When a contractor is asked for a certificate of insurance

The certificate is a cover letter

Owners and general contractors send an insurance exhibit: additional insured for ongoing and completed operations, waiver of subrogation, primary and noncontributory, sometimes hired and non-owned auto. The ACORD certificate is how you answer. It does not amend the policy.

If the description of operations lists CG 20 10 and CG 20 37, those endorsements need to be on the GL forms schedule with the owner’s legal name (or valid blanket wording).

Map each ask to a form

Ongoing operations additional insured: typically CG 20 10 or a blanket such as CG 20 33. Completed operations: CG 20 37 or CG 20 38. GL waiver: CG 24 04. Workers compensation waiver: WC 00 03 13. Auto additional insured / lessor: CA 20 48 or CA 20 01. Hired and non-owned auto: symbols 8 and 9 or BP 04 04 on a BOP.

Primary and noncontributory is wording, not always its own ISO number. Look for those words on an endorsement. Coverbird will not tell you that your limits meet the exhibit; it will help you see which of these forms are present.

Tools and vehicles are easy to miss

Jobsite tools often sit on inland marine (for example CM 00 20), not on the building policy. A rented van follows the auto symbols, not the GL form. If the exhibit mentions equipment or hired autos, check those lines before you send another certificate.