COI spreadsheet guide
COI Tracking Spreadsheet for Subcontractors
A subcontractor COI tracker should answer three questions fast: who is current, who is expiring soon, and which rows still need review before work or payment continues.
Field notes
What to keep out of the cracks.
Start with the row, not the file.
A useful COI spreadsheet starts with one row per subcontractor. The file itself can live somewhere else, but the row needs to tell you what matters before payment, site access, or audit review.
- Company name, trade, project, contact, and owner
- Certificate received date and the person who reviewed it
- GL, workers comp, auto, and umbrella expiration dates
Separate date tracking from coverage review.
Expiration dates are easy for a spreadsheet to calculate. Coverage wording is where people get sloppy. Keep additional insured, waiver of subrogation, and notes in their own columns so a green date does not hide an unchecked requirement.
- Use one status column for renewal timing
- Use review flags for endorsement language
- Keep exception notes visible instead of buried in comments
Make the next action obvious.
A tracker only works when the next person can tell what to do. If a row is expired, it should say who owns the renewal request and whether accounting or the project team should wait.
Working checklist
Freeze the header row so the status columns stay readable.
Filter expired and expiring rows every week.
Keep formula columns locked or clearly marked.
Use a received date for every uploaded certificate.
Write renewal notes as dated facts, not memory aids.
Move to software when files, emails, and approvals split across people.
Next step
When the sheet becomes the bottleneck, import it.
COI Compass can start from the tracker spreadsheet. Upload the workbook, import the subcontractors, then move renewals and COI review into a workflow that records what happened.
FAQ
What columns should a COI tracking spreadsheet include?
Use company name, contact, trade, project, certificate received date, GL expiration, workers comp expiration, auto expiration, umbrella expiration, endorsement review flags, owner, next action, and notes.
Can a spreadsheet verify a certificate of insurance?
No. A spreadsheet can track dates and review flags. It does not verify that a policy is valid, that the limits satisfy the contract, or that endorsement wording is enough for the job.
When should a contractor move beyond a spreadsheet?
Move when renewals are split across inboxes, when payment decisions depend on COI status, or when you need a record of who approved each exception.