Sample note

Ask your agent for a certificate or endorsement

A contractor asked you for a certificate or endorsements? This sample note names the exact documents for your insurance agent. Copy it and fill in the brackets.

A sample note

Copy it, fill in the brackets with the names exactly as the contractor's request gives them, and delete any line they didn't ask for.

To your agent

Subject: Certificate of insurance for [Contractor]

Hi [First name],

[Contractor] asked us for proof of insurance for the [Project] job. Could you send me:

A certificate of insurance (ACORD 25) with [Contractor], [Contractor's address], as the certificate holder
The CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 endorsements, or a blanket form, naming [Contractor] and [Project owner] as additional insureds
The CG 24 04 endorsement, a waiver of subrogation for [Contractor]
The CG 20 01 endorsement, primary and non-contributory for [Contractor]

If my policy doesn't have one of these, please tell me what adding it would cost before you change anything.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your company]

Asked for higher limits or an umbrella policy? That changes your policy, so talk it over with your agent first.

What each form does

Contractors name these forms in their contracts and request letters. Each one is a page your agent can send:

What they asked forFormWhat it does

A certificate of insurance ACORD 25 A summary of your policies. In its own words, it confers no rights on the holder and doesn't change your coverage.

Additional insured for ongoing work CG 20 10 Covers them for liability arising out of your work while it goes on.

Additional insured for completed work CG 20 37 Covers them for injury or damage after your work is done.

Waiver of subrogation on general liability CG 24 04 Your insurer waives its right to recover from them what it pays under your policy.

Primary and non-contributory CG 20 01 Your policy pays first and won't seek contribution from theirs, when your written contract asks for it.

Additional insured on your auto policy CA 20 48 Makes them an insured for your auto liability coverage.

Waiver of subrogation on workers' comp WC 00 03 13 Your workers' comp insurer gives up its right to collect from them. Kentucky and New Hampshire bar contracts that require it.

A blanket form works another way: it adds anyone you've agreed in a written contract to add, without naming each one. ISO's CG 20 33 and CG 20 38 are blanket forms for construction contracts, so your agent may send one of those pages instead.

An example

Larch Bend Builders asked Aldaco Drywall for proof of insurance before the Oak Hill Library job. Its contract named 5 things: a certificate with Larch Bend as the holder, additional insured for ongoing and for completed work naming Larch Bend and the Oak Hill Library District, a waiver of subrogation on general liability, and primary and non-contributory coverage.

Luis Aldaco filled in the sample with those names. His note to his agent, Karen, asks for the ACORD 25 with Larch Bend in the holder box, the CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 endorsements or a blanket form naming both, the CG 24 04 and the CG 20 01. It also asks what adding any missing form would cost before anything changes.

Questions people ask

What's the difference between a certificate and an endorsement?

A certificate summarizes your policies, and an endorsement is a page that changes one, such as by adding a contractor as an additional insured. The ACORD 25 says itself that it confers no rights on the holder, and that an additional insured needs the policy to be endorsed.

Why do contractors ask for both CG 20 10 and CG 20 37?

Each covers a different time. CG 20 10 covers them for your ongoing work, and CG 20 37 for injury or damage after the work is done.

What is a blanket additional insured endorsement?

One that adds anyone you've agreed in a written contract to add, without naming each one. If your policy has one, your agent can send that page instead of a form that names the contractor.

Does it cost anything?

It can. Progressive, for one, gives its policyholders certificates for free, but adding an additional insured can require more premium, and Tennessee lets insurers charge for a waiver on workers' comp. So the sample asks your agent what a missing form would cost before anything changes.

What if they asked for higher limits or an umbrella?

That changes your policy, so talk it over with your agent first. The sample asks only for documents, so it leaves those out.

Is this note insurance advice?

No. It names documents by their forms, and your customer's request decides which ones to ask for. Your agent and your policy decide what you can get.

Sources

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026. This page states facts, not insurance or legal advice. Found a mistake? Email hello@coverstamp.com, and see how we check facts.

ACORD: Forms notification, December 2025, as of Oct 2026 · the ACORD 25 moved to its 2025/12 edition
New York Department of Financial Services: ACORD 25 (2025/12), as of Oct 2026 · it confers no rights on the holder; an additional insured needs the policy endorsed
FC&S: ISO general liability additional insured endorsements, Jul 2025 · the titles and 12 19 editions of CG 20 10, CG 20 37, CG 20 33 and CG 20 38
City of Sierra Madre: Acceptable additional insured endorsements · ongoing and completed operations; automatic status from a written construction contract
IRMI: Blanket additional insured endorsement, as of Apr 2026 · insured status for those a contract requires, given automatically
City of La Habra: a CG 20 01 12 19 on file, Dec 2025 · primary, and won't seek contribution from the additional insured's own insurance
AYSO: CG 24 04 12 19 in its 2025–26 policy · the insurer waives its right of recovery against the person shown
New York Office of General Services: CA 20 48 10 13, as of May 2025 · the person shown is an insured for Covered Autos Liability Coverage
Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance: Bulletin of May 2015, as of Sep 2025 · WC 00 03 13 waives the right to collect from a responsible party; insurers may charge for it
KEMI: Can a waiver of subrogation be added to a policy? · Kentucky prohibits waivers on workers' comp, per KRS 342.700(3)
New Hampshire RSA 281-A:13, as of Jun 2025 · an agreement that requires the waiver is prohibited
Progressive Commercial: Certificate of insurance, as of Jun 2026 · certificates are free for its policyholders
biBerk: What's an additional insured in business insurance?, Oct 2025, as of Jul 2026 · an additional insured may require more premium

Get in first

Hire subs of your own? Coverstamp keeps track of their certificates for you. It asks for each one, checks it against your requirements and follows up on what's missing. It opens in early 2027, and people on the list get in first.