Guides / COI basics

How to Request a Certificate of Insurance (and Get the Right One the First Time)

By SubCover HQ · Updated Nov 2, 2026 · 4 min read

Requesting a certificate of insurance sounds simple: email the sub, get a PDF. In practice, most first certificates come back wrong. The holder name is off, the additional insured box is blank, or the limits are lower than your contract. Nearly all of that comes from a vague request.

This guide covers who to ask, exactly what to include, and how to follow up so you get a compliant certificate on the first or second try.

Step 1: Ask the right person

Subcontractors and vendors don't issue certificates. Their insurance agent or broker does. The fastest path is to ask the sub once for their agent's name and email, then send the request to the agent with the sub copied.

• Agents issue certificates every day, often within a business day.
• A certificate that comes straight from the agent is much harder to alter than a PDF forwarded by the sub. See how to spot a fake certificate of insurance.
• The agent is also who you'll contact at every renewal, so you only have to find them once.

Step 2: Put your exact requirements in writing

"Please send a COI" invites a generic certificate. A good request lists everything the certificate must show:

1. Certificate holder: your exact legal name and mailing address, written the way it should appear.
2. Coverage types: general liability, auto, workers' compensation and employers' liability, umbrella or excess, and anything trade-specific such as professional or pollution liability.
3. Minimum limits for each coverage. If you're not sure what to require, see insurance limits to require from subcontractors.
4. Additional insured status, naming who must be included (you, the owner, the property manager, a lender) and the endorsement you expect, such as ongoing and completed operations. See CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 explained.
5. Primary and noncontributory wording and waiver of subrogation, if your contract requires them.
6. Project or location to reference in the description box, if the work is job-specific.
7. Endorsement copies: ask the agent to attach the actual additional insured and waiver endorsements, not just mark "Y" in the boxes.

Our free COI request letter generator builds this email for you, and the COI email templates cover the follow-ups.

Step 3: Set a deadline tied to the work

The most effective lever you have is the start date. Say plainly that work, site access, or payment can't begin until a compliant certificate is approved. Give a specific date, not "as soon as possible."

Step 4: Check it the day it arrives

Don't file a certificate without reading it. Compare it line by line against what you asked for: insured name, holder, each coverage, each limit, the additional insured and waiver boxes, the endorsements, and every policy expiration date. Our free COI compliance checker lists the gaps and drafts the correction email to the agent.

Step 5: Follow up on a schedule

When a certificate doesn't arrive, a fixed rhythm works better than occasional nudges. A common pattern is a reminder after three business days, a call after a week, and escalation to the sub's owner after ten days. If you're stuck, see what to do when a sub won't send a COI.

Common mistakes

• Accepting a certificate addressed to someone else. A COI made out to another GC or property tells you nothing about your coverage.
• Treating the description box as proof. Typed wording doesn't make you an additional insured. The endorsement does.
• Recording one expiration date. Every policy on the form can renew on a different day.
• Requesting only once. A certificate is a snapshot. You need a fresh one at every renewal, ideally requested 30 days before expiration.

Or hand the whole thing off

Requesting, checking, and chasing certificates for every sub and vendor is steady, repetitive work. SubCover HQ does it for you: we contact the agents, check each certificate against your requirements, track every expiration, and chase what's missing, for $99/month.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues a certificate of insurance?

The insured's insurance agent or broker issues it. Ask the sub or vendor for their agent's contact, then request the certificate from the agent with the sub copied.

How long does it take to get a certificate of insurance?

Agents often issue standard certificates within a business day. Additional insured or waiver endorsements can take longer if the policy needs to be changed.

What should a COI request include?

Your exact certificate holder name and address, required coverages and limits, additional insured parties and endorsements, waiver of subrogation and primary and noncontributory wording if required, and the project or location.

Is there a fee to get a certificate of insurance?

Agents typically issue certificates to their clients at no charge, though adding endorsements can change the policy premium.

This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Your contracts, insurance professional, and attorney determine what you should require.