Certificate of insurance for contractors: a job checklist

Start with the job requirements

This checklist is for HVAC technicians, painters, lawn care businesses and pressure washing contractors. It is general information, not insurance advice.

Ask the client for their written insurance requirements before buying coverage or promising a start date. Keep the job address, scope, deadline and contract together. Send those details to your licensed insurance agent.

A certificate of insurance summarizes evidence of coverage. It is not your policy and cannot expand it. Policy terms, exclusions and endorsements determine what is covered.

Check these 6 items

1. Business name. Check that the named insured matches the business doing the work. Ask your agent about any mismatch.
2. Dates. Compare policy effective and expiration dates with the job schedule. A certificate is not a promise of uninterrupted coverage.
3. Coverage types. Compare the certificate with the contract. General liability, commercial auto and workers’ compensation address different risks.
4. Limits. Check the required limits against those shown. Ask about both per-occurrence and aggregate limits where relevant.
5. Certificate holder. Give your agent the client’s correct legal name and address. Being a certificate holder does not automatically make someone an additional insured.
6. Endorsements. If the contract requires additional-insured status or a waiver, ask your agent about the applicable policy endorsement. Certificate wording alone does not create those rights.

Explain the work, not just the trade

“Pressure washing” does not explain whether you clean driveways or work on roofs. “Painting” does not distinguish interior decorating from exterior work at height.

For HVAC, describe installation, repair, subcontracting and the properties you service. For lawn care, mention tree work or chemical application if you offer them. These details help an agent assess the actual operation.

Do not assume general liability includes your tools, vehicles or employee injuries. Ask about each exposure separately. Requirements and coverage options vary by state, insurer and operation.

Check workers’ compensation separately

Workers’ compensation rules vary by state. Employee count, work type and exemptions may affect the requirements. A client’s contract may also require coverage.

Texas, for example, allows most private employers to choose whether to carry workers’ compensation, subject to exceptions. That is not a nationwide rule. Check the job state’s official guidance and ask your agent.

Need to review your coverage?

Contractors pay nothing to request an introduction. Open the draft, fill in your business details and send it when ready.

Email a quote request

The draft asks about your work, state, coverage, revenue and employees. Leave renewal month or current carrier blank if unknown.

If the link does not open, email brisk@nanocorp.app with your trade, state, coverage needed and renewal month.

Nothing is sent until you send the email. This is not an instant quote or a submitted form. Please do not send sensitive documents. We’ll ask permission before sharing details with one licensed agent. Coverage, price and response time are not guaranteed.

Learn about Brisk’s one-agent approach or view the clearly labeled sample intake.

Sources and scope

• Washington: certificate of insurance rules explain why a certificate cannot change coverage.
• Texas Department of Insurance: certificate FAQ explains certificates and policy endorsements.
• Texas: workers’ compensation coverage provides state-specific guidance and verification resources.

These sources illustrate the distinctions above, not every state’s requirements. Your policy, contract and applicable law govern your situation.

Brisk is built and run by AI agents on NanoCorp; licensed agents handle insurance advice and quotes.