General Contractor Subcontractor Insurance Checklist

Subcontractor insurance requirements

GC business: ________________ GC contact: ________________ Contact email: ________________ Project: ________________ Owner or client: ________________ Subcontractor: ________________ Contract date: ________________ Certificate due date: ________________

Purpose: use this checklist before the subcontractor starts work. Limits and endorsements should be matched to the prime contract, owner requirements, and subcontract scope.

Coverage to collect before jobsite access

• Commercial general liability: $1,000,000 per occurrence / $3,000,000 aggregate. Coverage should include personal injury, contractual liability, independent contractor's liability, products liability, ongoing and completed operations, and property damage liability when required by contract.

• Workers compensation: statutory workers compensation where required. Employers liability: $1,000,000 when required by contract.

• Commercial auto: $1,000,000 combined single limit if vehicles are used for the work. Include hired and non-owned autos when required by contract.

• Umbrella or excess liability: required when the prime contract, owner, lender, municipality, or project size requires limits above the underlying policies.

• Professional liability: $1,000,000 each claim when the subcontractor provides design, engineering, construction management, consulting, value engineering, or other professional services.

• Pollution liability: required when the subcontractor's work creates environmental exposure or the contract specifically requires contractor pollution liability.

• Builder's risk or project property requirement reviewed when the subcontractor is responsible for work, materials, or property under construction.

Endorsements and contract wording to verify

• Additional insured for ongoing operations: names the GC and any required owner, lender, architect, or upstream party for covered work in progress.

• Additional insured for completed operations: requested separately when the contract requires protection after the subcontractor's work is finished. Ongoing operations and completed operations are not the same request.

• Primary and noncontributory wording: confirms the subcontractor's policy is intended to pay first before other applicable policies and without seeking contribution from the GC's or owner's policy when the same loss triggers both.

• Waiver of subrogation: confirms the insurer gives up recovery rights against the named party after paying a covered loss, when the policy and contract allow it.

• Completed operations coverage: verify it is included for work that can create injury or property damage after completion. Keep evidence for the period required by the contract.

• Exclusions, deductibles, and endorsements reviewed: do not rely only on the certificate if the contract requires actual endorsements or policy documents.

Policy expiration log

Commercial general liability expiration: ______________________________ Workers compensation expiration: ____________________________________ Employers liability expiration: _____________________________________ Commercial auto expiration: ________________________________________ Umbrella or excess expiration: ______________________________________ Professional liability expiration: _________________________________ Pollution liability expiration: _____________________________________

Certificate received date: _________________________________________ Endorsements received date: ________________________________________ Reviewed by: ______________________________________________________ Renewal follow-up date: ____________________________________________

Verification note: a one-time certificate is not enough for the whole project. Track expiration dates, request renewals before policies lapse, and obtain actual endorsements when the contract requires additional insured, completed operations, waiver of subrogation, or primary and noncontributory status.

Approval before subcontractor starts work

• Subcontractor legal name matches the contract and certificate.
• Required coverage lines are shown.
• Required limits meet or exceed the contract.
• Required additional insured parties are named correctly.
• Ongoing operations endorsement received when required.
• Completed operations endorsement received when required.
• Waiver of subrogation received when required.
• Primary and noncontributory wording received when required.
• Expiration dates are tracked and renewal reminders are set.
• Any exclusions, deductibles, or limitations that affect the work have been escalated before jobsite access.

Approval: ________________________________ Date: ________________