Compliance checklist
Subcontractor Insurance Compliance Checklist
Use this checklist when you need a repeatable COI review process for subcontractors, especially when expiration dates, limits, and endorsement wording all matter.
Field notes
What to keep out of the cracks.
Worked example: renewal received, review still open.
Illustrative review on October 7, 2026: Sample Mechanical provides a certificate with a September 30, 2027 expiration. The contract calls for an additional insured endorsement, but that document is missing. A current expiration does not close the review.
- Date status: current, based only on the entered expiration
- Review status: missing endorsement, pending review
- Next action: request the required document, assign a reviewer, and record the follow-up date
- Decision: keep the review open until the requirement owner records a decision or an exception
Use the roster audit for the date check in this checklist.
Map one COI expiration column from your CSV or XLSX to find missing or invalid dates, expired dates, and renewals due within 60 days. The audit does not read certificates, check limits, or verify endorsements. Continue those checks with the contract and supporting documents.
Confirm the basics before reading endorsements.
A review should begin with the obvious items: the named insured, project, coverage lines, dates, and certificate holder. If those are wrong, the rest of the review is already suspect.
- Named insured matches the subcontractor you hired
- Certificate holder matches your company or project requirement
- Policy dates are current for work and payment timing
Check limits against the contract.
A certificate can look complete and still miss a contract requirement. Keep the required limits close to the review workflow so the reviewer does not rely on memory.
- General liability each occurrence and aggregate
- Workers compensation and employer liability
- Auto liability if vehicles are part of the work
- Umbrella or excess coverage when the contract requires it
Treat endorsement wording as a separate decision.
Additional insured and waiver of subrogation wording often decide whether a COI is truly usable. Track those checks separately from expiration status so a date renewal does not erase a review issue.
Write down exceptions.
If someone approves work with a missing item, record who approved it, when, and why. That note matters later when an auditor, owner, or accounting team asks why the row was cleared.
Working checklist
Match the subcontractor name against the agreement or vendor record.
Confirm certificate holder details.
Review GL, workers comp, auto, and umbrella expiration dates.
Compare limits to the contract or project requirement.
Check additional insured wording when required.
Check waiver of subrogation wording when required.
Record missing items, reviewer, and next action.
Save the reviewed certificate and any endorsement files together.
Next step
Check your dates, then carry the roster into a trial.
Start with a date audit of your existing spreadsheet. Your reviewed roster can stay in this browser for signup, then be restored in the import preview. Confirm the import in your trial before any account records are added.
Related resources
Keep the workflow connected.
Free Subcontractor COI Tracker Spreadsheet
Copy the starter spreadsheet before moving the workflow into software.
COI Tracking Spreadsheet for Subcontractors
Set up the spreadsheet columns that keep renewal and review work visible.
COI Renewal Email Template
Use a clear renewal request when coverage is close to expiration.
Subcontractor Insurance Compliance Checklist
Review dates, limits, endorsements, and exceptions in a repeatable order.
FAQ
Common questions.
What is subcontractor insurance compliance?
It is the process of checking that a subcontractor's insurance documents match the coverage, timing, limits, and endorsement requirements for the work.
Is a certificate of insurance enough by itself?
Not always. A certificate summarizes coverage, but some requirements depend on attached endorsements or contract-specific wording.
Who should approve COI exceptions?
The owner of the requirement should approve exceptions. For a small GC, that may be an operations lead, controller, project executive, or owner. The approval should be recorded.