019), Gregory Podolak for IRMI (March 2015), and Saxe Doernberger & Vita in the Construction Defect Journal (February 2020). These are secondary sources; we have not reviewed ISO's filings directly. Carrier forms may differ. General information, not legal or insurance advice. ## Sources - [Chris Boggs on the 2019 ISO additional insured endorsements](https://na.iiaba.net/vu/Insurance/Commercial-Lines/CGL/Endorsements/Boggs2019AIEndorsements.aspx), Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, December 20, 2019 - [Today's Additional Insured Endorsements: Revisiting the Impact of ISO Form Changes](https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/todays-additional-insured-endorsements-revisiting-the-impact-of-iso-form-changes), IRMI, Gregory Podolak, March 1, 2015 - [The 2019 ISO Forms: Additions, Revisions, and Pitfalls](https://www.constructiondefectjournal.com/archives/inside-issue/2020/02/2019-iso-forms-additions-revisions-and-pitfalls), Construction Defect Journal, Brown, Pepe and Eddy, February 24, 2020