Commercial Property Tool

Certificate of Insurance
Requirements Checker

Before you submit a COI to a landlord, GC, or client — check whether your actual policy meets what they're asking for. No more finding out you fall short after it's already been rejected.

Why COI Requests Catch Businesses Off Guard

Almost every commercial lease, vendor contract, or general contractor agreement comes with its own list of insurance requirements buried in the fine print — specific liability limits, additional insured status, waiver of subrogation, and sometimes even per-project aggregate limits. These requirements vary contract to contract, and there's rarely a simple way to check your certificate against them before you submit it.

The result is a familiar scramble: a certificate gets rejected, a closing or project start gets delayed, and you're calling your agent under time pressure to add an endorsement that should have been confirmed weeks earlier. Most of these gaps are completely avoidable if you know what to check before you submit anything.

What Usually Trips People Up

Additional insured status and waiver of subrogation are the two most commonly missed requirements — they don't show up on a standard certificate unless specifically endorsed onto the policy.

Why It's Worth Checking First

Adding an endorsement after a certificate is rejected can take days. Catching the gap before you submit means one phone call instead of a delayed lease or project start.

Where to Find These Numbers
Your Declarations Page Has Everything You Need
Don't have your policy in front of you? That's the most common reason a COI gets stuck. Pull up your declarations page — usually the first 1–2 pages of your policy packet — and look for these sections. If you can't find your policy, your agent can pull every one of these numbers in a single phone call.
Commercial Policy Declarations — What to Look For
General Liability — Each Occurrence / Aggregate "Commercial General Liability" section
Commercial Auto Liability "Business Auto Coverage" section
Umbrella / Excess Liability Separate "Umbrella" or "Excess" policy declarations
Additional Insured Status "Schedule of Endorsements" — look for "Additional Insured"
Waiver of Subrogation "Schedule of Endorsements" — look for "Waiver of Subrogation"
Primary & Non-Contributory "Schedule of Endorsements" — look for "Primary & Non-Contributory"
Compare Requirements Against Your Policy
Requirement What's Required What You Have Status
General Liability — Each Occurrence ?Max payout for a single incident under your GL policy
Per-incident liability limit
Required
$
You Have
$
—
General Liability — Aggregate ?Max total GL payout across all claims in the policy period
Total annual liability limit
Required
$
You Have
$
—
Commercial Auto Liability ?Required if you drive to job sites or make deliveries
Combined single limit
Required
$
You Have
$
—
Umbrella / Excess Liability ?Extra coverage layered on top of your base GL limits
Enter 0 if not required
Required
$
You Have
$
—
Additional Insured Status ?Extends your liability coverage to protect the other party too
Must be specifically endorsed
Required
Required
Not Req.
You Have
Have It
Don't Have
Not Sure
—
Waiver of Subrogation ?Stops your insurer from pursuing the other party after paying a claim
Must be specifically endorsed
Required
Required
Not Req.
You Have
Have It
Don't Have
Not Sure
—
Primary & Non-Contributory ?Your policy pays first, before the other party's insurance is touched
Common landlord/GC requirement
Required
Required
Not Req.
You Have
Have It
Don't Have
Not Sure
—
—
—
—
Fix Your Certificate Before It's Rejected
Most gaps just need an endorsement added to your existing policy — not a new policy. Compare commercial liability quotes or talk to a carrier about adding what's missing.
This tool compares the numbers and selections you enter — it does not read or verify an actual certificate of insurance or policy document. Always confirm final requirements with the requesting party and verify your actual coverage with your insurance agent or carrier before submitting a certificate.