How to read a COI against contract requirements, line by line

Start from the contract

The most common review mistake happens before anyone looks at the certificate. The reviewer checks it against a general idea of what "good coverage" looks like instead of against what this contract, for this trade, on this project actually requires.

So step one is a list. For each trade on each project, write down every requirement from the subcontract's insurance section: each coverage, each limit, each endorsement, how long completed operations must last, who must be named, and any carrier rating. That list is the answer key. The certificate is the test.

For every line, ask three questions:

1. Present. Does the certificate show it at all?
2. Sufficient. Does it meet the number or wording the contract asks for?
3. Current. Is it in force for the whole time the contract needs it?

The top of the form

Date. The date the certificate was issued. Coverage can change after this date without the paper changing. See notice of cancellation.

Producer. The broker or agent who issued the certificate. This is who you call with questions and endorsement requests.

Insured. The company that holds the policies. Check that it is the same legal entity that signed your subcontract. A sister company, a parent, or a similar name is a mismatch.

Insurers A to F. The carriers, with NAIC numbers. If your contract requires a minimum carrier rating, check each carrier against it. You can also confirm a carrier is licensed in your state through the NAIC's Consumer Insurance Search.

The coverage grid

Type of insurance. General liability, auto, umbrella or excess, workers' comp and employer's liability, plus any other lines your contract names. Missing lines fail the "present" test.

ADDL INSD and SUBR WVD. Single-letter columns for additional insured and waiver of subrogation. A Y is a statement, not an endorsement. The form itself says that if the holder is an additional insured, the policy must have additional insured provisions or be endorsed, and that a waiver may require an endorsement. Ask for the endorsements. See additional insured and waiver of subrogation.

Policy number and dates. Check that each policy is in force when the work starts and note when it expires. A policy that ends mid-project needs a renewal certificate before that date.

Limits. Compare each limit with the contract. Check per occurrence, general aggregate, products and completed operations aggregate, and the umbrella. If the contract requires a per project aggregate, look for it and ask for the endorsement.

One recent change matters here. The 2025/12 edition of the ACORD 25 adds a sentence saying limits shown are inclusive of amounts requested by the certificate holder and may not reflect policy limits in excess of those requested, Big I New York reported. In practice, a certificate may now show the limit your contract asked for rather than the full policy limit. Big I New York and the national Big I still recommend that agencies show policy limits, according to IIABA. Either way, a limit at or above your requirement passes your check. Just don't read it as the policy's ceiling.

The description box

The "Description of operations / locations / vehicles" box is where brokers note the project, the additional insureds and special wording like "primary and noncontributory." Treat everything here as a pointer. Wording in the box doesn't change the policy. It tells you which endorsements to ask for.

The bottom of the form

Certificate holder. Should be your company, with the correct legal name and address.

Cancellation. The form says notice of cancellation will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions. That's not a promise to notify you. Track expiration dates yourself.

A one-page worksheet

For each requirement on your list, record: requirement, what the certificate shows, present (yes or no), sufficient (yes or no), current until (date), and the endorsement you've received (form number and edition). Any "no," and any endorsement still missing, is a deficiency to send back to the trade and its broker. Our deficiency workflow covers how to send it so it gets fixed.