Guides
Plain-language guides to subcontractor insurance certificates, endorsements, contract requirements, and contractor licenses in Colorado, California, Texas, and Florida.
- How to read an ACORD 25 certificate, field by fieldWalk through every section of an ACORD 25 certificate of liability insurance, from producer and insurers to limits, dates, and holder, and what each tells you.
- Additional insured: CG 20 10 vs CG 20 37Learn what additional insured status means, how CG 20 10 (ongoing work) differs from CG 20 37 (completed work), and how to verify the real endorsement.
- Waiver of subrogation: what it is and what to verifyLearn what subrogation is, why contracts require a waiver of subrogation on GL, auto, and workers' comp, and how to confirm the endorsement is really in place.
- Primary and non-contributory insurance, explainedLearn what primary and non-contributory wording means, why GCs and owners require it, how it pairs with additional insured status, and how to spot gaps.
- Certificate holder vs additional insuredThe plain-language difference between a certificate holder and an additional insured, the common mistakes, and how to write holder wording into your contract.
- General liability limits explainedEach occurrence, general aggregate, products-completed operations, and the other commercial general liability limits, and how to read them on a certificate.
- Umbrella vs excess liability insuranceUnderstand how umbrella and excess policies differ, how they appear on an ACORD 25, and the common gap where the certificate does not show what it needs to.
- Red flags when reviewing a certificate of insuranceSpot the common problems on a certificate of insurance: dates, names, limits, checked boxes without endorsements, wrong holder, and when to ask for more proof.
- Writing insurance requirements in a subcontractA checklist for a subcontract insurance section: coverages, limits, endorsements, certificate holder, evidence timing, and what happens on non-compliance.
- GC insurance requirements by tradeSee which coverages and endorsements general contractors commonly require from electricians, plumbers, HVAC, roofers, concrete, and painters, and why.
- What to do when a subcontractor's certificate expiresA step-by-step plan for an expired subcontractor insurance certificate: confirm the lapse, get the renewal, set a deadline, and prevent it next time.
- How property managers track vendor insuranceLearn which vendors need insurance, what to collect from each, how to organize records by property and owner, and how to run an annual review.
- Workers' comp exemptions for sole proprietorsA general guide to workers' comp exemptions for sole proprietors and owners, why a GC may still want proof, and what to ask for instead of a certificate.
- Colorado contractor license lookup: what the state coversColorado licenses electricians and plumbers statewide but not general contractors. Learn what to look up, where, and what to ask a subcontractor for.
- California contractor license lookup with the CSLBHow to check a California contractor license with the CSLB: status, classification, bond, workers' comp, and the traps that let a bad license look fine.
- Texas contractor license lookup: TDLR and plumbingTexas has no general contractor license. Learn which trades TDLR and the plumbing board license, where to search, and what to ask a subcontractor.
- Florida contractor license lookup: certified vs registeredFlorida contractors are certified statewide or registered locally. Learn how to check a license on the DBPR site and read status values like delinquent.
- COI tracking: spreadsheet vs softwareA spreadsheet is enough for a handful of vendors. Learn what breaks as you grow, what software should do, and what to look for when you choose.
- How subcontractors can prequalify fasterBuild one compliance packet, keep it current, and ask your agent for blanket endorsements so general contractors approve you in days instead of weeks.
- Getting a COI from your insurance agentWhat to send your insurance agent so a certificate of insurance comes back fast and correct, and how to check it against the contract before you send it.