Certificates
How certificates get issued the same day, the four things that slow one down, and how to stop them expiring unnoticed.
Certificate requests are the majority of what a contractor needs from an insurance provider. Someone else is waiting: a general contractor before a crew can mobilise, a lender before a draw, a client before a closing.
Speed comes from two things. Having the endorsements already on the policy, so nothing has to be amended first. And quoting the requirement rather than describing it, so the certificate is issued correctly the first time.
Certificates show a policy period, so they expire when the policy renews. The failure is silent: the general contractor's file shows a passed date, and the next time anyone checks, your crew is stopped.
At each renewal, send the new certificate to everyone holding the old one. If you work for several general contractors, keep the list current and update all of them rather than waiting to be asked.
Same business day when the policy is in force and the requirement is clear. If endorsements need adding first, the certificate follows once they are bound.
The entity that signed the contract with you, named exactly as it appears there. Naming a parent company instead of the contracting subsidiary is a common reason a certificate is rejected.
A certificate alone gives the holder no rights under your policy. Most construction contracts require additional insured status, and many require it for completed operations as well as ongoing work.
Send an updated certificate to everyone holding the previous one. Certificates expire with the policy period, and the lapse is silent unless somebody notices the date.
Tell us what you need and when you need it. Deadlines are noted and handled first.
