Vendor COI requirements by property type / Industrial and Warehouse Properties

Vendor COI requirements for industrial and warehouse properties

For industrial property managers and owners · Updated Nov 1, 2026

Warehouses and industrial buildings bring roofing, dock door, sprinkler, paving, and electrical contractors onto sites with forklifts, trucks, and racking. Fewer visitors than retail, but the work itself tends to be heavier.

Vendors you'll need certificates from

• Dock door and dock leveler service
• Fire sprinkler and alarm contractors
• Roofing and skylight contractors
• Paving and concrete
• Electrical and lighting retrofits

Where the risk comes from

• Worker injuries around trucks, docks, and forklifts.
• Roof work on large, low-slope buildings with skylights (a known fall hazard).
• Sprinkler or alarm mistakes that lead to fire or water losses.
• Tenant property damage from vendor work.

Coverage to require on vendor certificates

Who to name as additional insured

Commonly the owner entity and management company; in single-tenant net lease buildings the tenant may also be named. Most agreements also call for a waiver of subrogation and primary and noncontributory wording. See additional insured vs certificate holder for the difference.

Red flags on vendor certificates

• Roofing certificates with height or hot-work exclusions on a torch-down roof.
• Sprinkler contractors without completed operations coverage.
• No waiver of subrogation when your lease or contract requires one.
• Contractors hired by the tenant who never sent you a certificate.

Tip

In net lease buildings, check who is responsible for each system under the lease. Tenants often hire their own vendors, and you may still want certificates naming the owner.

Review checklist

1. Vendor name on the certificate matches the vendor on your service agreement.
2. Every required coverage is listed, with limits at or above your minimums.
3. The right entities are named as certificate holder and additional insured, by exact legal name.
4. No policy expires before the service agreement ends. Track each date separately.
5. ADDL INSD and SUBR WVD are marked, with endorsements on file.
6. The certificate is filed per property, so you can answer an owner's question in one look.

See the trade-by-trade detail in COI requirements by trade, compare an ACORD 25 against your rules with the free compliance checker, or read about done-for-you vendor COI tracking for property managers.

Common questions

What insurance should vendors carry at industrial and warehouse properties?

Common requirements include general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto, umbrella / excess, and products-completed operations. Your management agreement, owner, and broker set the actual minimums.

Who should be the certificate holder for a property vendor?

Usually the management company or the owner entity, at the mailing address your contract specifies. Being certificate holder only means you receive the certificate; additional insured status is what extends the vendor's coverage to you.

Should I name the owner LLC or the management company as additional insured?

Many management agreements require both. Check your management agreement and the owner's insurance requirements, and use each entity's exact legal name.

How often should vendor certificates be updated?

At every renewal, which is usually yearly per policy. Each policy on a certificate can renew on a different date, so track each expiration separately.

Vendor COI requirements for other property types

Apartment CommunitiesHOA and Condo AssociationsCommercial Office BuildingsRetail and Shopping CentersSingle-Family RentalsSelf-Storage FacilitiesMedical Office Buildings