Construction Compliance Resources
What Is a Certificate of Insurance (COI)?
A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a document that verifies a contractor or subcontractor has active insurance coverage. Construction companies use COIs to confirm that vendors and subcontractors carry the required policies before work begins.
Why COIs Matter
COIs help reduce risk by verifying insurance coverage before a subcontractor enters a job site. Without proper tracking, expired policies can expose construction teams to financial and legal liability.
What Information Is Included on a COI?
A certificate of insurance typically includes the policy holder's name, insurance carrier, policy numbers, coverage types, coverage limits, and policy expiration dates. The document serves as proof that insurance was active when the certificate was issued.
While a COI provides a summary of coverage, it is not the insurance policy itself. Construction teams often review both the certificate and supporting policy information when verifying compliance requirements.
Who Requests a Certificate of Insurance?
General contractors, project owners, property managers, and construction companies commonly require subcontractors and vendors to provide a current certificate of insurance before work begins.
Requesting a COI helps verify that the subcontractor carries the required insurance coverage and reduces the risk of unexpected liability exposure.
What Happens When a COI Expires?
An expired certificate of insurance can create compliance gaps, delay work, and increase project risk. Without updated documentation, construction teams may not be able to verify that required coverage remains active.
This is why many contractors use automated tracking systems and renewal reminders to stay ahead of COI expiration dates and maintain compliance visibility across projects.
Common COI Tracking Problems
- Missed expiration dates
- Tracking insurance in spreadsheets
- Scattered PDFs and email attachments
- No centralized compliance visibility
- Last-minute policy renewals
These issues often lead to broader compliance problems. For more examples, review our guide on common COI compliance mistakes.
Best Practices for COI Tracking
- Track expiration dates automatically
- Store COIs in one centralized location
- Set alerts before coverage lapses
- Maintain visibility across all subcontractors
- Prepare for audits proactively
For a more complete framework, see our Ultimate Guide to COI Tracking or learn how COI tracking for general contractors helps teams manage subcontractor compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a certificate of insurance?
A certificate of insurance, or COI, is a document that verifies a contractor, subcontractor, vendor, or business has active insurance coverage.
Why do construction teams collect COIs?
Construction teams collect COIs to verify that subcontractors and vendors carry required insurance coverage before work begins.
What information is included on a COI?
A COI typically includes the policyholder name, insurance carrier, policy numbers, coverage types, coverage limits, and policy expiration dates.
What happens when a COI expires?
When a COI expires, construction teams may no longer be able to verify that required insurance coverage is current, which can create compliance gaps and added follow-up.
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Related Resources
Continue learning about COI tracking and compliance.
Expiration Tracking
How to Track COI Expiration Dates
Learn how construction teams stay ahead of expirations before compliance gaps create project risk.
Read Article →Compliance Risk
Common COI Compliance Mistakes
See the most common tracking mistakes that lead to missing insurance information and expired coverage.
Read Article →COI Tracking
Ultimate Guide to COI Tracking
Learn the complete process of tracking certificates of insurance and monitoring compliance.
Read Article →General Contractors
COI Tracking for General Contractors
See how general contractors stay organized and reduce compliance risk.
Read Article →