Question 1

What is a certificate of insurance, and what does it do?

Accepted Answer

A COI is a document typically issued by an insurance broker or carrier that summarizes a vendor, subcontractor, or tenant’s active insurance coverage. It helps a hiring contractor or property manager check whether the listed coverage appears to meet a contract or project requirement before work begins and helps track expiration dates. It is a summary, not the insurance policy itself. Source: supplied PaperRivet COI FAQ research [1][3][4].

Question 2

Which coverage types commonly appear on contractor COIs?

Accepted Answer

Commonly requested categories include general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, and umbrella or excess liability. General liability addresses third-party bodily injury and property damage; workers’ compensation addresses employee medical costs and lost wages after a job injury; commercial auto addresses vehicles used for business; and umbrella or excess liability adds limits above a base policy. These are common examples, not a universal checklist. Source: supplied PaperRivet COI FAQ research [1][2].

Question 3

Why do general contractors and property managers request COIs?

Accepted Answer

They use COIs to document that a subcontractor, vendor, or tenant appears to carry the insurance types and limits required for the engagement. A general contractor may request one from a subcontractor to check contract compliance and required endorsements. Property managers commonly request certificates from vendors working in their buildings and track expiration dates. A COI can help identify an apparent gap before work starts. Source: supplied PaperRivet COI FAQ research [1][3][4].

Question 4

What names, dates, limits, and endorsements should be checked?

Accepted Answer

Compare the named insured with the exact legal entity on the contract; a parent company, related entity, different DBA, or individual owner may not be the contracting party. Check that the effective and expiration dates span the full work period, then compare each listed coverage type and limit with the customer contract. If additional insured, waiver of subrogation, or primary and noncontributory wording is required, confirm the actual endorsement is attached rather than relying only on a checked certificate box. Source: supplied PaperRivet COI FAQ research [5][6].

Question 5

Do COI requirements vary by state, industry, or customer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Requirements can vary by state or jurisdiction, industry sector, and the activity being performed. Construction, healthcare, transportation, and other sectors can have different risk profiles and insurance expectations, and a multi-state operation may face non-uniform rules. The customer contract may also set its own coverage types, limits, and endorsements. Treat any list here as general information and use the governing agreement and applicable jurisdiction to determine the actual requirement. Source: supplied PaperRivet COI FAQ research [7].

Question 6

How long should COI records be retained, and when should they be refreshed?

Accepted Answer

For an ongoing vendor workflow, property managers and contractors can track expiration dates and request renewal before a coverage gap. The supplied research describes a six-year policy-record retention rule for insurers from the date a policy is no longer in force, or until after a report on examination, whichever is longer; it also says records may be kept electronically on durable media and insurers may retain them longer. That insurer rule is not a universal retention period for every contractor or property manager, so follow your agreement, policy, and jurisdiction. Source: supplied PaperRivet COI FAQ research [1][8][9].

Question 7

What COI red flags warrant follow-up or rejection?

Accepted Answer

Follow up on a wrong certificate holder, a legal name that does not match the contract, expired dates, limits below the contract requirement, a blank or missing additional-insured description, or an unsigned certificate. Also investigate future-dated policy periods, unusual dates, an old issue date, retroactive dates that appear to cover an earlier incident, or a vague carrier name. A limit that exactly matches the requirement can be a reason for closer review, not automatic proof of a problem. Whether to reject a certificate depends on the governing contract and applicable requirements. Source: supplied PaperRivet COI FAQ research [6][10][11].

Question 8

What does PaperRivet do today, and what is planned?

Accepted Answer

PaperRivet is in development. Its planned direction includes certificate upload, checking requirements such as limits and dates, and human review for uncertain readings. Those workflows are not presented here as live automation, coverage validation, or a compliance determination. Use your current process, the certificate and policy documents, the customer agreement, your broker, and counsel for decisions today. Source: PaperRivet product status supplied in this brief and on the public site.

The practical COI questions, answered.

Start with the requirement in front of you.