What information does a COI show?

A typical certificate identifies the insured, the producer or broker, the insurers, policy numbers, policy dates, and summarized limits for coverages such as general liability, automobile liability, umbrella liability, and workers' compensation.

It may also contain a description of operations and statements about certificate holders, additional insured status, or waiver of subrogation. The layout makes the information convenient to scan, but the certificate is still a summary rather than the insurance contract itself.

What should a contractor COI review include?

  • Correct insured: Confirm that the legal name matches the contractor performing the work.
  • Policy dates: Check whether the effective and expiration dates cover the expected work period.
  • Required coverages and limits: Compare each listed coverage with the contract or project requirements.
  • Insurer and policy details: Review the carrier and policy identifiers for completeness.
  • Supporting endorsements: Obtain the actual endorsements when additional insured status, primary and noncontributory wording, or a waiver of subrogation is required.
Important: A checked box or note on a certificate may not replace the policy endorsement required by the contract. Review the supporting evidence rather than relying on the certificate alone.

What does a COI not prove?

A COI does not rewrite the policy, guarantee that every contractual requirement is satisfied, or provide a complete explanation of exclusions and conditions. It is also a point-in-time record. A cancellation or policy change may occur after the certificate was issued.

That is why software can organize documents and surface information, but the final decision should remain with a qualified reviewer who can consider the source documents and the applicable requirements.

How should teams manage certificates of insurance?

  1. Define insurance requirements before collecting documents.
  2. Connect each contractor to the project or work they support.
  3. Collect the COI and any required endorsements through a controlled process.
  4. Compare the evidence with the requirements and record a human decision.
  5. Track expiration dates and request replacement evidence before records become stale.

COIRoster supports this workflow with OCR-assisted review, project requirements, secure uploads, and automatic renewal reminders.

NEXT GUIDE

How to track subcontractor COIs

Turn individual document checks into a consistent team process.