★ Contractor guides

What is a certificate of insurance (COI) — and how fast can you get one?

If you've ever lost a bid because the paperwork wasn't ready, this one's for you. A COI is the piece of paper that proves you carry the coverage a general contractor or client requires — and contractors need them constantly.

What a COI actually is

A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary of your coverage: the policyholder (you), the insurer, the policy numbers, the coverage types and limits, and the effective dates. It is not the policy itself and it doesn't change your coverage — it just proves, at a glance, that coverage exists.

When a GC asks for a COI, they usually want to see specific things: your general liability limits (often $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate), workers' comp if you have a crew, and sometimes commercial auto. Some also ask to be listed as an additional insured — meaning your policy extends certain protections to them on that job.

Why GCs and clients require them

It's risk transfer. If something goes wrong on their project, they want proof you can cover your share of it — and their own contracts and lenders usually require it. No COI, no contract. It's that simple, and it's why COI turnaround speed directly affects your ability to bid and start work.

What slows COIs down

• Not having the right coverage in the first place. You can't certificate coverage you don't carry. If the GC wants $2M aggregate and you have $1M, there's a gap to close first.
• Missing details. The certificate holder's exact name and address, additional-insured endorsements, waiver of subrogation — small details that require the agent to touch the file.
• An agent who's hard to reach. The most common complaint we hear. A COI request sitting in someone's inbox for three days can cost you the job.

How fast PolicyEZ turns COIs around

When you request your quote, tell us a COI is urgent and we flag it as a rush. Once your policy is bound, we aim for same-business-day COIs — because we know the bid doesn't wait. One specialist handles your file, so the person quoting your coverage is the same person sending your certificate.

The fastest way to get covered

Start with the coverage most GCs require — general liability — and add workers' comp, commercial auto, and tools & equipment in the same intake. Two minutes of questions, real options from a licensed specialist, and rush COIs when the job depends on it.