Certificate of Insurance COI

A certificate of insurance is issued by an insurer, not by the contractor, and summarizes what coverage exists, the policy limits, and the dates the policy is active. For commercial work it is usually the gate: no COI on file, no access to the building.

Why the document matters and a verbal assurance does not

Any company can say it is insured. A COI comes from the carrier and states what the coverage actually is and whether it is in force right now. That distinction is the entire point — the document is verifiable and a claim is not.

It also has an expiration date, which is why buildings track COIs rather than collecting them once. A certificate from two years ago proves nothing about today.

What a property manager typically checks

That the coverage is current rather than lapsed. The liability limits, against whatever the building or lease requires. Whether workers’ compensation is included, which matters because an uninsured contractor’s injured worker can become the property owner’s problem. And sometimes whether the building is named as an additional insured, which is a specific request the carrier has to add.

Where we stand

We are fully insured, and we can provide documentation for your vendor or property management file. We are also a New York State Certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise, which some municipal and institutional vendor requirements ask about separately from insurance.

If your building has specific limits or an additional-insured requirement, tell us what the paperwork needs and we will get it over rather than making you chase it. Reach out and we will handle it.