COI requirements by trade / Garage door and gate installation
Garage door and gate installation COI requirements
Garage door and gate contractors deal with heavy doors, high-tension springs, and automatic openers. A badly installed or serviced door can injure someone or damage a car long after the service call.
What makes garage door and gate installation risky
- Injuries from spring failures and doors or gates that close on people or vehicles.
- Damage to vehicles and property from malfunctioning openers and gates.
- Electrical work on openers, gate operators, and access controls.
- Falls from ladders during installation.
Coverage to require on the certificate
| Coverage | What's common, and what to check |
|---|---|
| General liability | $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate is a common floor. Confirm products-completed operations isn't excluded. |
| Products-completed operations | Important, since most door and gate injuries happen after installation or service. |
| Workers' compensation | Statutory, plus employers' liability. |
| Commercial auto | $1M combined single limit is common for service vans and trucks. |
On top of the coverage itself, most contracts also require additional insured status for you (and the owner, where applicable), a waiver of subrogation, and primary and noncontributory wording. Those come from endorsements, so ask for copies.
Red flags on garage door and gate installation certificates
- No completed operations coverage for an installer.
- A sole proprietor with no comp who brings a helper for heavy doors.
- A policy class that covers residential doors only on commercial or community gate work.
Tip
For automatic community gates, ask the agent whether gate operators and access control work are covered under the contractor's classification.
Review checklist
- Insured name matches the company on your contract.
- Every coverage above that your contract requires is listed.
- Each limit meets your minimum.
- No policy expires before the job ends. Track each expiration date separately.
- ADDL INSD and SUBR WVD are marked, with endorsements on file.
- You've asked the agent about any garage door and gate installation exclusions that matter.
New to reading certificates? Start with how to read an ACORD 25, grab the free COI checklist, or log dates in the free expiration tracker.
Common questions
What insurance should a garage door and gate installation subcontractor carry?
Common requirements include general liability, products-completed operations, workers' compensation, and commercial auto. Your contracts and broker set the actual minimums.
Are these limits required by law?
Generally no. Insurance requirements for subcontractors and vendors are set by your contracts, your own insurer, and any owner, lender, or public agency on the job. Workers' compensation requirements are set by state law. The figures here describe common practice only.
Does the ACORD 25 show exclusions?
Usually not. A certificate summarizes policy types, limits, and dates. Exclusions like height limits, residential work, or pollution are in the policy itself, so ask the agent directly when they matter for the trade.
Who should issue the certificate?
Ask the sub's insurance agent or broker to issue it, not the sub. Agents issue certificates daily and can send the endorsements at the same time.
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